Once while touring in Acadia National Park, I stopped at the top of a waterfall to take in its beauty. It was a wonderful experience until the metal on bottom of my cycling shoe began to slip on the wet rocks. I literally had to throw myself to the ground to keep from going over the waterfall. Since then I’ve switched to SPD (Shimano Pedaling Dynamics) clipless pedals and multi-use/touring shoes and I’ve never regretted it.
There is something reassuring about clicking in my pedals and becoming one with the bike. Now, I feel equally confident off the bike. With the SPD cleats recessed in the bottom of the shoe, only the shoe’s tread makes contact with the ground so the shoes are very sure footed and safe for walking.
Another advantage to using SPD multi-use/touring shoes is that they don’t look like cycling shoes so I don’t mind wearing them off the bike. Also, they eliminate the dirty looks from establishment owners for click/clacking across their floors or demands that I remove my cycling shoes while in their establishment.
Ken Whittaker