John_V 

I have been riding with Specialized and LG shoes that have really been pretty comfortable but the lugged soles don't seem to last me more that a couple of years before wearing out the lugs on the heels. I bought a pair of Shimano MO89L at Performance, just before they closed their store. They were the only SPD shoes they had left in a size 42, and for the price they were selling them for, buying them was a no brainer. Of all the shoes I've had in the past, these have got to be the most comfortable shoes I've ever owned. To be honest, they are as comfortable or more so than my Sketchers. Now I just have to see how long the lugs hold up at the heels. I have the Shimano M530 pedals so the lugs around the cleats sit nicely on the cage around the retainer, creating more shoe to pedal contact area. No sore feet regardless of the ride distance.

ThermionicScott 

Oh, it definitely started out with dumb stuff. My first couple of brevets were in sneakers on Shimano 6207 pedals that were meant for stiff shoes and cleats. I moved on to SPD pedals and Giro Rumbles, which got me a lot further down the road but were slightly too small when my feet swelled toward the end of a 400+, even when I loosened the laces a bunch. In desperation, I took the liners out of the bottom for more room, but neglected to lower my saddle to compensate, so I had sore hamstrings for a while afterward.

I bought a pair of Shimano M089s in the next size up just in time for PBP 2015 and they were a lot more comfortable, but increased the risk of toe overlap. The journey continues...

tangerineowl

Specialized S-Works 6 mtb. Lightweight, very stiff. Narrow heel with round&fairly-wide front.

Replaced by the 7 now, so you may be able to find a pair on discount.

joewein

I've used various Shimano MTB shoes in the past, but now I am very happy with a pair of Giro Cylinder MTB shoes I bought two years ago. The dial wheel makes it so quick to loosen or tighten the shoes. I've got wide feed but never felt too tight in them. They're reasonable for walking and even hiking off the bike, but a little slippery on wet surfaces - about the only caveat I have.

clasher

I wish I'd have tried on a fizik x3 shoe before I bought my bontrager, they seem pretty similar but they don't have the vestigial velcro on the toe box. I like the boa system a lot I have on my shoes.

unterhausen

I'm not a big fan of boa. I have a couple of pairs of road shoes that use it, and I feel like the ratcheting strap on the Giros is better. For gravel or mtb, boa just seems like a bad idea. I had to repair my mtb lakes by taking them apart and gluing them back together. Boa didn't want to supply the part that failed, even though they make it. But they relented. Apparently they consider it a part of the shoe. At first, I thought I was going to have to throw away a $300 pair of shoes over a silly little plastic tube.

clasher

Weird, it seems like the boa parts are pretty cheap compared to the rest of shoes. Maybe one day someone will donate a broken boa shoe to the local co-op and I can try fixing one.

BurittoGrande

BOA is almost mandatory for me. I thought is was a gimmick but I love being able to adjust on the fly.

ThermionicScott 

After several months of thought on this, I'm considering standardizing on... MTB/touring sandals. Check it out: easy adjustability, they breathe really well (no more wet socks after it rains), and swollen feet have more room to expand. My only concern at this point is whether the soles are stiff enough for long distance. We'll find out.

GadgetGirlIL

A dear friend of mine has done many 1000K and 1200K brevets with his sandals. I have no idea of the model but here is the picture.

ThermionicScott 

That's what I have! Shimano SH-5D5.

unterhausen

just watch out for sunburn on the top of your feet