Specialized shoes are tops in my book for several reasons, the main one being the toe box is so generous. The shoes are shimmed to align the knee over the pedal to eliminate knee pain during the stroke.

I know you are looking at tri shoes, but if you need a good winter/early spring training shoe, look at Specialized Defroster shoes. They are windproof, waterproof, and WARM. They come in a road and mtb style.