Pedal Question - Shoes?

[elbowglitter]

Very newbie question here. I've been lurking quite a bit and you all are amazing with the way you share your knowledge so I thought I'd peek out of lurkerdom and ask the question I've been incessantly googling.

I've been gifted with a nearly new set of Shimano PD-A530 pedals, a dual platform pedal with a platform on one side and SPD cleats on the other. I'm excited to try them out, as I think it's a good way for me to get started (and they were free).

But here's where my newbieness is showing. I've been looking at shoes everywhere, and finally found a pair I like - http://www.rei.com/product/810731/pearl-izumi-all-road-bike-shoes-womens. They're called road bike shoes, but they have the recessed cleats, which I thought was more of a mountain bike deal. Either way, they're comfy, and I like the idea of starting out with a shoe I can walk in.

Can I pair these two together? And broader, can I pair road pedals with mountain bike shoes? It seems to me that it wouldn't work, but I clearly know very little.

Thanks for the help. Weirdly, I'm looking forward to playing with my pedals and inevitably tipping over in the most humiliating location possible.

[pinsonp2]

The shoes you linked to will work with the pedals you have. True road shoes/cleats have a 3 hole triangular connection. Mounrain shoes use 2 holes (the 4 holes allow for ajustability). You will need to get some Shimano SPD cleats (come with new pedals) so the shoes clip to the pedal.

Enjoy
P2

[Amira]

Mountain bike style shoes will work with a lot of road bike pedals, but not all. But, per pinsonp2 ^, those should work together. Good luck learning to click in and out. As for tipping over, it takes 3 times and you've got it. I fell over my first time on clipless pedals. Stopped fine. Waited for car to pass. Then, pushed myself up to take off and pushed myself slightly past center, so I very ungracefully tipped myself over to the other side on my brand new bike and cut the handlebar tape and put a scratch in it. I was more upset about the bike than my very slight scratches.

[elbowglitter]

Ahh, okay, so the difference is in the holes in the shoe! That makes perfect sense. Why isn't this information easily searchable? I knew that the cleats would fit the shoe, but I didn't know if there were more issues than that.

And the pedals I got still have their cleats. I got them from a coworker, and I'm pretty sure he bought them for his wife, she opened them and said "No. I am sticking to my cages," and then he never bothered to return them. He just told me to pass them on to another newbie biker when I upgrade. I figure I'll gift them along with with new cleats when it comes to that point :)

[elbowglitter]

I was more upset about the bike than my very slight scratches.

That makes perfect sense to me. You will heal. The bike will not!

[Amira]

Ahh, okay, so the difference is in the holes in the shoe! That makes perfect sense. Why isn't this information easily searchable? I knew that the cleats would fit the shoe, but I didn't know if there were more issues than that.

And the pedals I got still have their cleats. I got them from a coworker, and I'm pretty sure he bought them for his wife, she opened them and said "No. I am sticking to my cages," and then he never bothered to return them. He just told me to pass them on to another newbie biker when I upgrade. I figure I'll gift them along with with new cleats when it comes to that point :)

Nice....the ultimate in recycling. Not all MTB shoes will accommodate all road pedals. My Sidi's I wore for years would not accommodate the new pedals I chose when I replaced my bike last year, so I had to switch to a road shoe then.

[Sky King]

You have the same pedals that I do. I ride with a MTB shoe, always have, more comfortable for touring.

I love my pedals. As I only own one bike, she is my everything bike so I can hop on and go to the store in my street shoes one day and then go out on a weekend tour the next day.

Had to smile about the "upgrade" comment personally wouldn't dream of getting rid of my pedals