Road Shoes
Road cycling shoes focus primarily on sole stiffness and light weight. Typically, they do not offer much traction and are not good for walking. Many road shoes have Velcro straps and ratcheting buckles to allow adjustments on the fly.
Mountain Shoes
Mountain shoes are stiff, but more flexible than road shoes. They have rubber soles to afford decent traction for walking on wet, muddy surfaces. The pedal cleats are recessed into the sole to aid in traction, and, like road shoes, they often feature Velcro and ratcheting buckles for adjustments.
Sandals
For casual cycling outings, sandals are fun. Cycling sandals offer an interface with clipless pedals with the comfort and ventilation of a sandal.
Mountain Bike Clipless Pedals
Mountain bike pedals are dual-sided – meaning you can engage on either side - and offer good mud evacuation to reduce issues caused by wet conditions. Some models have adjustable release tension to ease entry and exit.
Road Bike Clipless Pedals
Road pedals, in most cases, are single sided, meaning you can only engage on one side. Focus is usually on stiffness large platform, and light weight. Many road pedals have adjustable release tension.
Platform Pedals
Platform pedals are what one would find on most basic bikes. They are very simple, offering platforms on both sides. Many platform pedals will accept a toe clip and strap for added pedaling efficiency without the need for cycling shoes.