Has anyone tried these MTB shoes: Cannondale XCE3100 Elite Racer and Cannondale by Diadora XCP2000?

I have a gift certificate to Performance and need to buy shoes. I have Crank Brothers Smarty pedals and ride a Surly touring bike. I can't splurge for the Sidi shoes so I want something around $100. I want an MTB shoe (so I can walk), no laces, and preferably a ratchet for the top strap.

Since I'm limited to what Performance offers, I'm leaning towards the Pearl Izumi X-Alp Enduro because it has good reviews on other sites but I'm curious about the two shoes mentioned above. I can't find reviews of them anywhere and I'm weary of buying them because they are both discounted over 60%. That makes me think they are selling cheap for a reason.

Don't worry about the discounts.....it's clothing, it *always* gets heavily discounted, every year, every manufacturer. I always shop closeouts for clothing, shoes, and helmets. Prices of cycling clothing and gear are just so damn overinflated that it doesn't make sense to buy new-retail most of the time. I think I've only bought two pairs of shoes in 20 years at the new-retail price. :o)

Diadora makes all of C-Dale's shoes and I find them very comfortable. In fact, I think Diadoras are the my favorite of all of them. I like their sole a lot (not sure what are on yours, but the "standard" Diadora sole is great and is on almost all of their shoes).

The most important thing is how they feel to you on your feet, and that goes with any brand. I've worn some super expensive Carnac shoes and hated them. It just depends on fit. You'll probably just have to take the risk, try them on for size, and return them if needed. That's the one big disadvantage in buying shoes online. Check out Nashbar, too, if you really can't find something at Performance. They're sister-companies now, but Nashbar usually has a much larger selection and better prices for closeout shoes, and they've been the Diadora outlet for a long time.