I though the toe clip was a gimmick as well. However, you absolutely needed it with that skate. I finally retired (trashed) my pair after 15 years cause the toe clip broke, and once it does that you essentially lost the first few lower eyelets of the skate. Wasn't the toe clip called something like the "power clip"? I had the Micron 10-90. Was a great skate, gimmick or no gimmick.