I have this kind of pedal on my commuter. As well as being good while learning or in dodgy situations, they also solve the shoe problem. If I am dressing for ride (like on my commute) I'll wear bike shoes with cleats, but if I already have shoes on and are just popping down to the grocery store (1 km), or are riding to get somewhere (lunch out or an appointment of some sort) I'll just stick with the 'normal' shoes I have.