All joking aside (with regards to my previous response... although I do occasionally wear VFFs while cycling I was only joking about the monkey-grip aspect... almost that whole post was tongue in cheek) I haven't worn cleats since the mid 80s. Nowadays I can't imagine having to make sure that I have cleats on hand every time I feel like going for a ride. It took awhile to condition/strengthen my feet and build up the necessary muscles after donning cleats for so many years but in the end it was well worth the effort to shed them.

<soap box>Trifusion, IMHO it's best to not even start down the road of cycling specific shoes with support/bracing. It's no different than with every other aspect of taking on a new pursuit/sport, you have to take it easy in the beginning and let your body adapt to new stresses. If you took up running and your ankles hurt after the first few times, would you start wearing leg braces? Just food for thought... take it FWIW.</soap box>