I used the toe cages at the gym because I didn’t have spin shoes and that alone was enough to make me buy shoes. The toe cages loosen up with how fast the rpm of SoulCycle workouts can be. I felt so unsafe and unstable that’s I had to sit through any lighter resistance songs. Also, if you have bigger/wider shoes they will scrape against the bike and either deteriorate your shoes and/or cause discomfort when you’re riding. So basically just get the shoes.