Reply To: Cycling Cleats/Pedals – Difference?

#25603
CoachAJ
Participant

Great question!  Cleats are a personal decision.  Some people swear by SPD pedals.  Others swear by Looks.  What I can tell you from my experience is that SPD has two major drawbacks.  First, I have had athletes who have gotten mud in their cleats from the transition area and then they could not clip in.  Second, from an injury prevention standpoint, I have seen cases of plantar fasciitis.  The cleat is much smaller and can cause cramping of the bottom of the foot.  Looks pedals are wider and use a larger portion of the bottom of your foot and can minimize the cramping.

However if you are aware of these issues (or don’t have them), I don’t really think it matters.  If there was a strong advantage of one over the other from a speed perspective, everyone would have only one brand of cleat and pedals.