Originally Posted by Trakhak

"Toe clips work best with some sort of cleat-like thing fitting into the rat-traps," etc. You just reminded me of my first experience with toe clips and cleats on my brand-new Helyett track bike:

This was when I was 13 years old, in 1964. The local bike shop owner sold me leather-soled, perforated-uppers Detto Pietro shoes and a pair of T.A. Jacques Anquetil cleats and sent me to the cobbler around the corner.

I said to him, "Please nail the cleats on so my feet point straight forward."

He looked at the soles, saw that the shoes hadn't been used yet, and said, "You'd better ride a few days without cleats so I can see where your cleats should go."

I politely persisted, and he said, "OK," nailed on the cleats, and handed the shoes back, saying, mysteriously, "I'll see you again soon."

Two days later, I was back. He smiled, pulled the cleats off, and sent me out the door. I rode without cleats for a few days and then brought the shoes back. He looked at the marks in the soles and nailed the cleats on again. Perfect.