To cleat or not to cleat?

[north woods gal]

I can't see spending big bucks on special shoes for flat pedals. That's marketing B.S. Put the money into quality flats, not the shoes. If you get quality flat pedals with metal pins (not plastic) and follow up with proper technique, any kind of shoe will work, even for technical trail riding. Haven't had a shoe slip off a good quality pinned flat pedal - ever - and that's with all kinds of shoes, riding every day. I use everything from sandals in the summer to felt lined pac boots in sub-zero cold, depending on the time of year. I've also gone away from stiff soled shoes. Now prefer some flex in my shoes when pedaling. It is more comfortable for my feet and gives me even better grip. My favorite summer biking shoes, for instance, are cheap Wal-mart sneakers. The only thing I have to watch when using different shoes with different thickness soles is my seat height. I notice even that little bit of difference, sometimes. Having a QR seat clamp for quick seat height adjustment helps.