You can ride barefooted or with tennis shoes if you have a broad, rubber padded platform pedal (the pedals that are "stock" with $200 beach cruisers). That "lowly" pedal provides great comfort with any shoe, any sole.

A better pedal is a high grade of BMX style pedal with a broad and wide support surface that is rubber coated. A well designed BMX pedal works well on road bikes. It is comfortable and provides a secure attachment with the sorts of shoes I might wear on a typical day: dress shoes to a business appointment, running shoes at lunch, sandals in the evening.

Many of my 80's era bikes came with pedals that have contact surfaces that are just 1/16th inch wide. Kind of like the foot is supported by two dull knives. A shoe that worked well with those pedals was a skateboard shoes with thick, stiff rubber sole. The thick sole prevented my foot from feeling those two knives, and transferred the pressure over the entire ball of the foot.

The WORST pedal ever designed is the pedal used by pro cyclists. It is designed to increase efficiency during racing, and it may do so. However, many pro cyclists suffer from foot pain and knee pain. Just before Lance's last Tour, his foot pain was so severe, he was worried about beginning the Tour. Many other pro riders have had knee surgery, some repeatedly, to repair the damage caused by being locked into half dollar sized pedals with a sole as "flexible" as a sheet of steel.

It is sad to see middle-aged bankers, dentists, and school teachers riding with those same "Pro Style" pedals and shoes...because "that is what Lance uses". Time to realize: YOU ain't Lance. You DON'T get paid to suffer pain and injury. Get pedals and shoes that make your feet and knees feel good.

Any shoe/pedal combination feels more comfortable if you are spinning in easy gears with only very light pressure on the pedals. Many riders use "Lance gears" (to go with their "Lance pedals" and Lance clothes"). Trying to push a 100 inch gear puts massive stress on the foot and knee. No shoe can eliminate the pain and injuries that result from using the wrong gears. Better to be spinning at around 75 inches.