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Cycling Shoe Summary
Cycling shoes come in a variety of designs depending on the type and intensity of the cycling for which they are intended. Modern cycling shoes include hollowed or perforated sections to easily insert cleats for clipless pedal systems such as Shimano's SPD (Shimano Pedaling Dynamics) and LOOK.

Road shoes have a smooth, rigid and inflexible sole, and are bent slightly at the ball of the foot to allow power to be transferred and focused in the toe. The quality of the shoe depends upon the rigidity of the sole, material of construction, breathability and overall weight of the shoe (the lighter the better). Road shoes normally have a protruding cleat that makes them unsuitable for walking. Larger road-specific cleats are attached by three bolts, though two-bolt attachment of mountain-style cleats is also supported on some shoes.

MTB shoes have a recessed cleat and studs along the sole so that mountain riders can negotiate difficult terrain off their bikes. Mountain-style cleats are smaller than road-specific cleats and are attached to the shoe with two bolts.
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