I started having foot issues - blisters, infections, bone issues that felt close ot cracking over my arch from me doing three things together that my feet perceived as a conspiracy. I aged into my 60s. I stopped wearing laced up cycling shoes and rode exclusively strapped shoes. Then I started riding the week long Cycle Oregon fix gear. (Yes, I cheated. I brought all the cogs, 12 to 23, then 24 teeth and a lightweight chain whip and brought the appropriate cogs (up to 4) on the mountain days.)
My second fix gear Cycle Oregon I brought Teva sandals with my on the hard days for foot relief at rest stops. (The red bag you can see under the top tube in my avatar photo.) Better but I still visited the doc after and ran 10 days of antibiotics. Then I took those same shoes (Lakes with lasts my feet love), cut off the straps and installed brass grommets from a kit from Tandy Leather. Laces! My feet loved 'em!
Last summer, as Cycle Oregon was approaching and I was committed to doing my last fix gear attempt, I looked at those shoes and thought "you know, they just might not survive another hard week of fix gear. And I'll be over 100 miles from the nearest Lake dealer, no way to get there and won't have an address to ship to. So I went on the Lake website to find the cheapest 3-bolt LOOK pattern shoes in real leather (no break-on or trial time left). Fully prepared to cut off those brand new straps or whatever and install good old laces.) Shock! First pair that met those requirements was the best, most expensive shoe. (Second best this year. There's a new model.) Found a local shop, had them order what I wanted in my usual Lake size. Went to try them on. And ...
Wow! Leather as nice as I've ever felt. Wonderful padded tongue. A double BOA system that felt as good as laces with 8 or 9 pairs of crossings. And a wide toe box! And after the week - well the ride was hard. I'm no longer young and 30,000' in gears never lower than 36x24 wasn't easy. I muscled more than a few hills in much bigger gears so I wouldn't have to stop twice. Two of the days took me back to some of my epic rides in my race days. Days where I was tired to the bone after. And my feet! For them, it was almost a walk in the park. Only issue - those BOAs are powerful! I overtightened to pain a few times. (Adjusting on the fly riding fixed with those knobs and the pedals turning at 70-100 RPM isn't a precision process. But I learned.)
So, all this to say - some of the new (expensive) shoes are a revelation for comfort. If you have foot issues as I have had, those bucks spent might well be bucks you didn't spend at the doc. And every time you put them on, the smile comes back. (I cannot vouch for other brands. Most of my shoes and all of my regular riders are Lakes because their lasts work so well for my feet. All cycling shoes that work for me have had toe boxers that were tight and that I just considered the price of doing this business of cycling - until these shoes. (Shoes that allow my feet to slide will be sending me to the doc for more antibiotics. That's not a maybe.)
My shoe, the Lake CX 238. Not a sales pitch. The color I got and like is discontinued so if no-one touches them, I may be able to get more years from now.
At the same time, I want Lake to stay healthy and keep making me wonderful shoes. (Those lasts! The el-cheapo Performance brand shoes simply worked. It wasn't until I had years on several pairs that I learned they were made by this company I'd never heard of, Lake.) I have enough problems getting most shoes to be comfortable that I'm guessing what works so well for me is probably not the best for others. But I'm guessing that the other big cycling shoe manufacturers are making roughly the same high end shoe with lasts that work for people who do not have my feet.