So, I've been riding a road bike for a few years now and using SPDs. I now also have a touring bike, but still planning on using my road bike too. The touring bike did not come with SPD pedals but I plan on using them on this bike too. When riding this bike I have found that when not on the roads I have to keep taking my feet off the Pedals so SPDs would be no good in this instance. Another thing I would like to do when using SPD shoes is walking in them so the cleats will have to be in a recess within the sole.
So, the pedals I am thinking of using is Shimano M324 Pedals which are classed as touring pedals. These have one side as SPD and the other side as flat. Has anyone used these kinds of pedals?
The problem I am having is finding the right shoes. The SPD shoes I use on my road bike would do everything as needed except the soles of these shoes have no grip for gripping the flat side of the pedals and even though they can be walked in, the soles are a bit stiff.
I am trying to find shoes that are similar to my road shoes above but that have a grippy sole that is not too stiff (not Quamms as they are too expensive). So far I have only found 2:
Shimano MT3s but apparently these have no grip
O'Neal MTB Flow, these have the grip but looking at the photos they don't look as they have the cleats recessed so walking in them would be difficult.
Has anyone experienced any of the shoes above?
Has anyone got any other shoe suggestions?
You seem a little confused or your post does. Bike is irrelevant to the type of shoe or fastening of shoe to the type of pedal you use.
If I've got this right you are using a cycling shoe with no sole for walking i.e. smooth underside with no grips or tread with SPDs? That sounds even more dangerous than trying to walk on cleats.
SPD MTB shoes all have a sole with tread on the underside for walking on and a recess for the SPD so you can walk without the SPD contacting the ground, indeed MTBers need a shoe for when they have to get off and push or carry their bikes in thick mud hence SPDs. A road type cycling shoe being smooth on the underside and very stiff does not have a recess for a SPD as no under sole and would be useless and dangerous for walking in mud. You can walk a short way but they are not designed for walking. If you want to walk as well get a MTB shoe.
Generally road cycling shoes have fixings for cleats, but no recessed cut outs for SPDs as they have no under sole. I suppose you could attach SPDs on road shoes. Never tried. You can use SPDs on a road bike if you use a SPD pedal and a SPD MTB shoe. I suppose you could use a road bike shoe with cleats and a cleated pedal on a MTB but why would you?
I have have double sided SPD pedals on almost all my bikes whether riding road, off road or where ever. No flat pedals anymore as they are so inefficient compared to being clipped or cleated in. One road bike still has Campag Chorus pedals which use cleats and are gorgeous to ride. I use these with Sidi road shoes. I hope this helps clarify.