Flat pedals for adventure biking

[jeremy11]

All my riding is in trail runners with platforms - I've never clipped in.  Having a more substantial trail runner helps reduce foot fatigue on rough long mountain downhills - with a softer sole, the pedal pushes up through and has more pressure points on my foot.
Also, a more even tread profile helps too - the big open mud lugs don't grab the pins as well.
I have the wellgo MG1 pedals on the mtb and Primo magnesium platforms on the commuter.
Shoes are a few kinds of Montrails - 08 Hardrock, new Hardrock, Mountain Masochist, and Rockridge.  The pair that didn't work well was some Inov-8 shoes - very soft sole, really open big lugs - nice for running, not nice for biking.

[Yogi the Barry]

The platform pedal trend [a.k.a. fad] of late is amusing. IMHO, a big swing of the pendulum that went too far from clipless pedals.
260g Performance Comp pedals with toe clips and straps [cut to a length that allows the shoe easy entry and exit]. The foot is allowed to escape with ease, but is bounded enough for proper ergonomics. The foot is positioned in place without being locked in or requiring a pedal with dozens of heavy spikes, which like to implant into a human shin. One of these days the fashion trend will swing back to toe clips and straps. End of retro-ground sermon...

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[chriskmurray]

I am probably going to get some of these for winter, I have given up trying to keep my feet warm with spd's.  I have tried winter cycling shoes, booties, wool socks, keeping my legs warmer, etc.  http://45nrth.com/products/category/pedals

[Yogi the Barry]

The straps aren't tightened to the point of binding the feet in the pedals and I'm not talking about Powerstraps. This is not the same as toe clips and a cleated shoe, where the foot is locked in when the strap is tightened. The strap and clip is there to position the ball of the foot over the pedal axle - position the foot, not lock it down. Running loose straps and clips is a nice compromise between clipless and platforms - you essentially have the freedom of plats with the foot positioning of clipless. Yes, one can't pull up much on the upstroke of the leg as when using a clipless pedal, but you can float the leg weightless on the upstroke and the foot will not drift off the pedal.
Re: Mountain biking in the 60s
Wow! My mountain biking experience in the 60s was riding a Stingray [I'd kill to still have that bike] down the gravel alley. Unless you lived in Marin County and/or include cyclocross, mountain biking didn't come onto the scene until the early '80s. BTW, my first true mountain bike was an '85 [?] Jamis Dakota, complete with axles as soft as butter, faux fillet frame brazing and a 6-speed freewheel... and of course toe clips and straps.
-Old Timer Barrry

...straps hurt the top of my feet and make me feel 'bound', ...(I met an old timer recently, he talked about platform with straps back in the sixties and mountain biking, also, 'in the sixties', really neat guy...he suggested straps, I told him I didn't like the feel, he seemed disappointed as he claimed "there was nothing like it"...

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[chrisx]

Truvativ Holzfeller platform pedals
have reversible pins. I took them out and put the hex head on the outside and the sharp pointed end on the inside. Now they are comfortable  Heavy but reliable and sturdy

I got some forte convert pedals recently and found them uncomfortable. I removed 4 pins from each side, the center ones. That helped.

I should probably go to a hardware store and see if the pins are a common size.  If so, replace them with small hex head bolts The spikes have more traction sure. How many hours will you pedal if your feet hurt to much.

flat pedals are safer and walking shoes are for getting off the bike and exploring the world

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[DanHickstein]

I've been running the Diety pedals for the past few years (and past 2 CTR races). http://www.deitycomponentsstore.com/deity-decoy-pedals.html
I tried a few other brands and found that these work as well as some of the more expensive flat pedals. I've had zero problems with them so far, and I ride pretty carelessly, crashing them into rocks all of the time. The pins have the perfect amount of grip, the pedal is surface nice and wide so your foot doesn't get tired, and the pedal is still pretty thin so that you have a little more clearance after rocks.

I've found no shoe that grips as well as the 5.10 Impact shoe, but I think that sturdy trail-runners should work well as long as the tread isn't too course.

[Colorado Cool Breeze]

I am probably going to get some of these for winter, I have given up trying to keep my feet warm with spd's.  I have tried winter cycling shoes, booties, wool socks, keeping my legs warmer, etc.  http://45nrth.com/products/category/pedals

WOW those petals are beautiful.
I agree on the cycling gear in winter.
They're fine as long as you keep peddling but when you stop you get cold and I never warm back up at least my hands and feet don't.
Since I have switch to light weight backpacking gear with flats I am much warmer.