so i am going to ditch my clips cus they suck
this area could potentially be quite pricey so i am looking for advice.
i consider myself to be a beginner and really do not know much about pedals and shoes.
i dont want to spend too much money on this bike bc i want a new bike next year (i could just use same pedals on new bike)

also, my current bike is my primary commuter bike.
i dont want to be that guy wearing cycling shoes at the bars so i will switch pedals when i go for long rides (pain in the ass, i know).

now you know. can you please share your wisdom with me.

thank you.

there are Mountain bike type pedals that you can wear regular shoes with if you wanted to.

Speedplay has a platform that attaches to their pedals that turns them into a platform pedal. I've also seen platforms that snap into shimano SPD mtb pedals. You don't have to swap pedals this way.

what cshell said is true, there are mtb shoes that looks like regular shoes and comfy for walking without showing the cleat.

EDIT: I think I have seen pedals that are clipless on a side and the other side is platform

Shimano PD-A530. It's dual sided. Clipless and Platform.

+1
That's what you want. And look at MTB shoes. You can get some that look a lot like a hiking shoe, but have a cleat mount.

i think the dual sided is the best option. Second best is go with mountain bike pedals with recessed cleats so you can walk on the shoes.

If you absolutely want road pedals and are willing to change pedals when doing longer non commuting rides, i recommend the shimano r540 pedals. cheap and i can't tell the difference from more expensive shimano pedals,

I got Shimano r540 pedals and ro76 shoes for $130. I usually just carry a bag with my shoes if im using them for the commute.

The Time Allroad Gripper is like this.

Shoot, I have some cheapo Wellgo pedals that are SPD on one side and flat on the other. Shimano also makes plastic platforms you can snap into SPD pedals; I even rigged one up with a set of toe clips and straps. Handy when I want to take my commuter bike somewhere where I know I'll be walking a lot at the destination.

These are better alternatives to changing pedals out frequently, as it's probably not good to be unscrewing and screwing on those threads lots of times.

There are also lots of MTB SPD-compatible shoes that recess the cleat well into the shoe tread, and look vaguely like hiking shoes. I even have a pair of (hmm, Lake? I forget) shoes with recessed cleats that are all black leather with a bit of nylon, that pass for casual office shoes.

I use double-sided SPD pedals as they're easier to use than the single-sided ones with a platform on the other side. But I wore dark mountain-bike shoes that were fine for casual office use (and kept a pair of dress shoes at my desk for more formal occasions). I also found them comfortable enough on some 10-mile hikes, but too much of that kind of use in rocky terrain tends to wear out the cleats.

so i got shoes
nice shimanos
and i got the pedals that have clips on one side and normal commuter on the other and i gotta say that they are a real pain in the ass.

can i get 2 sided pedals and just ride them with gym shoes or is it dangerous?

why is it a pain in the ass?

got some pictures?

surely the gym shoes is for one side and the cleated shoes are for the other side. I don't own one but isn't that meant to be the advantage of double sided pedals?

Shimano PDM324 is a two sided pedal that works very well for what you want.

They're a pain the ass cus I gotta keep flipping em over. I'm
sure ill get used to it. I'm
just wondering if it's possible to ride 2 sided clip pedals with gym shoes.

They look just like the shimano Pdm

I got mine from performance for $20

I got a pair of Eggbeaters from Nashbar for $30 and they came with platforms that clip right onto the pedals. Easy peasy.