What kind of road shoes are suitable for platform pedals?
 

Greetings. I just got an entry-level bike that has metal serrated pedals. I know that many road shoes have cleats that conform to the shape of "clipless" pedals. Can these also be used with my metal platform pedals?

No

No. To use "clipless" shoes you also need to use clipless pedals. They are an extremely bad choice to use with flat pedals.

You can buy bike-specific shoes meant to be use with flat pedals, here's one example, the FiveTen Freeriders:
Five Ten - Freerider Wms - Black / Berry

But if you buy "clipless" shoes, those are meant to be paired with "clipless" pedals. They are hard bottomed, slippery, and a terrible choice for "flat" pedals.

Yes you will need shoes with recessed cleats or stiff soled shoes like skateboarding shoes

Go to the Singlespeed/fixed gear forum and search for shoes. there's a lot of cycling shoes meant for use with clips and straps and a lot of riders on the SS/FG forum use them.

Or Google "urban cycling shoes" or "cycling shoes for clips and straps".

Shoes and Sneakers | Men's and Women's Shoes | Chrome Industries[B]%20Chrome%20Shoes%20|%20General&gclid=CKvun7GY58MCFQQkgQodSDkAow

The metal serrated pedals are pretty terrible, they're basically for test rides only. I highly recommend either clipless pedals or a proper pair of large platform flats with pins for better traction. The large platform provides more stability and really helps prevent hotspots. There's about twice as much large with the bigger platforms. I used to hate flat pedals until I actually tried some of these, and they're much better.

Here's some examples:
Nukeproof Electron Flat Pedals 2014 | Chain Reaction Cycles
Robot Check

That is not correct. It is easy to find slotted cleats that attach to the bolt hole of modern road "clipless" shoes. These anchor the shoe to the back edge of a platform pedal. Then to complete the assembly you need toe clips and straps that mount to the front edge of the pedal. Here is what the slotted cleats look like:

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=434615

Just Google "slotted cleats road shoes" and you will find these and other available slotted cleats.

If you were particularly intent on keeping your platform pedals for versatility, this is an interesting option. However, it's quite uncommon nowadays. You're probably better off just checking out some inexpensive pedal/cleat systems with road shoes.

I couldn't agree more. Just sayin'.

I imagine so folks actually like toe clips and straps better. Maybe they are afraid of not being able to unclip and like to ride the straps loose. Dunno.

Being that the OP doesn't have shoes, it would be a whole lot easier to buy normal flat shoes for biking than it would be to go through all that.

You could probably use most MTB shoes with your cage pedals. However, the end result would be sub-optimal, with soles being slicker than other shoes.

I finally jumped from toeclips to clipless (SPD MTB style) last year and haven't looked back since. If you've never had either toeclips or clipless, then give yourself some time to get used to getting off your bike. But the choice really depends on how you intend to use the bike.

Anyway, there are some SPD compatible pedals with cleats on one side and a platform on the other side. It would be worth considering if you absolutely need the platform, but it just seems like it would be awkward to use.

indoor soccer shoes are best for cycling on platforms. they are stiff, relatively inexpensive, lightweight and they are durable. i wear a pair of adidas top sala shoes when i throw my platform pedals on my bike and they work wonders.

I have a pair of Nike Zoom soccer shoes but the soles are coming off. I ended up buying the Giro Rumble VRs. The description said they're good for flat pedals and they also have a cleat interface (is that what they're called?) in case I ever graduate to clipless.