How to Buy Cycling Shoes

There are three basic methods of buying cycling shoes.

Method A:

1. Check your shoe size. 
2. Bin your old shoes. 
3. Visit your favourite retail cycling website, and pick a shoe. Don't just pick one at random; you need a shoe with lots of features, such as a carbon sole and a wierd ratchetty thing to do it up. And of course it has to be on special offer. 
4. A few days later and the shoes will arrive. They will look nothing like the picture and won't fit, because they're Italian.
5. Fish your old cycling shoes out of the bin and ride round to the post office to return the new shoes to the retailer. You can't order the same shoe in the next size because that won't be in stock. 
6. Return to Step 1 and repeat.

Method B:

1. Check your shoe size. 
2. Visit your favourite retail cycling website, and do a bit of research to get an idea of what shoes you like the look of. Don't just pick one at random; you need a shoe with lots of features, such as a carbon sole and a wierd ratchetty thing to do it up. 
3. Go to your LBS. Most of the shoes you researched won't be in stock and the others will be priced over your budget, except the ones they don't have in your size. 
4. Return home exasperated.
5. Return to Step 1 and repeat

Method C:

1. Check your shoe size. 
2. Go to your LBS.
3. Find a shoe you like and try it on. You now know it fits, but it will be priced over your budget. Give the guy some old pony about "thinking about it and coming back later".
4. Go home and visit your favourite retail cycling website. Find the shoe you liked. That won't be in stock in your size, so order something similar but cheaper. 
5.  Bin your old shoes.
6. A few days later and the shoes will arrive. They will look nothing like the picture and won't fit, because they're Italian. 
7. Fish your old cycling shoes out of the bin and ride round to the post office to return the new shoes to the retailer. 
8. Decide to cut your losses and buy the shoes you liked at your LBS after all.
9. Ride round to your LBS. Your LBS is closed - it's gone bust because of people like you wasting their time and then ordering stuff off the Interweb. 
10. Find another LBS, return to Step 1 and repeat.