Is it worth buying specialist cycling shoes?

Straps get you used to the feeling of having ur foot in one place on the pedal. This is the first thing of clipless riding.
I only got clipless when i bought myself a new bike and I knew Id be on it for more than a few hourrs a day. I rode the new bike for about a month with straps. A friend then gave me some Time pedals and fitted them for me, so all I had to worry about was the shoes.
Not all pedals fit all shoes, so you should pick what you want first and make sure the pedals and shoes you pick will go together.
The best I could get for the budget I had was £15 Time ATAC cleats with Specialized Sport Road Shoes £50-£60. Im not sure what the pedals cost, but a decent set will cost £60-£100, although u can get pedals for £40.
With pedals, with most brands, the more you pay, the more wear, tear n time u get out of them.
This isnt neccesarily so with shoes. My specialized shoes lasted 3 years before they started splitting(as all shoes do), I was a courier, so riding about 8 hours a day and walking around in them for up to 3 hours a day, everyday.
A friend of mine had SIDI shoes and spent £200, after a year of riding roughly the same as I, he had to a new pair cos the shoe was coming away from the sole and splitting aswell.
All good road shoes last a couple of years, but once they start showing bad wear, they go downhill rather quickly.
I dont like the 'shoe' or 'trainer' cycling shoe, if u want shoes or trainers with u wen cycling, either dont go clipless or carry another pair of shoes with you.
This is because road shoes are made to ride, the trainers looking cycle shoe is more for people who dont ride that much, who want to be able to walk around a lot more.
As I said I had proper cycling shoes and they were very comfortable to walk in.
Some of the stiff shoes, with massive cleats aren't comfy to walk in, so have a good walk around in the shop, bearing in mind the cleats wont be fitted till u buy a pair.
The only thing I would then advise, as was advised to me wen I first started.....
When u first ride out in ur new shoes/pedals. Go off-road and have a friend with u. Riding freewheel preferably, click in your right foot(or ur main pushing foot) and keep it in.
Hold yourself up against a wall and with a friend holding u so u dont fall, get used to clipping ur left foot in and out.
Then clip out your left, start to ride, build up a safe slow constant speed and practise clipping in and out.
Most people fall over the first couple of times, cos your brain has to get used to changing from just putting ur foot down to unclipping and putting down. Just like wen we were kids and had our stabilizers off!!
I would say getting shoes, apart from getting a new bike, was the best thing ive done in my cycle life yet. Its hard to explain, you will understand wen u get some!! Good luck.

P.S. You dont have to go to a specialist cycle store, decent and fairly priced evans or cycle surgery kind of shops stock a good variety of shoes and cleats, or get a bike magazine and shop from there, online.