Arch pain

[BikingNurse]

Ana, make sure you are not pointing your toes down as you pedal. Lots of people do that without thinking and it puts undue pressure on the wrong parts of the foot.

One mile? I would never bother to do clipless and have to change shoes for a one mile ride. Um...it's only a few blocks!

OK here's a question for you. I do use clipless because I go on longer rides. but my commute is very short. Could one just use their tennis shoes or what ever on a short ride with their clipless peddals?

[tulip]

Yes, but it will be awkward. You could get campus pedals. They have SPDs on one side and regular platform pedals on the other side. My commuting bike has them and they work great (if you use SPDs, that is).

Or you could get a beater bike for your commute--a beautiful yard-sale vintage mixte, say. Or you could walk. You have lots of options.

[TsPoet]

OK here's a question for you. I do use clipless because I go on longer rides. but my commute is very short. Could one just use their tennis shoes or what ever on a short ride with their clipless peddals?

In addition to what Tulip said, there are brands that have "platform" pedals with options, such as eggbeaters
http://www.crankbrothers.com/mallet.php

I didn't really like my eggbeater candy's though - the platform wasn't really enough of a platform to work. I've heard good things about the mallets, though.
Love my eggbeaters way above my old SPDs.

[BikingNurse]

Tulip and TSpoet.
Thanks for the feed back. I think I'll get a commuter that I can also use for groceries as I hate using my Dolce for that purpose. it's like putting your race hores in a pasture full of donkeys and thinking that no body will mess with the race horse. I also asked a friend of mine and he said it may not even be safe to use stree shoes with clipless incase of foot slipping and the leg getting cut up by sharp edges.

And to the OP. Have you thought of talking to a podiatrist? it may be facitis. does you foot do the first step in the morning or is it just when you ride then it could be cramps.?