Originally Posted by
modernjess
Agreed, road pedals are a pain in traffic because they really are not designed for frequent stops and starts. If I want to ride my road bike to commute I switch out the pedals to a double sided (mountain bike style) SPD. IMHO standard double sided SPD type pedals are far easier to use than toe clips. With them you have a lot of options for cycling shoes and considering the distance you ride I'm not surprised that your feet are giving you trouble in standard shoes. The thing about a double sided SPD is that the pedals are always right below you, and right side up. you put your foot on it and you are clipped in. Too many people over think this and are scared to be clipped in but it becomes second nature quickly and traffic stops are not a problem.
+1 on this, if you want to stay connected to the pedals while commuting SPD is the way to go. You can get in and out without even thinking about it.
Another (unpopular?) option to think about is platforms - I switched from SPDs to platforms about a year ago and it's pretty nice. You wear whatever shoes you want, you never worry about getting in/out of the pedals, and (in my case anyway) it doesn't slow you down. There's been threads here in Commuting where others say that they feel more secure with clipless and are afraid their feet will slip off of platforms, especially if there's rain or snow - but it's definitely an option that simplifies things for commuters.