Stupid SPD question

Don't think so?

After many years the carbon or plastic around the cleat holes has started to cave in on some shoes though.

Never been a problem for me w SPDs

I'm on the nukeproof horizon spd and previously shimano and never been an issue for me.

James 

While I finally jumped on the 3-bolt road shoe bandwagon in 2019, buying a pair of Time XPro 10s with plastic cleats (would probably have fitted a new set if I'd done more road rides this past year), the Shimano touring/MTB shoes bought in 2006 still have the original brass Time ATAC cleats on them for turbo use...

The shoes and cleats are both on their last legs and I did far more riding 2017-2022, but it's amazing they still work fine indoors after ~17 years.

No, I think only Time or Crank Bros that just have a metal bar clip assembly. Perhaps then also HT but I have no experience

Thanks, problem with ATACs is that, while they’re great pedals, the cleats are really soft and sit slightly proud of the sole with the sole protector on…

I've recently switched from 25 years of Time, to SPD.
Don't like the new single spring pedal designs as they seem to click, creak and wear out.
Fed up of wearing grooves in my soles (and I've cracked the sole in two pairs of shoes now). I wonder if the single spring pedals with the square bar (rather than round wire bar) are worse at this as I don't remember having so much wear on the older pedals.
Tried the Crank Brothers cleat protectors but as above, they make the soft cleats stick out more and are not as nice to clip in with them installed.
Finally, a nice bonus with Shimano is you can slide the cleats sideways to help reduce heel rub, not possible with Time.

Thanks, a thought in the back of my head is that now SRAM own Time, the pedals are unlikely to get better.

And (apart from the single sided pedals on the HoD) they’re all older than my elder child so they’ve done their duty.