Commuting - Cheap shoes!

I don't know how many "feet belt" commuters there are, but I still use platform pedals & toe straps so I can employ a variety of different shoes.

Rainy commutes are always a challenge... I try to keep a worn-out pair of sneakers around for this duty, but they inevitably end up getting moldy, and fall apart soon thereafter.

I thought I'd pass you all this "find," of some cheap rain shoes:

I was perusing the cheap nylon sport shoes section at Payless the other day, and found a pair of Cross Trekkers Land/Water "all terrain" shoes for $14.99. These are much better put together than the slip on Surf Mocs that one uses when riding jet skis. They are neoprene and nylon, with thick molded synthetic rubber soles, and they lace, but instead of tying, they use a bolo-tie type of fastener.
The soles are stiff enough to allow bike shoe grade pedaling.

I tried them today on an appropriately rainy pre-dawn splash to work. 19.3 miles, through wet streets and a light but persistent drizzle, and my feet stayed dry! This beats having moldy ten year old sneakers hanging in my office all day...

I should probably grow up & move into a pedal setup that was designed some time during the last 50 years, but for now; I use clips.

For shoes,I use soccer cleats designed for artificial turf; with rubber shoe protectors. Sometimes, I have to "cyclocross" over curbs & across ice and the short cleats on the soccer shoes give me a little traction & they catch on the pedal.

I use the very same, on dry days. I've a couple of pairs of Fila soccer cleats, and they are unbeatable when paired with platform pedals and clip/straps!

I use indoor soccer shoes. They fit inside the clips very well. No cleats needed.

OK, I'll ask. Why soccer shoes? Narrow design? Stiff sole? Cleats grip pedals better under the clips? Educate me.
For the time being, I have decided to stick with clips and straps, and I am looking for footwear stiffer than the old tennis shoes I am wearing now. Should I look at soccer shoes?
Thanks,
Raymond

You hit all the nails on the heads. I first bought soccer shoes because I needed narrow soles. They are stiff enough (but "real" cycling shoes are stiffer). Finally, they are sturdy and lightweight and unstylish.

Coool! Unstylish is just my style!

Soccer shoes? O.K., I'll try it.

One advantage of clips and straps is that when you get off your bike you can actually walk if you want to.

I've used SPD pedals with pleasure, however; the recessed cleats allow normal walking---BUT...

...if you use clips and straps you can be a lot more creative about what shoes you wear! If I do get back into cycling I will take a look at the soccer shoes, and also the Payless ones Cambronne was kind enough to point out. There's a Payless store just one glass-strewn, pothole-rich mile from where I live.

Has anyone considered inserts into the shoe? Cut off the toe section so you can walk in them. Use the stiffest insert you can find and cut it off just ahead of the ball of the foot. Or grind a channel in the soles of a cheap pair of shoes and insert pieces of stiff material, adequately glued and sealed.

Just a thought.

Rivets ... I love rivets

Get some aluminum strips on the bottom of the shoe