I like these. They're my second pair of SPD shoes; my first had a recessed cleat, but were a little too bikey to walk around in and with a hard plastic sole and cleat barely recessed, I didn't really wear them much except for riding. These are better in those respects. I only hear the cleat when on gravel or pavement cracks. They almost have too much cushion in the sole and too much padding, though. When moving around you feel a bit higher off the ground and a little unsteady. They remind me a little of Saucony Jazz shoes, but even more padding. The tongue is super thick, which doesn't really do much for me.