Speedplay specific Sidi Genius 6.6, Ergo 3, or Wires, or use an adaptor with Rapha Grand Tours?

I am a fairly new cyclist, and bought Speedplay pedals with my bike. I love them, and feel like I should be using a Speedplay specific sole to get the most out of the efficiencies of the Speedplay pedal. I bought Speedplay specific DMT Radial 2's ($250), but they are staining the tops of my feet black and the velcro straps aren't great at getting a good fit, so I am sending the shoes back.
I had been on the fence between the Genius 6.6 ($379) or the DMTs when I originally bought my shoes, so I went back to look at the price difference now that I am exchanging them. On that page, I saw the Ergo 3s ($450) and the Wires ($499). As long as I am spending more, I want to get what I will love the most. Then I remembered that the Rapha shoes are $479 with shoe trees and neoprene overshoes included, so now I am trying to decide between the four shoes.
The Wires (speedplay specific)
Pros: arguably the most advanced shoe on the market
Cons: They may be sized too aggressively for me (some say the Erog 3 and the Wire aren't as roomy as the Genius)
They cost the most of all of the shoes.
I am not sure how much I would like the wire closure system
The Ergo 3 (Speedplay specific)
Pros: I like the look of them, and they were the nicest shoes last year. They are the second lowest priced option.
Cons: May be too aggressively sized (not super roomy), and for only $25 I can get overshoes and shoe trees with the Rapha shoes (but no Speedplay specific sole)
The Genius 6.6 (Speedplay sole)
Pros: least expensive option, said to be the preference of many Sidi pro riders due to a roomier fit
Cons: Not a huge fan of their only colorway: Disco blue.
Rapha Grand Tour (3 hole sole)
Pros: I may be a marketing sucker, but they look so awesome and I totally buy in to the Rapha quality promises.
Rapha will repair any damage sustained during a crash.
Seem less geared toward pro riders, more toward club riders
Come with shoe trees and neoprene shoe covers for less than the Wires and for only $25 more than the Ergo 3
Cons: No Speedplay specific sole, so stack height and weight are affected
Seem less technologically advanced

I am asking for advice from people who have used both Speedplay specific soles and 3 hole shoes with a cleat adaptor for speedplay pedals. Is there that much of a difference? Also, any comparisons between these shoes, specifically Rapha versus sidi, or sidi genius versus sidi ergo 3 would be very helpful. I don't have a shop locally that stocks Sidi speedplay specific shoes, and there is not a Rapha shop within 150 miles, so just trying them on is not an option. Thanks again.

 

If you've got shoes already that you like, there's no point in changing shoes just to get a Speedplay specific bolt pattern on the sole. I'd be surprised if you see an actual performance difference between Speedplay specific or other shoes with Speedplays. I think any change in efficiency would be lost in the noise in the measurement, possibly even if the measurement was done in a lab.

 

Agreed, I've ridden Speedplay pedals for years, first the X series and more recently the Zero's. I have one pair of Sidi Ergos with the Speedplay specific sole and a couple of pairs of SIdi Carbon soled shoes with 3 hole patterns. There's a slight difference in stack height but no noticeable difference in comfort, connection quality, feeling while riding in or out of the saddle including all out sprints and definitely no difference in the power I can generate or sustain. Sure the Ergo setup is a little slicker and a little lighter and they're very nice shoes that I save for racing mostly to preserve the cleats and to avoid beating them up on typical wet Seattle training rides but from a performance standpoint there's no measurable difference.

Knock yourself out if you want to drop that kind of cash on shoes but don't expect any measurable performance jump as a result.

From that standpoint I'd buy the shoes that fit your feet and your budget best and not worry about the Speedplay specific sole pattern.

-Dave

 

You can't ride fast and long if your feet hurt.

 

Thanks for the replies, guys. I already have speedplay specific soles on my DMT Radial 2's, but I don't like them for two reasons. First, the black felt backing on the tongue keeps dying my socks and the tops of my feet black. I know that this isn' t a comfort problem, but for $250 I would at least expect them to be colorfast. Note: I have only had them since Jan so we are talking cold weather rides, so I imagine that on warmer days the bleesing would be even worse. Second, the three velcro straps are not every adjustable, as the seam on the stitching limits them to be tightened only really where the fold is. Overall, I don't really love the quality. I like the reduced weight and stack height, but I know that it is not a be all end all.
Does anyone have any of these shoes or any advice?

 

I went with the Sidi Wires. They are great, and are super light. The wire closure gives me a very custom fit. I have considered buying the Raphas just to try them on for comfort's sake, as the Wires may be a bit too lacking in padding to be comfortable on longer rides. Thanks again for weighing in.