Regarding the inconvenience of going somewhere with cleated shoes: Even before I went clipless a year ago, I always kept spare shoes and socks at the office in case I had to ride through rain, and also for winter, when I take the bus, but wear boots. I got mountain bike shoes even though I mostly ride my road bike, since the tread supposedly keeps the cleat off the floor, but in fact it only partly works, and I still clack when I walk. I wouldn't go into a home wearing the cleated shoes, but most businesses, and my office building, have floors that can handle anything, and I've never slipped or felt unsteady.

Bike shoes can accept different kinds of cleats, so you install the ones that match your pedals. I have mountain bike pedals on my mountain bike (Shimano M515) and road pedals on my road bike (Shimano A520) and my one pair of shoes with SH-51 cleats work with both of them.

I like the clipped in feeling, although it took three falls (which of course happen when you're at a standstill, so they weren't too hairy) and a few weeks to fully get comfortable with them. When I got a new road bike this summer I had no trouble riding with platforms, but I really missed the clipped in feeling for a few weeks until my new pedals arrived from EBay.

Robert