Originally Posted by MichaelW

It is a case of matching your sole to the pedal style. Studded platforms work best with Vans which have a waffle pattern. On slick office shoes, they can gouge the sole.
Sylvian tourists like a bit of tread but not a knobbly style.
With toe clips, the mach becomes even more important. Disregarding race cleats, you need enough stiction to stay in place with lose straps, but free enough to slide backwards on demand.
I use Hi Tec Silver Shadows, which are a famous 1970s trainer, used by generations of army recruits and popular with guys with more sense than money, who don't run. Occasionally they feature as retro-style, which usually encourages the designers to mess with the classic design and screw it up.