had my 1st ride last night.
been using Lake MTB shoes which have a pretty smooth bottom with my 1/2 clips & other flat pedals. MTB shoes have a recessed hole for the cleat so you can walk around easily even with the cleat attached
it was good using a pedal that had a flat side so I could unclip in advance of busy intersections & ride on the flat side. maybe when I get more experienced I won't need that & can go with a double sided pedal
since I've been using 1/2 clips for at least 10 years, switching foot retention system didn't seem like that big a deal for me last night
I got these MTB shoes cuz I wanted a legit cycling shoe. they work great w/o cleats & seem to be good now with cleats. from the side they look like they have really knobby bottoms but they aren't that severe.
Lake Cycling 2015 Men's MX100 Mountain Bike Shoes (Black/Grey - 48)
I got these pedals with a used bike a long time ago
Shimano PD-M530 MTB SPD Pedals
I got these multi release cleats cuz I read they were easier to clip in & out with. & judging by last night, that seems to be true
Shimano SM-SH56 SPD Cleat Set
I see these pedals on my wish list. Another BFer suggested them some time ago saying they had a flat side & were easy to clip in & out of
Shimano PD-T421 Click'R Pedals
good luck & have fun!
BTW "float" I think, is your ability to wiggle your foot (heel back & forth) while clipped it. meaning, my feet didn't feel like they were locked in a parallel line with the bike. I felt I could angle my foot a little & so it was more comfortable than I was expecting