Shoes: Tri vs. Road

[greycoral]

I am looking for a pair of new road shoes to use mainly for spinning, and also to carry over when the weather gets colder here in town. I normally ride with a pair of Keen Commuters, which I love, but when winter comes, my feet will be too cold!

I have a pair of MTB Shimano's, and I really don't like them. There's not much ventilation and I have numbness issues a lot. I'm looking for a well ventilated road shoe, and have noticed that a lot of Tri shoes seem to fit the bill. Lots of ventilation, stiff soles, and seem to be a little cheaper than road shoes.

Anyone use Tri shoes for normal riding? What's the difference between them and road shoes?

[HillSlugger]

Tri shoes are designed for ease of entry as many triathletes get into their shoes while riding. For this reason the velcro straps open towards the outside, away from the bike so that they won't get caught in the bike while getting into them. They are also designed to be comfortable without socks.

[greycoral]

would they be a good solution for a road or spinning shoe, even if I don't use them for triathalons? Comfort, stiff soles, and ventilation are the main things i'm looking for.

[kermit]

I have both. For longer rides, I use my Sidi's with socks. For shorter rides and tri's I have Lake tri shoes, they were about $50 from Nashbar I think. I really like the ventilation with the tri shoes, and without socks my feet are definitely cooler, especially out of the water. The one velcro strap gives a little less snugness and more room to breathe. I say give them a try(sorry for the pun).

[greycoral]

Thanks for the tips!