i have those laminated rubber straps from bensbikes (i think) and at first i was super skeptical but now i love them. like $10 and no leather? win win.

i have the straps tight enough that i cant really move my foot up, so there's no slack when it comes to skipping/skidding, but i can pull out straight back with no problems

i rode clipless for awhile and while it is a much more 'connected' experience, it wasnt worth changing shoes over