Recommend a shoe for clip-and-strap setup

In article <[email hidden]>,

Kristian M Zoerhoff said:

I'm looking for any recommendations folks may have for stiffer-soled
shoes appropriate for use with clips and straps.

Right now, most of my riding is "local"; trips are generally limited
to 10 miles each way, with one or more off-bike stops in between. For
this, my street shoes (various types) serve me well, which is one
reason I've stuck with clips and straps -- being able to jump on the
bike in whatever I'm wearing is a big plus for me.

However, my longer recreational rides have exposed the dark side to
street shoes, and that's the flex in the soles. I had a nice, but short-
lived case of hot foot Saturday night after a 28-mile trail ride, which
has prompted me to start thinking about shoe shopping. I'd like a shoe
with a stiffer sole, obviously, but I'd also like it to be:

I never have hot foot. Discussions here tend to support the theory
that hot foot has little or nothing to do with the stiffness of
the sole. Recently one poster said that hot foot can be caused by
a shoe that is not big enough in girth at the cleat portion of the
shoe, and that hot foot went away with a shoe that was big enough.
He said that a blood vessel at the _top_ of the foot can be
constricted leading to the hot foot sensation.

--
Michael Press

Kristian M Zoerhoff said:

I'm looking for any recommendations folks may have for stiffer-soled
shoes appropriate for use with clips and straps.

Right now, most of my riding is "local"; trips are generally limited
to 10 miles each way, with one or more off-bike stops in between. For

Quoted message said:

I'd like a shoe
with a stiffer sole, obviously, but I'd also like it to be:

A. Reasonably comfortable for walking around in, and
B. Similiar in appearance to... well, a shoe, not some alien lifeform
attached to my foot.

Do you mean that running shoes are no good? There are many good
running shoes for the purpose, many traditionally ("retro"😉 styled.
Nike Cortez have a really stiff sole. Puma, Adidas, Asics also have
many suitable models which come and go.

If you mean you want something like a leather dress shoe, well, they
are fine, if you get with a thick leather sole, not a thin one. The
only true leather touring shoes left are made in England in small
shops that don't advertise on the internet, if you don't live there,
good luck.

But the best solution is to get MKS GR-9 platform pedals for your
clips and straps. Then you can use pretty well any shoe with no
problem.

41 said:

Kristian M Zoerhoff said:

I'm looking for any recommendations folks may have for stiffer-soled
shoes appropriate for use with clips and straps.

Right now, most of my riding is "local"; trips are generally limited
to 10 miles each way, with one or more off-bike stops in between. For

Quoted message said:

I'd like a shoe
with a stiffer sole, obviously, but I'd also like it to be:

A. Reasonably comfortable for walking around in, and
B. Similiar in appearance to... well, a shoe, not some alien lifeform
attached to my foot.

Do you mean that running shoes are no good? There are many good
running shoes for the purpose, many traditionally ("retro"😉 styled.
Nike Cortez have a really stiff sole. Puma, Adidas, Asics also have
many suitable models which come and go.

Running shoes are fine, so long as they're not too garish. I'm not a
runner, so I don't own any right now to know how they'd work. I have
a friend who gets good prices on Nike goods, so that will probably
go on my short list.

Quoted message said:

If you mean you want something like a leather dress shoe, well, they
are fine, if you get with a thick leather sole, not a thin one.

No, dress shoes I have. I rarely wear them, though.

--

__o Kristian Zoerhoff
_'\(,_ [email hidden]
(_)/ (_)

On Apr 23, 8:00 am, Kristian M Zoerhoff <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

I'm looking for any recommendations folks may have for stiffer-soled
shoes appropriate for use with clips and straps.

Right now, most of my riding is "local"; trips are generally limited
to 10 miles each way, with one or more off-bike stops in between. For
this, my street shoes (various types) serve me well, which is one
reason I've stuck with clips and straps -- being able to jump on the
bike in whatever I'm wearing is a big plus for me.

However, my longer recreational rides have exposed the dark side to
street shoes, and that's the flex in the soles. I had a nice, but short-
lived case of hot foot Saturday night after a 28-mile trail ride, which
has prompted me to start thinking about shoe shopping. I'd like a shoe
with a stiffer sole, obviously, but I'd also like it to be:

A. Reasonably comfortable for walking around in, and
B. Similiar in appearance to... well, a shoe, not some alien lifeform
attached to my foot.

Knowing squat about cycling shoes, I think I should be looking at touring
shoes, but would like some opinions from those in the know before I wander
into my local LBS's.

I'm not averse to shoes that are cleat-ready, so long as the cleat can be
removed/covered and doesn't compromise the walking comfort of the shoe too
badly. Since I'm not planning on going clipless, however, this would be
somewhat wasted on me, unless the shoe were otherwise ideal.

--

__o Kristian Zoerhoff
_'\(,_ [email hidden]
(_)/ (_)

Kristian: I might suggest that you get pedals that are platform on one
side and SPD clipless on the other, and buy some biking shoes with SPD
cleats. I've used these pedals on a rental bike. They are easy to
use with street shoes (won't have cages and straps though). You flip
them over to use your cleated shoes for the longer rides. You might
be able to use a Powergrip type foot strap with these pedals for use
with your street shoes. I haven't used Powergrips, but I've heard and
read good things about them, that they work as well or better than
conventional toe clips/straps.

Another alternative is to get SPD pedals and some biking shoes for the
longer trips. Then, get one of the clip-in adapters that convert the
pedal to platform type. Looking at the photos, I'm thinking you might
be able to find one of these that will either take a Powergrip strap
or a conventional toe clips/straps. The adapters are cheap.

One final answer 8-): Buy a set of clipless pedals and shoes and just
take 2 minutes and swap pedals when you want to go on a longer trip.

Good luck. If you haven't already, clipless pedals really do make a
difference in efficiency and fun riding, from my experience.

Kristian M Zoerhoff said:

Running shoes are fine, so long as they're not too garish. I'm not a
runner, so I don't own any right now to know how they'd work. I have
a friend who gets good prices on Nike goods, so that will probably
go on my short list.

I like running shoes because they're generally lighter and airier than
other types of sneakers, but they also tend to have rather complex sole
patterns that can make it difficult to slip over the cage on the way
into the clip. I look for shoes that are smoother on the bottom.

"Michael Press" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

Kristian M Zoerhoff said:

I'm looking for any recommendations folks may have for stiffer-soled
shoes appropriate for use with clips and straps.

Right now, most of my riding is "local"; trips are generally limited
to 10 miles each way, with one or more off-bike stops in between. For
this, my street shoes (various types) serve me well, which is one
reason I've stuck with clips and straps -- being able to jump on the
bike in whatever I'm wearing is a big plus for me.

However, my longer recreational rides have exposed the dark side to
street shoes, and that's the flex in the soles. I had a nice, but

short-

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

lived case of hot foot Saturday night after a 28-mile trail ride,

which

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

has prompted me to start thinking about shoe shopping. I'd like a shoe
with a stiffer sole, obviously, but I'd also like it to be:

I never have hot foot. Discussions here tend to support the theory
that hot foot has little or nothing to do with the stiffness of
the sole. Recently one poster said that hot foot can be caused by
a shoe that is not big enough in girth at the cleat portion of the
shoe, and that hot foot went away with a shoe that was big enough.
He said that a blood vessel at the _top_ of the foot can be
constricted leading to the hot foot sensation.

--
Michael Press

I have super wide feet with a high arch - 10 1/2 EEE. Finding comfortable
riding shoes has always been a problem.

I've tried on dozens of different clipless shoes and I can' find any that
fit me so that rules out clipless pedals for now.

I'm still using a pair of Adidas leather Eddy Merckx shoes I bought back
about 1974 or 75. I've had to have them re-glued and re-sewn several
times. They have a thin composite sole that flex more than the thick
leather ones on most nail-on cleat style shoes.

I also have a pair of mid 70s Specialized Touring shoes with pseudo cleats
in the rubber soles. They sat around unused until a few years ago. I've
been looking for replacements for both of those pairs of shoes.

For years I had hot foot problems with classic Campy style road pedals. I
even cut off the outside horns. For me hot foot comes from protruding high
points on the pedal - or having the toe straps too tight.

I used to ride with Cinelli clipless track pedals for longer road rides
and they helped a lot.

I ended up using cheap Lyotard 460D alloy rat trap pedals for many years
until Sakae brought out their "LowFat" extra wide MTB pedals. Even with
those, I have to grind down the outboard top of the quills.

The OP should check out some of the MTB and Touring style shoes for
clipless pedals. Some of those will probably work for him.

Chas.

Quoted message said:

However, my longer recreational rides have exposed the dark side to
street shoes, and that's the flex in the soles. I had a nice, but short-
lived case of hot foot Saturday night after a 28-mile trail ride, which
has prompted me to start thinking about shoe shopping. I'd like a shoe
with a stiffer sole, obviously, but I'd also like it to be:

A. Reasonably comfortable for walking around in, and
B. Similiar in appearance to... well, a shoe, not some alien lifeform
attached to my foot.

I have solved this in the past by buying clearance/closeout baseball
and golf shoes from the bargain-clothing store for $5, and cutting off
the cleats with a hacksaw. They work okay but can be slippery and
still look goofy.

Last time I went looking, fortunately, I found some North Face trail
running shoes with Vibram brand boot-like soles. They are awesome.
Might even be worth paying full price for. I think they're similar to
these:
http://thenorthface.com/opencms/opencms/tnf/gear.jsp?site=NA&model=AE3V

Doug

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

However, my longer recreational rides have exposed the dark side to
street shoes, and that's the flex in the soles. I had a nice, but short-
lived case of hot foot Saturday night after a 28-mile trail ride, which
has prompted me to start thinking about shoe shopping. I'd like a shoe
with a stiffer sole, obviously, but I'd also like it to be:

A. Reasonably comfortable for walking around in, and
B. Similiar in appearance to... well, a shoe, not some alien lifeform
attached to my foot.

I have solved this in the past by buying clearance/closeout baseball
and golf shoes from the bargain-clothing store for $5, and cutting off
the cleats with a hacksaw. They work okay but can be slippery and
still look goofy.

I used to own a pair of soccer shoes. Not sure what happened to them.

Quoted message said:

Last time I went looking, fortunately, I found some North Face trail
running shoes with Vibram brand boot-like soles. They are awesome.
Might even be worth paying full price for. I think they're similar to
these:
http://thenorthface.com/opencms/opencms/tnf/gear.jsp?site=NA&model=AE3V

Those look similar to a pair of Merrells that serve as my winter shoes, but
lighter. The downside is that the deeper lugs on the Vibram soles make
getting into the clips a touch difficult. I'll give them (or something
similar) a shot, though.

I forgot that my wife ordered some Land's End sandals for me last week.
I'll have to see how those work, at least for warmer weather. I have a pair
of Keen sandals, but they're bulbous, and don't play well with the straps.

--

__o Kristian Zoerhoff
_'\(,_ [email hidden]
(_)/ (_)

In my case, hot foot is always caused by pressure on the top of my
foot. The soles of my shoes, Shimano T091, are stiff and there is no
local cleat pressure. I've ridden many long rides and can avoid hot
foot is the shoes are large enough. Some distance riders, make a slit
at the sole/top interface that will open when the foot swells. There
is no reason that part of the foot needs to be tight on foot. Another
rider, uses oversize shoes, which he calls his clown shoes, and he
wears multiple pairs of socks to start with. As foot swells, he
removes a pair of socks.

If available, a good relief is to take your foot, shoe and all, and
put into ice water.

41 said:

Do you mean that running shoes are no good? There are many good
running shoes for the purpose, many traditionally ("retro"😉 styled.
Nike Cortez have a really stiff sole. Puma, Adidas, Asics also have
many suitable models which come and go.

I rode 250 miles in 24 hours in a pair of Nike Cortez sneakers.

Adidas Country and Detroit are similar.

--
JT
****************************
Remove "remove" to reply
Visit http://www.jt10000.com
****************************

* * Chas said:

"Michael Press" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

Kristian M Zoerhoff said:

I'm looking for any recommendations folks may have for stiffer-soled
shoes appropriate for use with clips and straps.

Right now, most of my riding is "local"; trips are generally limited
to 10 miles each way, with one or more off-bike stops in between. For
this, my street shoes (various types) serve me well, which is one
reason I've stuck with clips and straps -- being able to jump on the
bike in whatever I'm wearing is a big plus for me.

However, my longer recreational rides have exposed the dark side to
street shoes, and that's the flex in the soles. I had a nice, but

short-

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

lived case of hot foot Saturday night after a 28-mile trail ride,

which

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

has prompted me to start thinking about shoe shopping. I'd like a shoe
with a stiffer sole, obviously, but I'd also like it to be:

I never have hot foot. Discussions here tend to support the theory
that hot foot has little or nothing to do with the stiffness of
the sole. Recently one poster said that hot foot can be caused by
a shoe that is not big enough in girth at the cleat portion of the
shoe, and that hot foot went away with a shoe that was big enough.
He said that a blood vessel at the _top_ of the foot can be
constricted leading to the hot foot sensation.

--
Michael Press

I have super wide feet with a high arch - 10 1/2 EEE. Finding comfortable
riding shoes has always been a problem.

I've tried on dozens of different clipless shoes and I can' find any that
fit me so that rules out clipless pedals for now.

I'm still using a pair of Adidas leather Eddy Merckx shoes I bought back
about 1974 or 75. I've had to have them re-glued and re-sewn several
times. They have a thin composite sole that flex more than the thick
leather ones on most nail-on cleat style shoes.

I also have a pair of mid 70s Specialized Touring shoes with pseudo cleats
in the rubber soles. They sat around unused until a few years ago. I've
been looking for replacements for both of those pairs of shoes.

For years I had hot foot problems with classic Campy style road pedals. I
even cut off the outside horns. For me hot foot comes from protruding high
points on the pedal - or having the toe straps too tight.

I used to ride with Cinelli clipless track pedals for longer road rides
and they helped a lot.

I ended up using cheap Lyotard 460D alloy rat trap pedals for many years
until Sakae brought out their "LowFat" extra wide MTB pedals. Even with
those, I have to grind down the outboard top of the quills.

The OP should check out some of the MTB and Touring style shoes for
clipless pedals. Some of those will probably work for him.

Chas.

Did you ever try the Lyotard platforms?

I found them very comfortable and convenient; the only problem was that the
aluminium endplate wore slowly and then they clicked (I hate clicks) until
the I peened the flat in the endplate back to the size of the flat in the
pedal axle housing.

John Forrest Tomlinson said:

41 said:

Do you mean that running shoes are no good? There are many good
running shoes for the purpose, many traditionally ("retro"😉 styled.
Nike Cortez have a really stiff sole. Puma, Adidas, Asics also have
many suitable models which come and go.

I rode 250 miles in 24 hours in a pair of Nike Cortez sneakers.

Now /that's/ an endorsement, in my book, assuming you had no pain,
of course. In the feet, that is, not the rest of your body :-)

Quoted message said:

Adidas Country and Detroit are similar.

Thanks, I'll add those to the list as well.

--

__o Kristian Zoerhoff
_'\(,_ [email hidden]
(_)/ (_)

"_" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

* * Chas said:

"Michael Press" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>,
Kristian M Zoerhoff <[email hidden]> wrote:

> I'm looking for any recommendations folks may have for stiffer-soled
> shoes appropriate for use with clips and straps.
>
> Right now, most of my riding is "local"; trips are generally limited
> to 10 miles each way, with one or more off-bike stops in between.

For

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

> this, my street shoes (various types) serve me well, which is one
> reason I've stuck with clips and straps -- being able to jump on the
> bike in whatever I'm wearing is a big plus for me.
>
> However, my longer recreational rides have exposed the dark side to
> street shoes, and that's the flex in the soles. I had a nice, but

short-

Quoted message said:

> lived case of hot foot Saturday night after a 28-mile trail ride,

which

Quoted message said:

> has prompted me to start thinking about shoe shopping. I'd like a

shoe

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

> with a stiffer sole, obviously, but I'd also like it to be:

I never have hot foot. Discussions here tend to support the theory
that hot foot has little or nothing to do with the stiffness of
the sole. Recently one poster said that hot foot can be caused by
a shoe that is not big enough in girth at the cleat portion of the
shoe, and that hot foot went away with a shoe that was big enough.
He said that a blood vessel at the _top_ of the foot can be
constricted leading to the hot foot sensation.

--
Michael Press

I have super wide feet with a high arch - 10 1/2 EEE. Finding

comfortable

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

riding shoes has always been a problem.

I've tried on dozens of different clipless shoes and I can' find any

that

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

fit me so that rules out clipless pedals for now.

I'm still using a pair of Adidas leather Eddy Merckx shoes I bought

back

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

about 1974 or 75. I've had to have them re-glued and re-sewn several
times. They have a thin composite sole that flex more than the thick
leather ones on most nail-on cleat style shoes.

I also have a pair of mid 70s Specialized Touring shoes with pseudo

cleats

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

in the rubber soles. They sat around unused until a few years ago.

I've

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

been looking for replacements for both of those pairs of shoes.

For years I had hot foot problems with classic Campy style road

pedals. I

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

even cut off the outside horns. For me hot foot comes from protruding

high

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

points on the pedal - or having the toe straps too tight.

I used to ride with Cinelli clipless track pedals for longer road

rides

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

and they helped a lot.

I ended up using cheap Lyotard 460D alloy rat trap pedals for many

years

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

until Sakae brought out their "LowFat" extra wide MTB pedals. Even

with

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

those, I have to grind down the outboard top of the quills.

The OP should check out some of the MTB and Touring style shoes for
clipless pedals. Some of those will probably work for him.

Chas.

Did you ever try the Lyotard platforms?

I found them very comfortable and convenient; the only problem was that

the

Quoted message said:

aluminium endplate wore slowly and then they clicked (I hate clicks)

until

Quoted message said:

the I peened the flat in the endplate back to the size of the flat in

the

Quoted message said:

pedal axle housing.

You mean the Lyotard Berthet pedals like these:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Lyotard-Berthet-vintage-Chrome-steel-pedals-set-NOS_W0QQitemZ280107449362QQihZ018QQcategoryZ36138QQcmdZViewItem

I have a pair. They eliminate hot foot in the middle area but they are not
wide enough to be comfortable for me.

The old Phil Wood platform pedals while not quite wide enough but were
pretty comfortable.

Chas.

Kristian M Zoerhoff said:

John Forrest Tomlinson said:

I rode 250 miles in 24 hours in a pair of Nike Cortez sneakers.

Now /that's/ an endorsement, in my book, assuming you had no pain,
of course. In the feet, that is, not the rest of your body :-)

Well, I was pedalling pretty slowly -- probably average of 12mph while
on the bike on easy terrain with low force on the pedals. And I was
very young and resiliant at the time. It was in 1982.....

--
JT
****************************
Remove "remove" to reply
Visit http://www.jt10000.com
****************************

* * Chas said:

I have a pair. They eliminate hot foot in the middle area but they are not
wide enough to be comfortable for me.

The old Phil Wood platform pedals while not quite wide enough but were
pretty comfortable.

I have the wide foot problem too (riding vintage). With most pedals,
,y feet end up sticking over the end. So ,I look for pedals without
an outside horn of any sort. Maillard Aeros, or for Japanese the early
Shimano and Dura Ace similar triangular designs seems to work for me.

The simple flat back plate and lack of a front plate grabing the
grooves in the sole keeps your feet from being glued into the clips.
You can be secure yet slip out easily when needed.

"still me" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

* * Chas said:

I have a pair. They eliminate hot foot in the middle area but they are

not

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

wide enough to be comfortable for me.

The old Phil Wood platform pedals while not quite wide enough but were
pretty comfortable.

I have the wide foot problem too (riding vintage). With most pedals,
,y feet end up sticking over the end. So ,I look for pedals without
an outside horn of any sort. Maillard Aeros, or for Japanese the early
Shimano and Dura Ace similar triangular designs seems to work for me.

The simple flat back plate and lack of a front plate grabing the
grooves in the sole keeps your feet from being glued into the clips.
You can be secure yet slip out easily when needed.

I've looked at the triangle shaped pedals. I had knee problems for years
until I angled my heels in and my toes out. I've drilled new holes for
mounting my toe clips so that they are at the outboard edge of the pedals,
That's why I like the Sakae LowFat pedals and ones similar to these. It's
too bad that they are discontinued.

I have a pair of the MKS Touring Pedals on one of my bikes. They don't
feel as comfortable as the old Lyotard 460D alloy pedals that they are a
copy of.

Chas.

* * Chas said:

You mean the Lyotard Berthet pedals like these:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Lyotard-Berthet-vintage-Chrome-steel-pedals-set-NOS_W0QQitemZ280107449362QQihZ018QQcategoryZ36138QQcmdZViewItem

I have a pair. They eliminate hot foot in the middle area but they are not
wide enough to be comfortable for me.

The old Phil Wood platform pedals while not quite wide enough but were
pretty comfortable.

You could also try the older style Campagnolo platform pedals; I do not
know the model name(s), but they had a roughly deltoid plan. I like 'em,
no horn, nice & wide.

* * Chas said:

I have a pair of the MKS Touring Pedals on one of my bikes. They don't
feel as comfortable as the old Lyotard 460D alloy pedals that they are a
copy of.

Yes, I always liked those for their width, but I found the dual edge
catches my sneakers on two ridges and I can't get out of the clips
when I want to. (I ride in sneakers, because I'm practical not pure
:-).

Camilo said:

On Apr 23, 8:00 am, Kristian M Zoerhoff <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

I'm looking for any recommendations folks may have for stiffer-soled
shoes appropriate for use with clips and straps.

Quoted message said:

Right now, most of my riding is "local"; trips are generally limited
to 10 miles each way, with one or more off-bike stops in between. For
this, my street shoes (various types) serve me well, which is one
reason I've stuck with clips and straps -- being able to jump on the
bike in whatever I'm wearing is a big plus for me.

Quoted message said:

However, my longer recreational rides have exposed the dark side to
street shoes, and that's the flex in the soles. I had a nice, but short-
lived case of hot foot Saturday night after a 28-mile trail ride, which
has prompted me to start thinking about shoe shopping. I'd like a shoe
with a stiffer sole, obviously, but I'd also like it to be:

Quoted message said:

A. Reasonably comfortable for walking around in, and
B. Similiar in appearance to... well, a shoe, not some alien lifeform
attached to my foot.

Quoted message said:

Knowing squat about cycling shoes, I think I should be looking at touring
shoes, but would like some opinions from those in the know before I wander
into my local LBS's.

Quoted message said:

I'm not averse to shoes that are cleat-ready, so long as the cleat can be
removed/covered and doesn't compromise the walking comfort of the shoe too
badly. Since I'm not planning on going clipless, however, this would be
somewhat wasted on me, unless the shoe were otherwise ideal.

Quoted message said:

--

Quoted message said:

__o Kristian Zoerhoff
_'\(,_ [email hidden]
(_)/ (_)

Kristian: I might suggest that you get pedals that are platform on one
side and SPD clipless on the other, and buy some biking shoes with SPD
cleats. I've used these pedals on a rental bike. They are easy to
use with street shoes (won't have cages and straps though). You flip
them over to use your cleated shoes for the longer rides. You might
be able to use a Powergrip type foot strap with these pedals for use
with your street shoes. I haven't used Powergrips, but I've heard and
read good things about them, that they work as well or better than
conventional toe clips/straps.- Hide quoted text -

I'd like to back this up. Clipless is awesome, once you get used to
it you can't imagine riding any other way. I recently purchased a set
of very normal looking and comfortable (for walking as well as riding)
Specialized shoes for a friends birthday from REI for reasonable $.
You could wear them around all day without anyone figuring they're
clipless, and without hurting your feet at all. Then, when you hop on
the bike, you can clip in if you want - especially for the longer
trips! If you're not wearing those shoes and you want to take a
ride, you can use the other side of the pedal with any shoe.

Since I did this, I have not ridden farther than a mile on any bike
other than the BMX without my clipless shoes.