I use toe clips on platforms but really only to keep the foot roughly oriented; the straps are not tight. The clips create a sort of backstop for my toes and my foot just rests where it rests. Riding a bicycle ain't rocket surgery as some would suggest

Last weekend I rode up and down part of the Fraser Canyon and this weekend I'm riding another mountain hwy towards Manning, noted on CGOAB as the single hardest day of riding across Canada. In another couple of weeks I'll be doing the Coquihalla pass, a 50 km non stop hill climb to the summit - crank crank crank... all using platforms and a stiff soled shoe. On all of those my goal is low gearing and high spin with little effort, otherwise my knees would give out. I am definitely not strapping in or clipping in and using that attachment so I can put more stress on my knees. I'm pushing myself a bit to train now but on a longer tour the real goal is effortless cycling all day long. People don't "need" to be clipped in for effortless riding, though I don't knock anyone who does it because that is what they prefer or are used to.

Other things that don't necessarily translate directly from road cycling to touring: Shaving your legs and drafting.