If you are going to use toe-clips, you should think about getting cleated shoes. I wore cleats for years before anyone even thought of the clipless pedal. With the cleat in place, you don't have to cut off your circulation with that tight a strap, because the cleat tends to hold you in place.
As long as you are aware of what you need to do, you can stop safely with cleats. And if you do fall, it will be at zero miles an hour. I fell with cleats on exactly once, when I had to brake too quickly to make an allowance, so I had to drop myself on the ground. Kind of embarrassing, but I did the same thing once with clipless pedals. I don't think the one is any more dangerous than the other.
The main advantage of the clipless pedal, for me, is the float. With cleats, you really had to get the position of the cleat exactly right, or it was easy to hurt your knees. The big disadvantage, for me, is the clipless platform is very small by comparison, and it puts more pressure on a smaller area of the foot. When I had cleats, I had a hard wood soled shoe made by Duegi that had no give at all in the sole, and were totally comfortable on the bike. My Sidi's now are about 6 times as expensive and not anywhere near as comfortable or efficient.
Duffy
