Zephyr11

I'm going to suggest a pedal with replaceable pins. It'll be heavier than a plastic BMX pedal, but you'll stick to it way better. Bonus points if it's concave, though as a commuter, it's not vital. You probably don't need a really low-profile pedal for commuting, the way you sometimes do with mountain biking (if you're somewhere where you smack rocks with your pedals), so that's one place to save money. The Wellgo MG-1 is relatively well-regarded and is on the inexpensive side. If you can find the Kore Race, it's butt-ugly, but cheap and a perfectly fine pedal...I have a pair of them on one of my bikes.

But what shoes are you wearing? Pedals are only half the puzzle. Bike specific shoes with stick rubber, like FiveTen Impacts (or similar), are the best way to go, but skate shoes (or another flat soled shoe) can work in a pinch, though they lack the stiffness of the FiveTens.