I'm going to agree with this advice having watched the "convenience and safety" in practice at the top of a Glen in pouring rain. The rain had swollen the leather straps of my friend's pedals and the image of him slowly toppling sideways while vainly struggling to withdraw his foot from the pedal still causes me to smile after forty years.

For entertainment value alone, all newcomers should be encouraged to adopt these pedals.

I don't use leather straps just cheap 'Blackburn' synthetic mesh straps costing about €3/$3 a pair and not tightly fastened. Pedals like saddles are a matter of personal preference and just because all roadies use clipless doesn't make them better than clips/straps for touring.

I find clips/straps better for convenience and safety but others may have a different experience.

My experience is divided about 50/50 between the "toe clip" era and the "clipless" era. And during that experience, I have seen far more people fall over from failing to unclip than from failing to loosen their toe straps. That may be because many more people ride now than then, or it may be that in the "old days" competency was stressed more than it is now.

Regardless, I have no mercy for people who fall over at stop signs. Properly managed, both clipless and clips-and-straps are perfectly safe. Improperly managed, both can result in injuries.

Short version: if you can be bothered to learn how to use the equipment you have, you will be fine. Otherwise, you're a danger to yourself and everyone around you. And that's really the whole story.

I've toured with both straps and with clipless for forty years and am as about as far from a "roadie" as it's possible to get. With the advent of SPD with recessed clips it has been possible to use a cycling shoe which is comfortable on and off the bike yet being acceptable for casual wear.
For many years I toured using SPD equipped sandals which in the summer were ideal. Used without socks these dried quickly, were supremely comfortable and cool to wear and meant that one carried one set of footwear.

I agree. Either system is safe if used properly and choice is just a matter of personal preference. My only point is that clips shouldn't be rejected out of hand as inferior.

Ever had to walk up a hill with your MTB SPD shoes as your pushing your bike? Curious as to the feel. Heading to REI tomorrow to pick up some Shimano M088 shoes. Anyone had any experiences with this shoe?

So what is the better shoe style for riding with "TOE CLIPS" ? Something with a firmer sole ?

I've used "rat traps and toe clips" with steel toe clips and leather straps, plastic toe clips with synthetic straps, SPD clipless pedals, mountain bike pedals with studs, plastic pedals, alloy cage pedals with Power Grips, and alloy pedals (folding and non-folding) with strapless toe clips. For my recumbent trike, I find the SPD clipless the best since my foot can hang in the pedals even though my feet are elevated in front of me. For my Easy Racers recumbent bikes, I like cage pedals with Power Grips, since they're a compromise but help keep my foot in the modestly elevated pedals. For my upright bikes, I like the strapless toe clips because I can quickly extract my foot without even thinking about it, just a reflex, and they do what I want: they give my foot a front barrier so I don't slip forward and guide my foot to the ideal position, and they allow me to use any comfortable shoe that I like, and the cage pedals distribute the force around my sole, whereas the clipless pedals concentrate it in the center of the ball of my foot which eventually hurts or makes me numb even with several different brands and stiffnesses of shoes.

Yes, I use the Specialized Sonoma, stiff but with enough 'give' to be comfortable in most situations off the bike and with enough traction on the sole to flip the pedal to insert your foot.

I also had that problem with clipless SPD pedals and was one of the reasons I switched to platform pedals with clips and loose straps.

OK touring here , riding to see where you are going , not for a workout, or setting a personal best speed ..

One benefit I get out of a toeclip-pedal use IS the riding with loose straps , in fact After a number of years , I had a shoe repair guy

rather than the usual leave it and come back tuesday, let me behind the counter
and worked with me on modifying a shoe which also fit my foot loose ..

and had a slotted curved cleat slot in the bottom. so would stay on the pedal but angle float easily..

and a nice supportive insole .. I like Birkenstock of Germany . their 3/4 length ones for boots ..

stiff sole meant, walking, they slipped off my heels like a penny loafer ,

but on the bike they felt fine , riding daily for months.


back to the shopping channel ..

I tried the Specialized Tahoe shoe with SPD, which is stiff with some give -- still not good for my feet.
Toe clips with loose straps are about the same as strapless toe clips, except the strap can still get in your way when you need your foot to fall out of the pedal in an emergency, and the loose strap is essentially extraneous when loose, so why have it at all?

Read an article by a guy who did a lightweight tour in the Alps with clips and Crocs.

I've had several pairs of these and they are a great shoe. A good compromise for cycling and walking and look "normal" as well when off the bike.