No, there is nothing else.
I wouldn't say they'll make as big a difference as the shorts, but I certainly wouldn't go back to riding without foot retention - whether clipless, or clips and straps. I use the latter for the bike I ride around town in so I don't have to bother about what footwear I have on, but clipless is certainly superior where that isn't an issue.
If you decide to go that way, exercise a bit of care to position the cleats where you want them on the shoes. When I first got some, I positioned them in what looked like the middle of the range and found I was riding too much on my toes. I now have them pretty much as far back on the shoe as they will go. The difference is only a few millimetres, but one can feel it.
YMMV, as usual.