I need HELP. Puhleeeeeze!!

Okay. So I started spinning - indoors at a gym about 6??? months ago. LOVE IT. I thought I would NEVER EVER find a really great cardiovascular workout that I actually enjoyed doing. I got a LITTLE into jogging - mostly treadmill in years past but I had surgery on my knee in high school and really, right now there is NO WAY - as my cardiovascular endurance has skyrocketed thanks to spinning - my knee just can't handle jogging. So I want to invest in a decent pair of spin (indoor cycling shoes - SPD compatible - that's what my gym has) shoes and really - I consider myself somewhat intelligent - but I can't make heads or tails out of ANY of the stuff on the internet. Some reviews claim this brand and that brand run small - even though they have the size charts... I can't figure out if I need shoes AND cleats - or if there are shoes WITH the right cleats - I'm really at a loss. I just want to buy a pair of spin shoes that I can wear to my spin class and bump up the workout because I think I've proven to myself that I'm committed to it... And I can't really go over $100 right now. Thanks in advance for your time. I used to be a size 8 shoe, but after 2 kids it's either 8.5 or 8W or 8.5 wide depending.

The only way to know what shoe is right is to try them on. If you have a bicycle shop nearby, check out those shoes. Tell them that you are spinning. They should know what kind of cleats you will need. For example - many people say Sidi's run narrow, but I find they are the only shoe that fits my duck feet.

Your search for spin shoes will be a 2-part process. First, since you do know that the spin bikes at your gym use SPD pedals, you can go and buy the SPD cleats now. Any reputable bike shop should have them, or you'll be able to find them in hundreds of places online. They run about $20 a pair...and you'll be looking for Shimano SH-51 (single release) SPD cleats.

Next, you'll need to find compatible shoes. Most likely these will be MTB shoes, since MTB shoes use the 2-bolt SPD pattern exclusively. You will find "indoor" spin shoes that look almost like regular sneakers, but I really recommend going with a more rigid shoe. A more flexible shoe may end up causing "hot spots" on your feet. Your best bet would be to try a bunch of different shoes on because sizing can be all over the place with cycling shoes. Once you find a pair that you like, you just install the cleats on them (really simple to do, will take like 3 minutes). I think you'll find that wearing spin shoes in a class will really increase the power to the pedals. I hated those silly "cages" on the spin bikes before I started using cycling shoes. My feet would burn and get hot spots and I was always afraid that the straps would come loose on me. With cycling shoes, you don't have to worry about that and can focus more on the pedal stroke.

I go to spin class several times a week and I see these shoes a lot - pretty good deal at $35:

http://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product...0_10000_202526

It definitely helps to be able to try them on... although if you found a really good price on mailorder shoes you could always order a couple pairs and send back what doesn't fit.