A lot of bike shops push Speedplays and a lot of people like them. I went from spd's to Speedplay Light Actions trying to fix a hot foot issue. They helped but I was never really happy with the Speedplays for several reasons. I always had trouble finding the right pedal and getting clipped in. I ride a lot of country roads and I had to be very careful not to get dirt in the cleats or I couldn't clip in or out. The cleats are also very slick to walk in. I changed to the Time ICliqs a few weeks ago and really like them.