Can I use my regular shoes for cycling?

[a.twiddler]

My brother, being a short arse had the seat lowered on a Yamaha Fazer he bought. I don't know how they did it but the bike did fit him after that.

I had a Suzuki Bandit for a while. Very nice bike in Pearl Orpiment Yellow but suffered the fatal flaw of having very little ground clearance and a tall seat height. I could't lower the suspension as the expensive and fragile exhaust collector liked to graze even the low pavement outside my back gate if I chose to come in that way, so I had a chunk taken out of the seat cushion by a local upholsterer. That lowered the seat height well enough but it was like sitting on a plank for any decent length journey and I had to get off and walk about like John Wayne until the pain went away too often for my liking. A 200 mile tank and a 50 mile seat is not an ideal combination.

 

[wheresthetorch]

being only 5" tall

That is *seriously* short.

 

[tyred]

My preferred cycling shoes for many years are Trespass hiking trainers which have pretty stuff soles but still grip well on the pedal and are comfortable to walk in too for off-the-bike activity when touring.