shoes

Really depends on your foot. I like LG tri shoes, personally, because they fit my jacked up, broken feet really well, but your results may vary.

+1
I think you should be less concerned about "what is best" and really concerned about what feels best on your foot. I ride in Pearl Izumi shoes which probably wouldn't be considered very high end. But I can ride in them all day without my feet screaming at me so that's really all that I care about.
Also, shoes are one of those items that online retailers put on sale very frequently. Might keep an eye out for those sales.

I guess best is not the right term, but I consider the same for my regular shoes. I can spend $50 for some dressy looking shoes that fit nice, but are terrible for my feet after a few weeks or months wearing them. So, I go and find a similar pair that are well built and cost $300 and I know why i spent the extra money.

Let me ask this. Are there better built shoes that seem to prevent things like hotspots or material that is better built, lighter, stiffer rebuildable?

The toughest part is going to LBS where I live, you get very few options in brands. I have not seen a tri shoe in these stores either. How can you compare without the options. shoes are very particular I know, so online shopping is probably going to get expensive unless you can return for free and just order many pairs at a time to test out.

what about width? I have somewhat of an average foot, maybe slightly wider, but i don't buy wide shoes. brands that may be a better look at because of this since most shoes seem to be a little narrow.

Thanks for help!