I rode for years without clipping. Since I'm an adventure racer I usually wore soloman's or similar shoes. These were great since they are heavy duty construction and they drain water nicely. What makes them great for cycling is that they have a little stiffer sole since they are designed for running on rocky trail so you get a little better push with them much like regular cycling shoes. My wife still rides unclipped but uses mountain bike clip in shoes on her road bike and will ride on platforms with the same shoes on her mountain bike and likes it.