Quote Originally Posted by nuliajuk View Post
A good alternative to clipless pedals, especially for urban riders, is the kind of platform pedal that has little metal studs screwed in to stick into the soles of shoes. It requires a shoe with at least 1/4" of soft rubbery material, but that covers a wide range of choices, including many dressy shoes. You don't get quite as much grip as a cleat and clipless pedal system, but enough for most practical purposes.
From my experience, I would say that while BMX pedals (which is what you describe) are certainly different from clipless systems, I preferred them and felt more confident climbing hills with them. I didn't find a need for a specific depth of soft rubbery material, I found they grabbed onto most surfaces that wasn't hard plastic. For me, it was more important that the shoes be stiff enough to not cause hot spots, or collapse around the pedals, AND that the sole was relatively uniform (flat) so the cleats wouldn't fall into contours of the sole (for lack of a better term). Personally for warm weather riding I preferred my Keens cycling sandals - I found them much too soft for use with cleats (I tried), but found them pretty much perfect for my BMX pedals. Thankfully there are lots of options out there since we all have different needs.