Originally Posted by
drlogik
Cycling shoes have a much stiffer sole than regular shoes. This helps apply more power to the peddles more effectively and efficiently. Are they required? No. Are they recommended? Yes, I believe they are. Do you need to spend a lot of money? No. Cycling shoes will help you enjoy cycling more because you will get better at it the more you cycle and your equipment will support that...and that feeds the desire to spend more and more time riding.
The primary purpose of clipless is to keep your feet attached to the pedals in the most secure way possible.
The myth that they significantly increase efficiency comes up again and again, but they've done studies, experiments, etc. They took pro cyclists and tested them - pro cyclist unweight the foot but don't pull up. And they feel like they're faster but they aren't according to actually measuring their speed and power output. There are limits to these studies usually being done on an indoor trainer, some other thoughts and studies have suggested there might be a slight advantage in efficiency over very long rides, or that the cyclist might pull up under less usually conditions - while sprinting or riding uphill. But any small advantage you gain for people biking commuting or just riding is lost by the extra time you spend changing shoes.
For grip, pedals with pins and shoes with flat rubber soles do an excellent job of giving your foot grip on the pedal. For regular riding I don't think clipless is better. If I was all out sprinting at 30mph like a pro racer? Sure, I think clipless would be superior. But I've owned several clipless systems, and for riding for exercise and commuting to work - I personally see no advantage.
To get grip and comfort from flat pedals, buy a pair of pedals with pins and sufficient flat support for your foot. Here's one suggestion for $42, VP Components VP Vice Pedals:
http://www.amazon.com/VP-Components-.../dp/B006ZH1H7M
They also sell a more expensive pair with more pins in the middle:
Amazon.com : VP Components Bike Pedals, Black : Sports & Outdoors
Whether it's worth it to buy specific shoes for biking is debateable.
I bought a pair of Chrome Kurk's. They've worked well.
You can also get super grippy flat shoes from Five Ten that grab onto pins on your pedal so much you have to lift your foot off the pedal to twist it to change position a little.
You can also just use anything pretty much that's flat on the bottom (flat on the bottom keeps you having grip from the pins) and has a non-compressible sole. Skate shoes work well as well and would be cheaper - like Chuck Taylor's or Van's.