BadBurrito

I want to replace my Shimano road shoes. I’ve had them too long (15+ years) and they are starting to fall apart. I’ve liked the clipless pedals I have, which are also Shimano. They allow me to click in from either side of the pedal which I had assumed was the standard until I started looking at pedals online.

When I compare my existing pedals to what I see on online. My pedals look similar to what I see online labelled as “Mountain bike” pedals. However, I have a road bike and exclusively ride on the road or paved MUP. The existing shoes have a 2 –bolt clip.

The choices and variations of shoe/pedal combinations is overwhelming me so I need some information and possible some suggestions.

My preference is to keep the cost of the shoes under $100-ish. I hadn’t planned on replacing the pedals but I will if necessary.

Aubergine 

All you need to do is look for a shoe that is "SPD compatible." That should be almost all of them. You should be able to move your cleats straight over to the new shoes.

BlazingPedals

What Aubergine said. I ride exclusively on the road and I use SPD pedals with Shimano M088 shoes. Any mountain bike shoe will have 2-bolt soles, and also tread so that you can walk normally when you get off the bike.

Boudicca

I have three road bikes, all for slightly different uses. I have SPD mountain bike pedals on all three bikes, and I have an embarassingly large number mountain bike shoes, which are the ones where the cleat is recessed into the tread of the shoe. This means I can walk comfortably without the metal of the cleat clacking on the pavement. The spouse, on the other hand, has different pedals on each of the bikes he rides on a regular basis, which means he's forever looking for the "right" pair of shoes. I find my mountain-bike-pedals-on-a-road-bike combo much more convenient than the "road" pedals, where you can only clip in on one side of the pedal, and where you have to put covers on your cleats if you want to walk any distance at all.

John_V 

As mentioned, all of the shoe manufacturers make at least one model of mountain bike shoes. Many of them are priced around $100.00 or less, just depends on what you are looking for. Specialized makes a very good MTB shoe at $99.00. I had a pair for 5 years and would have purchased them again if they hadn't changed the style to look like ghetto shoes. Shimano, Pearl Izumi and Louis Garneau have some really nice shoes in your price range. Currently, I am using Louis Garneau shoes that I purchased from Performance Bike. They were on sale for $89.00 when I bought them but are now on sale for $49.00 during the Xmas holidays. They're the Terra model.

70sSanO

While a discontinued shoe, the Specialized Elite Touring is a nice road style SPD compatible shoe. I'm sure other companies make similar shoes.

John

leob1

I have both type of pedals\shoes. On my road bike I use Look compatible shoes and pedals. This is the kind with three screws holding the cleat to the shoe. My other bikes use SPD type. If I'm going to ride my road bike on a ride where I know I'll be doing some walking, or there is a good chance of some walking, I'll switch to the SPD pedals. It is just easier to walk in them, especially when there are stairs involved.
As for shoes, try different brands. They will fit your foot differently. And the same size will be different between brands. Try them on. A good shop will have a variety, and let you try and compare. I have been in shops surrounded by boxes of shoe searching for the correct fit. If the shop doesn't want to help you find the best fitting shoe, find a different shop.

mr_bill

While you look at all the overwhelming choices, just focus on a pair of SPD shoes that you find comfortable and fit and you'll wear.

BTW, not all of the spd shoes are MTB shoes (which tend to have aggressive tread). Other categories the marketeers have come up with are "urban cycling" and "road touring." What all of them have in common that you can both ride *AND* walk in them.

(Just one last thing depending on how much you ride. If your 15 year old cleats are showing significant wear you might want to think about changing them out. They are about 10 dollars. It's harder to unclip "clipless" worn cleats.)

Just another old roadie who says hell no to Rule #34.

-mr. bill

BadBurrito

all good advice - thank you.

tg16

I have a pair of the Giro Rumble which can be had in your price range online. They are extremely comfortable, which is a lot since my feet are very picky.

Carbonfiberboy 

There are single-sided SPD road pedals, much hipper than the double-sided MTB pedals, especially on rest stops during group events, etc. However they're a bit of a PITA to clip into without looking and offer no advantages over double-sided other than a tiny bit of weight and an even tinier bit of aero. I have both kinds, depending on the bike.

mr_bill

FWIW, the pedals are pretty much not a wear item.
(I mean, they do wear, but third order. You'll pretty much replace every other component before the pedals.)

If you've got functional two sided SPD pedals there is near *zero* reason to replace them.

-mr. bill

StanSeven

Lots of shoes on sale or good deals online. Just be sure they fit. Sizes between manufacturers really vary not only in length and width but also room in the toe box area and heel. Make sure they aren't too large or too small because shoes are something you want to keep for a long time. This is one good reason to buy locally from a LBS so you can try them on.

Rubble

Thats one hell of a list of rules!

StanSeven

Validated by a million riders worldwide

CrippledKonaBoy

Since I know my shoe size on the Euro scale, I can easily buy online with no issues. Performance, Nashbar, Chain Reaction Cycles all have good shoes for $70 or less. All SPD-compatible.

Gerryattrick

Taken with a huge pinch of salt by millions more.

tg16

Or a handful of toilet paper.

RedC

Your feet are a lot more flexible than mine then, Some shoes fit me better than others and they are all the same size