I don't bother with cleat covers. Inside a store, your main problem is traction - cleated shoes are very slippery! (And of course the funny looks everyone else will give you.) Outside, cleats will wear when you walk on them, but unless you're walking in them a lot, they'll wear a whole lot more just from you putting a foot down at stop signs. They're definitely a wear item. Mine last about 3,000 miles. But that really depends on your terrain and how often you have to put a foot down, as well as how much you walk on them.