clipless pedals and shoes question

On one system I had, there is a plate that screws onto the cycling shoe specific for the cleat to screw into. (the cleat then clips onto the pedal.)

I had a system on my road bike (sorry can't remember exactly) that had a plate for my Sidi shoes. I just got a new tri bike w/ different pedal system - shimano. They installed the new plate/cleat on my Sidi shoes.

Anyway, I was able to take the Sidi plate and cleat from my old system and put them on my diodora shoes which I had for toe straps. So, I was able to switch em fine.

Bottom line I guess, is that there is probably a way to mate the system to the shoe.

Not all shoes fit on clipless pedals. Most of the shoes out there are compatible with both SPD and Look style cleats (the fasteners on the bottoms of a shoe that connect into the pedals), but don't assume every shoe will work. More importantly, you REALLY need to try on bike shoes at your LBS. The fit will be very different across a range of shoes in the same size, so if you order on-line, you may end up with a pair that you can't use. I would recommend going to your LBS, letting them know what you want to do with your shoes (MTB, Road cycling, Tri, etc.), what your price range is, and then try on a few of the shoes in your price range. If you can find one that fits, but feel your better off ordering on-line, do so after you've had a chance to try the shoe.

Shoes in themselves do nothing, but the pedals come with CLEATS which are attached to the shoe and in turn, clip into the pedal. Look,Time, SPD/Shimano, Speedplay, Eggbeater are all different types of cleat/pedal systems.

To answer your (altered) question, NO, all shoes do not fit all cleats/pedals. Most shoes are SPD/Shimano-compatible, but you really have to look to see if other systems are specified. Some Shoes (Sidi) may require adapter plates to make them compatible.

It's not as complicated as it sounds, most shoes will specify in their ad copy.