SPD shoe types, pros and cons

I dislike stiff soles as my ankles aren’t very flexible so I find they slip at the heel when walking up steep stuff. Also just less suited to walking if needed.

I too have found a balance is needed in comfort Vs performance, particularly if there's any walking/hike a bike needed. I like a snug cycling shoe with good grip and find that more comfortable than floppy uppers and not enough grip.

I'm a big Shimano shoe fan - I've had basically iterations of the same model for 20 years, and most I get 4+ years out of.

I looked at that Kestral Boa and thought it looked great.

For hike a bike, there are two factors as far as I can see:
Rigidity of the sole - the new Kestrals are mega rigid, and I'm undecided if that's an issue
Grip - they seem to have that covered.

Re the hellcats, is a more flexible sole seen to be more forgiving and have better feel on more technical stuff?

I have the hellcat pro at the moment. Also quite a stiff shoe so pedals well. Has a fairly sturdy toe area too so takes rock hits ok (ish).
Hiking is fine, but it will clog in mud like most low skateish soles. It's quite good if you miss a clip and are on the platform of the pedal, so best run with platform SPD pedals.

Can't comment on durability yet as they are newish.

Would the Kestrel Pro Boa be a decent all-round compromise? They're (relatively) cheap at the moment to boot. Or shoe.

https://www.sportsshoes.com/product/fiv97/five-ten-kestrel-pro-boa-mountain-bike-shoes/#sku-fiv97

Those Boas look great.

I took delivery of a pair of Shimano ME7's yesterday. Not ridden them yet but seem good. Like Matt above, I've only owned Shimano shoes since about 1995 when I had a pair of Nike Poobahs (I loved them in a way that is difficult to describe)

I still have my Poohbahs. They cracked, bit I adored them. They're in a box with a few vintage pairs of Shimano; the SH MX70 aren't too far removed from the Five Ten's I use in fair weather nowadays.

While we are on it, i need a new pair myself....!

Any thoughts on these Trailcross? https://www.sportsshoes.com/product/fiv260/five-ten-trailcross-clip~in-mountain-bike-shoes-~-aw22/#sku-fiv260

Or Scott? https://www.scott-sports.com/us/en/product/scott-sport-volt-clip-shoe

Or I see Giro or Fizik also do some more 'casual' looking but claiming decent performance shoes?

Bear in mind I have had Shimano M089, M086, M085 for the last 20 years, but now I am 'chilling' a bit more and more touring / gravel as well as MTB, I wonder if something like this may be better?

Like those above, I've moved away from super stiff soles in the last couple of years mainly because of comfort and whilst super stiff might be more efficient, I'm not. I've settled on the Specialized Recon as a good compromise.

https://www.specialized.com/gb/en/recon-1-0-mountain-bike-shoes/p/173655?color=362569-173655

Those Recon killed my feet on a long hike-a-bike in Scotland a couple of weeks ago. Otherwise pretty comfy on the XC bike, but for tramping about on the top of Scottish munros, not so much.

I found the old stye Kestrels as just giant lumps on my feet, no feel, fit where they touched, hot and uncomfy. New ones look interesting, the colours are a bit garish for my tastes.

I still have my Poohbahs. They cracked, bit I adored them.

Ah, I had Ngubas. The lower cut version. They were ace. I had them one Christmas as a present from my parents, but couldn't afford spd pedals until 9months later or so. So did a tour round France using them with toeclips which worked well. Then got spds and it was like Christmas again. Game changer.

Ah, I had Ngubas.

Same here.
It was only when I bought a pair of Specialized BG shoes I realised how rubbish the Nike's had been...

Obviously now my browsing is flooded with ads for SPD shoes. These Vaude ones caught my eye. Seems like a bargain and in my experience, Vaude make top quality stuff.
Not in my size though 😒

and whilst super stiff might be more efficient

They are not, they are just perceived to be, it is a matter of sensory feedback fooling your brain into believing that "stiff platform" creates more power, but in reality it doesn't. Feet are designed to flex with movement, toes are designed to splay, the discomfort from them not doing so adversely affects your efficiency over time spent cycling.

It is just another of those cycling myths, like pulling up on the pedal stroke, that the industry and the consumers don't want to accept.

They are not, they are just perceived to be, it is a matter of sensory feedback fooling your brain into believing that “stiff platform” creates more power, but in reality it doesn’t.

Yes ^^^ this. Once you go past "stiff enough to have a platform to push on" the rest is pointless. Most of my nice shoes for the last 20 years have been the sort of middle stiffness sole, saves a fortune, as the stiffest soles usually come on the most expensive shoes. (of course, i have *some* extremely shiny, stiff disco slippers, but never paid more than 50% of retail...)

(As an aside, does anyone outside of marketing people still believe in pulling up on the pedals? Other than absolute max power efforts for <1 min. They debunked it fairly thoroughly in the 90's and again, several times since.)

I dislike stiff soles as my ankles aren’t very flexible so I find they slip at the heel when walking up steep stuff.

That's *usually* the shape of the shoe, my shiniest/stiffest, carbon soled XC disco slippers, have no slip on the heel at all. But they fit like foot gloves. They're not ideal for walking in for other reasons.
The softer, more flexible shoes i use for enduroey type stuff have a looser fit round the heel, so they slip around when pedaling or walking (and i'll bin them at some point as they give me blisters.)

For cycling stuff is good. Undoubtedly there is a point whereby your power won't over do the soles stiffness and then extra stiffness is wasted. However for most mere mortals this is academic. Buy the ones that fit your fett. That is the most important things. Talking about individual models, possibly based on some journalists point of view is bugger all good. Try them on. IKfthey fit and don't flex they are goo.
If you want them for other things besides cycling, such as plodding up a hil, then you compromise. Stiff soles won't make the walking any harder, they just make it feel different as nothing else you wear feels like that. Of course that may make them less suitable for you.
Sole composition may be relevant. Soft rubbery ones grip better when skating around on hard rock where as hard plasticy ones work better in soft mud but unless you are a CX racer it's largely immaterial as you are cycling not walking.
If your feet move in your shoes you have the wrong ones.
Don't buy shoes online unless you already have the same model, even within a manufacturers range there will be differences, and don't buy mostly on other peoples recomendations, they are different to you.

These new Shimano shoes supposedly "balance stiffness and walkability" (I don't have them, just saw them and thought I'd share). Might be bit too gravel oriented for what you want though.

https://bike.shimano.com/en-US/product/apparel-accessories/shimano-series-lsg-2022/SH-RX600.html

With hobbit feet my mantra is buy shoes that fit and don't end up with crushed toes and a bill for nail/toe surgery. I've got some cheap DHBs heavily reduced from CRC that were suggested on here that actually fit my feet.

They're a bit plasticky with a fair bit of mesh, but I have a thin socks (spring/summer) pair and a thick socks pair (rest of year and rainy days with seal skinz) and they're for gravel riding + winter/long MTB rides.

Enough stiffness your feet don't ache (always found long rides in my 5-10s caused aching arches) and not so much you can't walk up a long hill.

From your list if I was riding only clipped in...

Boa version as it has an open mud friendly sole for hike a bike in anything less than dry weather despite the price

For summer only or pedalling a short distance on flats too either of the others with the bobble flat sole (I'm tight so I'd choose on price).

I found the super stuff shoes have aggressive tread that is good in the mud buta hard compound that is slippery on rocks and more flexible shoes have a nicer softer compound that is much nicer for walking / hiking but with very little tread so not good in muddy grass conditions. Overall I prefer a more flexible shoe as it's more comfortable overall.

I like stiff shoes, they feel better on the bike for me and I'm not into the type of riding that requires lugging your bike around without pedaling.

There's got to be something out there far better value that those Five Tens up there, a retail of nigh on £200 for velco fastening and a distinct lack of carbon is crazy. I'm a big fan of Northwave and find their upper-mid range shoes like the Rebel 3 perfect for everything.

In the end, I've ordered some Fox Union Clipless. They are light, yet seem to have good protection, grip and, hopefully the right balance between stiffness and comfort. There aren't many reviews out there, but I got them for a good price.
Fingers crossed!

Oh, and the new Five Ten kestrel Boa shoes in the OP have had a less than glowing review!

Re stiffness,
I find (especially with spd) that i need a fairly stiff shoe, not for efficiency, but because i get a ‘hot spot’ where the cleat is.
Ymmv of course.

Yeah, that's what the stiffness is about really, distributing the load over the wider cleat area.

Does anyone do a sole that lets you replace the grippy bits? If you do a lot of walking in the shoes they end up absolutely
perfect for pedaling, but with no grip left.