here are the options:

should i:

go clipless and stick with my old REALLY work out hobo looking tennis shoes.

buy new tennis shoes and not go clipess?

This is a bike forum. Do you really expect anyone to care if your tennis shoes make you look like a hobo, provided your bike shoes are cool?

^ Indeed.

In any case, it's exceptionally rare to find someone who went clipless and regretted it.

clips are made for track bikes where sudden stops are rare,and sometimes you do need them off road,but for typical road and street riding where a sudden stop may be necessary,I always go clipless.

There's always toe clips... which are cheaper and does not require special shoes...

Really? A number of people here prefer toe clips or just platforms for touring and around town stuff. I only ride with mountain bike shoes and clipless pedals, but I often find myself wishing that I had another pair of shoes on when I go over to a friend's house or I am walking a long distance.

If you go clipless, you'll need shoes with the capability of installing cleats ... not your "old REALLY work out hobo looking tennis shoes". You'll need the pedals, special shoes, and cleats.

Fixed.

Ugh, if you're going to say something that has no backing at least get the terminology right.

That's true... realize that the cost of going clipless includes the price of buying new shoes. But if you go with SPD pedals shoes can cost around $30 on nashbar...

Depends what you're doing. My feet were ACHING for clipless pedals the other day after I came back from the second day in a 2-day run of 65-miles each. By the end of the 65 on the second day, my little toes were chafing like no other from my toeclip straps. They're fine now, but I don't imagine my feet will be happy going a long, long, long distance over a few days.

I've stuck with toeclips largely because I have avocet shoes which have grooves in the bottom that allow quill pedals to slot into. They're really nice for vintage wear, for sure. For my spring training program they've worked well and are a significant upgrade from my ye-olde addidas I used to spot, which would make my toes numb after a while.

Really depends on what you're doing. I'd bet: <200 mi/week, don't need clipless pedals. >200 mi/week, go clipless because at that point you already have a TT Cervelo anyway.

When I first got toeclips some years back, I really liked them compared to plain platform pedals. I accepted the extra time needed to get my foot in the clip.

I just rode with toeclips again tonight after more than a year of clipless.

Man, I hate toeclips now. It's harder to flip it around and get wedged in, and if it's not, it drags on the pavement on every downstroke.

Screw it. I'll take plain platforms or clipless (which can also be had in fat platform styles). No more toeclips for me.

I my Look clipless pedals. The day I went clipless I never looked back. The only drawback is walking. You can't just park your bike and go for a stroll at the park, unless you bring along a pair of runners.

Or unless you forego the silly road clipless and go with a MTB clipless.

Get a dual purpose pedal (I prefer the Shimano M-424) and shoes you can walk on. All you have to do is shop around and whine less.