Originally Posted by Velo Dog

Just as an observation--I'm not saying don't use toe clips or clipless or whatever you like--I've done the same 25-mile round trip commute 75-100 times a year for more than 30 years, on almost every combination of bike, tire, shoe and pedal you can imagine. Recumbents, 19mm tires, 41mm tires, sandals, Power Grips, bmx pedals, SPDs...
For years, I kept precise track of nearly every ride, time, speed, flats, how I felt. I looked it all over a year or so ago, and the pedals and even the tires made no difference to speak of. My fastest time, at age 40, was on a low-end '80s Bridgestone mountain bike with 1.5-inch semi-slicks, wearing ancient Bata Biker touring shoes I bought in college in the '70s for ~$15. It's the engine, not the bike.