Originally Posted by
cyclist2000
Can you even get a good pair of cycling shoes with a stiff sole that will work with toe clips? I prefer cycling specific shoes when riding and it needs to have a stiff sole. I don't like riding with my athletic shoes because my toes go numb.
Stiff soles only matter when using small pedals, like clip less. A good platform pedal provides all of the stiffness needed in the pedal itself, as opposed to clip less designs which require some of the pedals functionality to be met by the shoes.
Two platforms that you may want to try if you wish that exhibit the characteristics I am describing are the MKS Lamda and the MKS Gr-10, though the latter really require at least half clips (no cinching)... On the former, I can ride 20+ miles in flip flops with no issues, YMMV.