1) Pedal compatibility.
2) Comfort (fit).
3) Price.

That's my elimination flow, which usually gets me to very few from which to choose.

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Some are born to move the world to live their fantasies...

https://triomultisport.com/
http://www.mjolnircycles.com/

Fit/comfort and price are usually the two biggest factors.

But other things you may consider are...

1. Ease of getting into shoe (assuming meant for tris with shoes clipped into pedals).
2. Adjustability (all velcro, BOA, ratcheting buckle...mainly things for road shoes).
3. Sole stiffness. Stiffer is not always better.
4. Durability. Some shoes are made to last a lifetime...others not so much.
5. Ventilation. If you do a lot of riding in either the heat or cold, you may want different levels of air flow.

I recently bought a pair of Sidi Genius 6.6 road shoes. I'm mainly road racing this year, so I wanted something more road focused. I like the ratcheting buckle compared to the big velcro straps my tri shoes had. The insoles it came with were not to my liking, but bought some Specialized BG insoles which feel a lot better. I also like the fact that Sidi's are made to last and have replaceable parts. They also look pretty nice. :)

When I had my fit done my fitter told me to stay away from expensive tri shoes. Reason being I have a wide foot and more expensive shoes tend to be slimmer and doesn't fare well for us wide foot folks.

Other than that I'd say looks, and price. So basically what the above poster said.

All of these are good things to consider. At least for me, adjustability and ventilation are pretty important in determining comfort, but you might have different priorities.

1. Comfort.
2. Easy of entry.
3. Comfort.
4. Did I mention comfort?

I just picked up a new pair of tri cycling shoes, probably a 1/2 to full size larger than one would normally purchase cycling shoes. I keep hearing "your bike shoes should be the snuggest pair of shoes you own!". Balls to that. On a long ride, I like having the ability to wiggle my feet around a little, fend off any tingly/numb spots that might be developing over the pedal contact area on a long ride, etc.

If I have to jump off that bike and run, I want my feet to feel fresh and relaxed, not squashed and cramped, when it comes time to put my running shoes on. I always hear about people sizing up for their distance running shoes to account for foot swelling etc., but never hear this for cycling shoes. Not sure why that is. Even at a tad roomy, I never feel like I'm wasting movement that's not going straight into the pedals since I've always got pressure on them.

if you have the means, go custom. they're pricey but as desert dude noted, you get a custom pair and you're set for YEARS. the upfront outlay is greater, but a lot of people end up spending just as much over a few years trying top-end shoes from every brand - it adds up.

Drainage!

After comfort and cleat compatibility, drainage is my nearly equal to comfort for me. Because a 100 mile ride in shoes that double as buckets of water won't be comfortable no matter how comfortable they were when they were dry.

Denise