Quote Originally Posted by SCurve View Post
Can I stick with the Taho shoe and just get a more substantial pedal (perhaps a pedal with a clip on one side and a "normal shoe" side on the other?), or will that not eliminate my potential issues wearing these shoes for hours on end on the road?

Let me preface this by saying that I have never used the Tahoe specifically, but I use Specialized shoes exclusively.

I had problems with long rides (over 35-40 miles) in MTB shoes. I switched to 'look' type pedals (SPD-L) and road shoes (same shoe as my MTB one but in a road version) and never had an issue again. I also have wide feet with fallen arches which is why I switched from running to biking in the first place.

Now I have been doing most of my riding by commuting and my commute is a minimum of 19 miles each way. My commuter bike is set up exactly the same as my road bike except that I have SPD pedals that are clips on one side and flat on the other. I have been using my MTB shoes. I have been having numb toes (it's not cold yet here), hot spots, aches, etc...by the middle of my afternoon commute. I had hoped that the bigger platform would help, but it doesn't. In reality, the only part of the pedal taking my force is the spd cleat - even though there is a full platform there. It still sucks.

I just got an upgraded pair of MTB shoes (carbon sole for more stiffness). I wore them yesterday for mountain biking and had NO foot trouble (everything else hurt though!). I haven't tried them on my commute yet, but I'll be doing so tomorrow. I can report back then, but my hope is that the stiffer sole makes the difference.

By the way, if you are planning predominantly road rides, why do you want to use MTB shoes? I am using mine because I like having the flat pedal option on my bike should I need to run an errand at lunch and don't want to put on my biking shoes. The flat pedal option only comes with SPD cleats and I don't like SPD cleats on road shoes (too hard to walk). That's just personal preference though...