Just bought some new pedals much further up the Shimano hierarchy than usual which started me wondering which is the most important, shoe or pedal?
If we're talking SPDs then shoe IMO.
I always used basic Shimano M520 pedals on all my bikes but paired with really nice carbon soled shoes to give a solid platform.
If we're talking flat pedals then they're probably as important as each other.
I think you need to think of them as a 'system' I have saint pedals on my mountain bike, which I love with a softer soled shoe (5 ten trailcross pros currently). Then on the gravel bike, M520 pedals, which don't feel great with the soft shoe, but are ace with a stiffer, racier shoe.
My current shoes are Shimano bit quite flexy. They are fine for short distances but beyond a few hours they make my feet ache. M540 pedals but I doubt if XTR would make any difference.
Depends on what you mean by important.
In terms of spend, in a "should I spend more on shoes or pedals?" then it's shoes, but only as Shimano have made even the cheapest pedals so good. I'd argue that M520's and 540's are best value kit you can buy for your mountain bike. I've spent more in the café after a ride than a pair of 520's cost.
In terms of function, then shoes are the simple part and as long as the cleat bolts fit then they should work, so the pedals are more important as they hold the mechanism that makes everything work. But as above, that doesn't mean you need to spend much.
Shoes. As with skiing, if what you have on your feet don't fit/don't suit you/don't perform/aren't comfortable you're not going to want to put them on.
Shoes - definitely shoes.
I can ride a bike without shoes, but I can't ride it without pedals.
Shoes, every time. There is no functional difference between the cheapest and most expensive SPD pedals. But get the wrong shoes, and the experience can be extremely unpleasant. Cleat location is the next/equally most important thing too; get that wrong and it can become a world of pain. I used SPDs for over two decades, and seldom bothered with anything but the basic M520s. All you're getting with the more expensive ones is slightly less weight and arguably better bearings, but once they get knocked about a bit, they all function the same. Given just how good the basic ones are, I'd never bother with the fancy ones. I remember paying something like £15 for a pair (with cleats) once, when a pair of new cleats alone was £18!
Spend the money on the shoes. Because that's what will make a real difference.
Shoes. I have 2 x XT and one pair of 520's. Can't tell the difference, other than the 520 needs a plastic tool to undo the bearings to re-grease, and XT (and 540) can be done with a spanner. The axel is nicer visually on 540 and XT
I can ride a bike without shoes, but I can't ride it without pedals.
In the context of SPD I think you might find riding without shoes a tad uncomfortable.
I can ride a bike without shoes, but I can't ride it without pedals.
In the context of SPD I think you might find riding without shoes a tad uncomfortable.
You've not seen my feet.
I'd say a combination of shoe, pedal and cleat
Shoes are very much a personal thing when it comes to fit, but just as important, reliability. Not all shoes are created equal. I have had several pairs of 5:10's and a pair of North Wave that fitted great, but all broke on the sole across the cleat box. I currently have 2 pairs of Shimano (MW700 winter and ME702 for the rest of the time). These both fit and haven't broken, but it's a shame the ME7 are discontinued now.
Pedal-wise, Nukeproof Horizon CS and CL are my go-to. It was great they could be fully rebuilt until all the spares dried up, but Sports Direct are doing CL in a couple of colours for £48 at the min. The cages are hinged front and rear, rather than rear only, which makes getting in and out a lot easier, especially with the NP cleats. I did have to reduce the height of the pins on the pedals as the 5:10's flexed more and it was noticeably harder to clip out.
Ran SPD since 1991 and it was always Shimano pedals until I tried the NP Horizon. I like the look of OneUp & Hope but they are spendy, and you have to send the Hopes back to replace the cages.
Shoes are by far the most important thing with SPD's but there is a slight difference in Pedals. I've got a couple of pairs of M540 pedals and a couple of pairs of XTR's. The XTR's are slightly thinner and seem to catch slightly less, but the 540's seem to last longer. Both apparently use the same bearings.
Don't use counterfeit Shimano cleats. Unknowingly, I got some on ebay and they were as soft as toffee - difficult to engage and release.
Get the combination right, eg platform spd with dh shoes and xc spds with stiffer disco slippers and you are all good. After that it's how many ££s you want to spend. I run both saints and 520s. Both are excellent. One cost more though as at the time the caged option was saint or dx (I think?). I had a bit more spare cash so went saints.
Shoes + cleat position + correct arch support
I can't believe how much difference a little bit of foam and a better cleat position made when the bike fitter tweaked them.
You don't necessarily need massively expensive shoes (I have some cheaper DHB ones from CRC) but a stiff sole is essential with a small pedal if bashing out decent distance.
If you want higher foot stability with SPDs, ime the pedal makes most difference. A wider pedal with increased contact area and wider contact points like the enduro versions of Shimano SPDs really helps. A very stiff shoe on a small 520 type pedal can do similar things but is more susceptible to movement overall as the sole lugs flex or are worn and the shoe rocks on the smaller/narrower pedal.
Never had an issue with the smaller SPDs with decent shoes. Did a 130 mile very hilly road event on my 520's and comfy Shimano M089 shoes. I also have two classic road bikes with top of the range Look pedals mated to a carbon soled road shoe. Super stiff but a bugger to waddle anywhere.
As long as you're talking at least M520 level (rather than some £5 knock-offs from AliExpress that fall apart on the first ride) then definitely shoes.
As long as you're talking at least M520 level (rather than some £5 knock-offs from AliExpress that fall apart on the first ride) then definitely shoes.
This.
Also, some SPD-alikes use a bushing on the inner side (instead of a bearing). If you can't get spares, they're disposable.
If you like to support your local metal recycling centre, then I suppose they are useful.😆
+1
Beyond aesthetics there's really nothing to separate M520 from XTR, other than M520 probably last longer unless Shimano have updated to fix the problems with XT/XTR series pedals. M540 might well be the sweet spot but really it's hard to say because I suspect no one actually knows how old their M520/M540 pedals are........
Shoes, fit is #1.
And after that style/stiffness. I've Got some 5.10 hellcats for commuting in, but they're rubbish for more than a few miles as the soles flex, which means you then need to buy platform-ish pedals, which then makes clipping in and out harder, so you justify platform-ish pedals with pins for those times you can't quite get clipped in. Which then means you may as well just go out and buy some proper SPD shoes and go back to M520's which let you clip pretty much first time every time.
In terms of how good expensive shoes are, I think the really cheap ones are a bit soft, but beyond a fairly low point there's not much more benefit. Really stiff carbon shoes feel nicer, but I'm not sure they offer much performance advantage.
It's very important to buy Shimano branded SPD pedals in my experience. No noticeable difference between the cheap and more expensive. But SPD-compatible pedals from other brands are not worth it, the clip in/out action is never as good as Shimano, regardless of what cleats you use.
