This has been an unusual winter in Wisconsin, I have had a bike outside maybe half a dozen times so far this calendar year and never needed studded tires. Usually there are some ice patches that I need to worry about, thus the studs. Do not get me wrong, we had plenty of snow, but most days when I had an interest in going out on a bike it had not snowed for over a week and there was minimal ice.
Below freezing, I use hiking shoes or hiking boots. For pedals on most bikes I have A530 or M324 pedals that have SPD on one side, platform on the other. And I agree with you, the platform side of the pedals makes a lot of sense when riding on difficult terrain where you might want to get your feet off the pedals really fast.
Maybe my photo below with a bit of snow on the side of the road this past mid-June on Cape Breton Island will suffice for winter? After all, it is snow, right?
