Quote from season on Feb 18^th, 2009, 1:56pm:

 
I'm not sure that any shop around here knows enough about recumbents to recommend shoes for one. There are really just two main styles of cycling shoes: road shoes and mtb shoes. Road shoes have mainly hard, smooth soles, and are tough to walk in with cleats installed on them. Mtb shoes have the hard sole covered with a softer one, with a recess where the cleats go, so they're easier to walk in. For spreading out pedaling stresses on your foot, the road shoe systems are better.
 
That said, recumbent riders, especially high racer riders, tend to favor the mtb shoes, because you don't get your feet down as solidly as you do with a lower bike, making it too easy to have zero speed fall overs. Even with a lower recumbent, because you're sitting, there's not as much weight on your feet when sitting still, so it's still easy to lose traction and fall. That's not to say that all recumbent riders use mtb shoes; some do manage road shoes ok and like them better, but if you're just starting out on a recumbent, I recommend starting with mtb shoes.
 
If you buy mtb shoes, you will need to get compatible pedals and cleats. Bebops work. So do Eggbeater, spd's, and others. Bebop cleats do require some trimming of the sole on many mtb shoes, for clearance.

Quote from AustinSkater on Feb 18^th, 2009, 2:21pm:

 
I think the Sidi mtb shoes are excellent, too. I do enjoy my Shimano sandals in the summer, too, but for long rides, my Sidi Dominators are what I wear. They're not just the most comfortable cycling shoes I own, they're the most comfortable shoes I own, period.
 
Of course, everyone's feet are different, so only time and experimenting will tell for sure what you like best.
 
Edit: I should add that Sidi's, like many European shoes, run very narrow. My wide feet require the Sidi Mega's which are wider than their standard shoes.

Plano Cycling sells them.

Quote from Bud_Bent on Feb 18^th, 2009, 8:26pm:

 
Speaking of buying online, Backcountry.com has the Sidi Genius on sale for 50% off (specific sizes, the rest are $100 off).  This is a good road shoe, but with Sidi it does help to know your size in advance.
 
http://www.backcountry.com/store/SID0011/Sidi-Genius-5-Bike-Shoe-Mens.html?CMP_I D=ODAT_HPFP5001&mv_pc=1002
 

Wow.  This is turning into an expensive hobby.  The prospect of clipless pedals has always been daunting to me so I was looking around and found this really good faq:
 
http://www.chainreaction.com/pedalfaq.htm
 
with the following quote:  "You will, in very slow motion, and nearly always with people around to see it happen, fall over."  Which is apparently okay, because, as they later say...  "It's almost impossible to come up with a truly original way to embarrass yourself on a bike."  LOL.  That makes me feel better!
 
So if all the pressure it tied to a specific location on the foot, that doesn't hurt after a while?  Do they take getting used to besides the actual clipping in/out business?

Quote from Hurricane Dan on Feb 23^rd, 2009, 8:35am:

 
I always recommend that when you first go clipless either spend time with your bike on a trainer, or on a soft grass field, learning exactly how to clip in and out.  
 
I ride on Speedplay pedals (lollipops) and they are some of the easiest pedals to learn, but they do have a very small contact point.  I would not recommend them for anyone who isn't using carbon soled shoes (and those are expensive).

Sounds trite, but the one that fits your feet the best and you feel most comfortable in.  But it's hard to go wrong with SIDI.
 
Quote from Ric_Clark on Aug 8^th, 2010, 8:37pm: