Bont Vaypor G and Giro Sector. I use them both I'm a long time Bont user, people love them or hate them.

Shimano Rx8 is my favorite. But getting them on isn't super quick, so that might be a factor for T1 compared to others.

For courses where you are unlikely to put your foot down, go with road pedals and shoes.

Otherwise, it really depends what you like in a MTB shoe.
I have narrow feet so Sidi's are my shoe of choice.

Second for the Rx8, very comfortable and just the right stiffness for long days on dirt. But they are a bit of a PITA to get on/off.

Also had the S-Works Recon. Tad stiffer and a fairly rigid heel cup that holds foot nicely, but along with tongue, takes some time to break in.

I just replaced my 100 year old Sidi Dominators with a pair of Fiziki Atlas. Love them so far. I did not like the new latches on the new Sidi’s.

Love my Bont Vaypor G

How do they run.. true to size. Sometimes I get a little pain with my VR90s.. looking for something else.

I used their shoe sizer. I ended up with wides. What a game changer for me personally. I have MANY pair of Bonts now. Riot. Zero+ vaypor G and a couple pair of each model. I get the semi custom to match my bike and kit.

Seems people hate or love bont. I love them.

I just picked up a pair of Shimano RX600's. They are about $100 less than the RX800's as they have a nylon sole vs a carbon sole. Stiffness is in between my road shoes and mountain shoes. As others mention they are a little harder to get into compared to my other Sidi shoes. In Xterra and gravel triathlons I put my shoes on before hopping on the bike so these will work just fine.

If you like stiff lightweight shoes, I would recommend the Sidi Tigers. I have owned a pair for just over 3 years and have ridden thousands of miles of gravel, including races with all day comfort. Of course, YMMV.

Another vote for the Shimano RX8. Very comfortable. Also agree that they're not the quickest to get on.

Quoc Grand Tourers II