Originally Posted by
A10K
I have a pair of Pearl Izumi X-Alp Seeks that I've pretty much work every day for the last year, they're almost like my cross-training shoes. They don't have a high degree of added stiffness that tends to come with cycling shoes, but there is a small patch on the ball of the feet where they have very poor grip. I once slipped out at the bottom of a staircase in front of my co-workers. Otherwise, fantastic.
That's what I'm using. They're so comfortable that I used mine as workout shoes in the gym before I got my SPD pedals and installed the cleats. I haven't slipped in mine, don't find them uncomfortable at all, even with the cleats installed, and the only time they make any noise is walking on concrete pavement (just concrete -- they're nice and quiet on blacktop, and on indoor flooring).