It's fairly well known among the pedal scientists that more contact surface means more stability between pedal and shoe. Alright, we know that there aren't really people in lab coats conducting experiments on pedals, but Shimano has this pedal really thought out. The Shimano XTR PD-M9100 does have a wider contact area for more security. This pedal has an improved axle durability and the cylindrical contact surface easily sheds mud and debris. This makes for consistent clipping-in and out. The M9100 pedals will give you total control between shoe and pedal whether you're ripping downhill in an XC race or dismounting and remounting in a CX race.