studded pedals always make a difference, especially if you're barefoot...

They have zero float, but they give you the ability to change your foot's position on the pedal as often as you want. For me that is a big plus.

I have an earlier variation of that Nashbar pedal on one bike. VERY grippy on any kind of shoe with rubber or similar soles. The studs/pins are regular allen screws, I got a few spares with my examples, and I'd guess you could get more at a hardware store. You could even "tune" the amount of grip by removing some studs. They are wide, but I have wide feat, so I'd think I'd scrape the edge of my shoe just about as fast as the end of the pedal if I was taking a turn at a strong lean while pedaling. Although I don't ride that bike much, the bearings and overall construction seems very good on the Nashbar pedal.

I have plastic pin BMX style pedals on my most avidly ridden bike. Still pretty grippy on anything with treads in the sole. If I was wearing smooth, hard soles like some dress shoes, the plastic pins wouldn't grip much I'd guess.

One nice thing about full platforms like these is that you don't need a stiff sole as much. I'll ride with regular sandals sometimes. With cage pedals those edges would press in though the thin soles and not be comfortable.

I have Wellgo BMX pedals (the aluminum ones with sealed cartridge bearings) on two of my bikes, and the Fyxation Mesa pedals on a third...they're great, and I agree with pretty much everything that's been said about this style of pedal. I ride wearing Doc 1460s, and have plenty of grip, and have never felt the need for additional retention or stiffer shoes.

I have been unimpressed with the durability of plastic pedals, even when they use the word "resin" as a euphemism for plastic.

Some metal pedals aren't too durable either. These were my old pedals after a week of owning the bike. One scraped the asphalt as I made a turn. The other one hit a door on the way into the house.

And ... I was going to take a picture but I already threw the old, deformed pedals in the trash because my studded pedals came today. The old ones were all metal, mind you. It just appeared that the metal was extremely thin and soft. I've had plastic pedals before and they've never been bent out of shape from scraping the asphalt.

I got the "Meetlocks" pedals from Amazon. They work well because they're a bit wider than the old ones and seem to hold my feet better; my foot actually rests on the pedal completely. The studs seem to make a bit of difference in terms of traction. No slipping today as I put the pedals through the wringer.

Amazon.com : MEETLOCKS® Bike Pedal, Injection Aluminum Magnesium Alloy Body, Cr-Mo CNC Machined 9/16"Screw Thread Spindle, Ultra Du/sealed Bearing. : Sports & Outdoors