>>1957936>So why not buy special SPD shoes, have them last longer, have better retention and lighter pedals?I know this is a rhetorical question, but I'm going to attempt to genuinely answer it.
Because I don't want better retention. Not being able to shift around my foot on the pedal felt bad. Also SPD made me slower because I had to be more careful in my riding, because my feet were fucking stuck to the pedals.
Also despite what people say, I don't believe you can walk properly in SPD shoes. It was certainly not true of the mtb shoes I bought with the recessed cleats. Five-Tens while not the most optimal walking shoes work perfectly ok as every-day wear. SPDs do not.
Also your point about needing special mtb shoes is not entirely true. All you need is shoes that you don't mind scuffing, which makes pinned flats a hell of a lot more versatile than SPDs.
I tried the SPD meme and I hated it.
