:: All in all, $70 is on the lower side of bike shoes unless you got em
:: majorly on sale. Are they road shoes or MTB shoes? MTB shoes tend to
:: be less stiff. SPDs in combination with flexy shoes can cause exactly
:: the problem you describe. If you are planning on doing more mileage
:: it
:: might be time to upgrade both pedals and shoes. Hard to go wrong with
:: Sidis or Look-style pedals (personally I use Campy Record pedals and
:: Sidi shoes and ride centuries all the time with no discomfort) The
:: comfort you get will make the money worth it.

Mine are road shoes: http://tinyurl.com/59cmk (mine are the 2003
version).

I'm definitely planning on more mileage. It sure is hard to know what the
right decision is. I'm sure if the pain doesn't cease i'll end up
spending
money.

I paid about $75, but they were "last year's model" etc. etc. The soles are
S_T_I_F_F carbon fiber soles with no bend whatsoever (not rubbery or even
rubber looking). This is definitely the time of year to look for last year's
models on sale. Just make sure the toe box is wide enough for your toes to
move around some.

Pat in TX