I use Nike mens air Alvord VII trainers, there is loads of grip on the sole and i have had mine now for two years and they have barely worn down at all. my feet never slip off the pedals even with rubbish pedals, and also they're pretty comfy.
vans waffle soles work well with platforms when dirt jumping but i find they don't carry enough grip for downhill, running shoes with a soft-ish foam type sole work wonders in the rough stuff, foot never slips. otherwise i use SIDI clipless
yeah they look pretty good perfect for matching my bike also they don't scratch easily mine still look like new, got them cheap off crc 40% off yes!!!!!
Finally blew out every pair of vans I had lying around, bucked up and bought some five ten freerides...holly crap they are killer. Feels like I am clipped into my flats. Wont look back.
Some Etnies skateboarding shoes. Better than nothing. It's good to have them from times when I was like 15 years old and was using those kind of shoes casually. Otherwise they would be wasted now if I wouldn't use them for biking. I would really like some Five Tens or something though, but I don't have money to spare at the moment.
I've been looking to get clipless MTB shoes and maybe road shoes as well. However, I wear a US size 15 (50 or so). Anybody know of a brand that makes good big shoes?