For in-town riding with lots of stops and some walking, I recommend MTB shoes and multi-release SPD cleats.
I am not comfortable riding platform pedals, so I got the double-sided Shimano M540 pedals.

I wear my Keen commuter bike sandals year-round, thin socks in summer, thick wool socks + a toe cover in winter (between sock and sandal).
They get great traction and are very comfortable.
With the recessed cleats, I don't worry about walking on the hardwood and tile floors at my house in them.
They also work with the spin bikes at the gym.

They are a little heavier shoes and not as stiff as road shoes or MTB shoes, but I still find them comfortable on rides 100K or so.
I had hot spots with a different pair of MTB shoes, but that was fixed by repositioning the cleat and loosening the shoe to allow toes to wiggle.