They would not be a good choice when wearing business shoes, but they're fine with sneakers and hiking boots.
I have to politely disagree. I have Shimano 545's on my mountain bike and although they are absolutely bulletproof pedals (I've had mine for almost a decade now without a single problem!) but they are not comfortable to ride in if you aren't wearing SPD shoes. She SPD part sticks up in the middle of the pedal and makes for an uncomfortable ride.
I took some pictures showing how far the SPD part sticks up above the "platform".
I'm not saying tls is wrong, but I personally find riding them in "street shoes" to be very uncomfortable.