I have set aside a pair of Specialized Riata for possible purchase at LBS. I liked that it had recessed cleats for going on organized bike tours and doing sightseeing off the bike. I do have to pull the straps way way over, and they are a possibility. Does anyone else have another suggestion for a new rider? I'm finally realizing I should not purchase everything at 1 store, and should do more research. Thanks!
By definition, road shoes do not have recessed cleats. You are looking for mountain bike shoes to use on a road bike.
Sidis are known for being narrow, but they are expensive.
Yes, research the heck out it, try on lots of shoes, and buy the best fit for your price point.
Specialized were recommended to me when I wanted a wider shoe. If Sidis are out of your price range, maybe Pearl Izumi? I honestly don't know how they fit, but I know that the manager of my LBS suggested I try Bontrager and Shimano for a wider shoe, and he sells PI also so I assume they are not on the wide side.
I'm pretty sure Nike are narrow, too. Most (but not all!) of their running shoes are.
Sidi or Mavic (I have a narrow foot, and the men's fit me pretty well, save a slightly-too-wide heel). Pricey, though.
My foot is like a scuba diver's flipper fin. If you can picture that lol. I wear Mavic's because they are not big in the heel, but have a rectangular shaped toe box. Sidi's are for people who have a toe box shaped like a spoon....and as stated are narrow overall, and Nike as well...those brands I can not wear.
Just something to think about, you are getting biking shoes to ride your bike...not to walk in. Biking shoes that clip in are meant to take the place of a platform style pedal...which is STIFF and SUPPORTIVE. Shoes that you can *walk in* are not so stiff, so you can flex and roll your foot when you strike the ground.
IF you are truly going to be walking an extended period of time off the bike, like for some sight-seeing, you might want to find a way to transport walking shoes. I know some people who use thin flip flops to do shops etc.
I am sharing this as you said you are newer to cycling, and getting your gear? Well, take it from a person who owns some expensive more flexible bike shoes that it will cause you some pain and unhappiness once you are riding longer distances...say 20mi plus...if the shoe is not more like the pedal situation I describe above.
OK, best of luck shopping!:)
I think she means walk around, i.e. as at a lunch stop on a tour, or sightseeing on a tour. While I do have some very nice bendable/foldable camping slip ons that fit in my bike bag or pocket, that I use with my road shoes/cleats (Speedplay Xs) on my Kuota, I got Frogs for my custom ti road bike. The Shimano shoes I wear for that bike are mountain shoes and I have no issues with stiffness. It sure is nice not to have to worry about packing the fold ups or worry about losing a cleat cover, which I always do when on tours or stopping. My club does one ride where we have to dismount and walk over a metal grated bridge. That really sucks in road shoes, even with my good cleat covers. I am glad I have a choice now.
I wear keene sandals with a recessed cleat as I do a lot of bike touring and prefer being able to walk around and explore. I wear a size 5 1/2 normal width and pretty much wear them most of the year with either wool or regular socks depending on the weather. My rainy day shoes also with recessed cleats are Shimano. It might be improtant to note that all of my street shoes both sandal and mary jane style are either Tevas or Keenes. Unfortunately Teva does not make a biking shoe but my Keenes are equally comfortable.
FWIW, I wore Shimano mountain bike shoes for the first year or so after I got clipless pedals for my road bike and I don't think I had problems with stiffness. I rode two centuries in those shoes, plus lots of training miles. This was back in 2003 so my memory about the shoes is hazy. I think I had some pain with my left foot after the first century, but I attributed that to the way I rode at the time -- with those cleats I clipped out with my right foot at the top of the pedal stroke, so anytime I was nervous about needing to clip out quickly I would coast with my left foot at the bottom of the stroke, and because I was very nervous during that ride I tended to press very hard with my left foot.
As others have mentioned, the Spesh Riata is a Mountain Biking shoe and requires the M (mountain) series of pedals (assuming you want to go with Shimano... there are many choices, actually). Lots of people use a mountain system on their road bikes for the very reason you stated. I have a pair of keen lace-up leather cycling shoes, called the Presidio Pedal that I use when I am riding into town to do errands on my hybrid with panniers. These shoes were so wonderful, that I bought a second pair that do not have cleats (plain old "Presidio"). They are fairly narrow, in spite of Keens being wider in general.
You may find that these types of cycling shoes (Mountain Biking and Commuter-type) are not stiff enough for serious, long rides, though, and will develop foot burning or pain. I'm not sure how all of the different brands are drilled and what cleats they accept, but you may try to find a road shoe that will take the M-series cleat (two horizontal holes) and buy dual-sided A-530 pedals. That would allow you to wear regular shoes and use the platform side of the pedals or click into the other side with your stiff road shoes for road-only rides without stops. Some road shoes only have three holes, some have various configurations for multiple choices of pedal systems, so you'd have to be careful to buy a shoe whose sole has the correct hole configuration for the cleat-pedal system. Good luck!!