Hello. I started road cycling about 6 years ago and used flat pedals for about 4 years after that.
Since I mainly used it for commuting, I started with MTB pedals. The clipless pedals and shoes I used were PD-ES600 pedals and Shimano XC5 shoes.
It was a pedal with a reasonable price and light weight, and the shoes were mid-range and looked similar to road shoes, so I bought them.
Then, I recently switched to road clipless pedals to focus more on riding.
It's Ultegra pedals with Tempo Overcurve R4. This is also about mid-range.
The clipless pedal I used is a yellow one.
My first impression is that the overall stiffness of the shoes, including the outsole, is definitely firmer. While the outsole of MTB shoes bends to some extent, road shoes hardly bend. The heel cup and instep support are also firm, so the feeling of unity with the pedals when pedaling is much better. Contrary to my expectation that there wouldn't be a big difference, I felt that road shoes were indeed road shoes.
The feeling when clipping in is also subtly different. To put it simply, if MTB feels like "clunk" when attaching, road feels like "click" and attaches quickly and decisively. The feeling of detachment is similar. Both MTB clipless pedals and road clipless pedals allow for some play, so the lateral movement play is similar. However, one difference is that the stack height seems to be slightly higher for road. I think I'll have to raise the saddle by 2~3mm.
The disadvantage of road shoes is that they are definitely uncomfortable to walk in. When walking, there is a loud "clattering" sound and because of the clipless pedals, the front part is raised, and since the outsole hardly bends, it seems difficult to walk for a long time. MTB shoes have almost the same height from front to back when standing, and they have a relatively firm rubber sole on the bottom, so they don't clatter much, and the outsole bends slightly, so it feels like wearing sturdy leather shoes. There is no burden in walking.
Nowadays, I don't commute by road bike very often, but when commuting, I will use MTB clipless pedals, and on weekend rides, I will switch to road clipless pedals. Oh, and this may be a characteristic of the shoes themselves, but road shoes have good breathability. You can feel the wind blowing in. It's going to be great for summer.
If anyone is wondering between MTB clipless pedals and road clipless pedals, I hope this helps.
