cycling shoes???

[Eden]

Eden, this may all be true, but the OP is talking about "learn to ride" and then switching to clipless pedals. (and you'll note I specified that in my answer)

And if you'd bothered to read my entire reply you might have noticed that I said cycling specific shoes weren't entirely necessary (and in fact I even mentioned hiking boots), just that sneakers are a bit too flexible to be comfortable in the long run. For very short rides any shoe would be fine - heck for short rides on flat ground you'll see women in other countries do it in heels, but for what you can get a decent pair of touring shoes for ($25 -$30 range, especially if you find them on sale) it's not like you're throwing away a lot of cash and all your options to gain a bit of comfort.