>>559966I usually wear SPD shoes, some of the more casual shoes are fine for walking (the system is designed for it) but I wouldn't want to walk too far in high performance MTB shoes.
Hiking shoes should be fine with those pedals, grip is more about the pedal than the shoe (the ones with steel pins grip best - I use them with boots in the winter). Toe clips might help as well.
>>560121Not new but you could get a good one used.
Your friend wants a stiff frame (so it doesn't feel all flexy on downhills), tires at least 35mm (so he doesn't pinch flat), and strong wheels.
An old 26er mountain bike is probably the best bet, rigid if you can find one unless it's going to be used for actual mountain biking. A touring bike would be OK too.
Strong wheels are the main priority, and 26" is stronger than 700C/29er everything else being equal. I'd have a shop tune up the wheels, because wheel strength is largely about getting the spoke tension right.
When I start breaking spokes on a factory built wheel, after the first 2 or 3 I just do a complete rebuild, with good quality stainless steel spokes. It's a bit expensive (even since I learned to build wheels myself, at around a buck apiece for DT spokes) but worth it.
