I absolutely love these shoes. End of story.

They were originally a gift from my boyfriend when I got into mountain biking because he couldn't stand that I wore cheapy tennis-shoes on the "gnarly" trails we went out on. He was always afraid I'd slip or crash my ankles or toes into rocks or trees. Viola--these shoes saved me from any such disasters and alleviated his worries!

You will stick like GLUE to your pedals. To re-position your foot, you have to actually lift it and put it back down. This is super great for pedaling--I never lose my pedals and whack myself in the shins anymore. Moreover, in wet conditions, these things just get grippy-er. I did a hike-a-bike over smooth, wet river-rock (in other words, a skating rink) in these things and felt invincible.

The bonus is that they look really good and are genuinely comfortable after you wear them the first few times. When you first get them, they'll feel stiff and might rub a bit--don't give up on them! This is a mark of quality! If your shoes don't require a break-in period, you're wearing less-than-awesome stuff in terms of quality. I wear these shoes on a daily basis, biking or no biking and get lots of compliments on how cool they look. They also do great in the snow and on ice because of the awesome tread.

WARNING: These run small. All 5-10's do, it seems. I usually wear an 8.5 in women's and I have these in a 9 but wish I had a 9.5. They're okay and have loosened up slightly over time but thick socks are still a no-go. Order a half size or full size up from what you usually wear and you'll be great.

One bonus that may be unrelated: in addition to mountain biking, I like to ride the stationary bike at the gym. When I used to wear my old tennis-shoes, I'd get really nasty foot cramps only 5 miles in, which is less than half of what I like to ride! In these shoes, I never get cramps and have done as much as 20 miles of pedaling on the stationary bike in total comfort. For actual mountain rides, these cannot be beat. The reinforced toe and high ankle will save you over and over again, often without you even knowing about it.

They are worth every penny and more.