Falling over a few times is a common experience for bicyclists new to clipless pedals. You have to learn to anticipate stops, as well as learn the motion needed to clip and unclip. This shouldn't dissuade one from using clipless pedals. I have had excellent service from Speedplay Frog pedals and MTB shoes as a walkable clipless pedal & shoe solution. Frogs permit a fair amount of lateral foot rotation when pedaling without the spring recentering force of other pedals.



There are a number of platform pedals with pins that will really keep you on the pedals without toeclips. Wellgo MG-1 pedals (~365g per pair) worked well for me. They offer a fairly large platform size and good traction with low weight and reasonable cost:

http://en.wellgopedal.com/products_detail_4_300.htm

https://www.amazon.com/Wellgo-MG-1-M.../dp/B00E7UZ5OK