Difference Between Mountain Bike And Road Bike Shoes

There is no real advantage ergonomically speaking between road and mountain bike pedal systems.
Difference between mountain bike and road bike shoes. It depends on what mountain bike shoe. Levi bloom is an experienced endurance athlete who has been training and competing for over 17 years. Here is an answer geared towards the high dollar persnickety end of the gear spectrum. In road cycling your body remains in the same position for a long time but in mountain biking you use the movement of your entire body to control the bike on rough terrain.
One thing people forget to mention is the use of a top of the line mtn shoe on your road bike. If you are using say the s works mtn shoe on your road bike you would be hard pressed to notice any difference in performance over the road shoe. Mountain biking shoes are generally much beefier than road shoes and include a rugged somewhat flexible sole that looks a bit like the sole of a hiking boot. A former cat 1 road and mountain bike racer professional class on the regional circuit he is now a cycling coach usa cycling level 3 certified and sports nutrition coach precision nutrition level 1 certified.
The reason for such soles is because mountain biking includes periodically dismounting from the bike and walking or running on rugged terrain. Mountain bike racing shoes are slightly more flexible at the toe to allow for walking but this is not an area in the shoe that affects power transmission.