Put simply, SPD shoes are cycling shoes made specifically to be compatible with the SPD ‘clipless’ system originally developed by Shimano. We’re going to try to clear up some of the confusion you may well have about the different types of clipless pedal and shoe and the compatibility between them. But first, the basics.
What is SPD for and why would you use it?You can find more information about the SPD system and its benefits elsewhere on this site, but in short, this system allows your SPD shoes and therefore your feet to be anchored firmly to the pedals of your bike while you are riding. This is achieved using a plate (‘cleat’) fixed to the bottom of your cycling shoe which clicks into a spring-loaded catch on the pedal and can only be unclipped with a particular motion of the foot.
Why do you need SPD shoes specifically, then? Well, the cleat is typically bought together with the pedal or separately, not with the shoe, and cannot just be attached to any shoe. The shoe has to have a particular configuration of holes/slots in the sole into which the cleat is screwed – there is also a little plate on the other side of the sole, usually covered by the insole, into which the cleat actually screws, giving a metal-on-metal connection.
If you find all this obvious then move along to some of the other articles on this site, this is not for you. But this can be confusing for anyone wanting to ‘go clipless’ and who is buying SPD shoes for the first time. I certainly found all this hard to get my head round when I first went clipless. So if this is you, read on! [...]
