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I don’t know what else to call this, so
'walkability' it is! First and foremost, a cleat is
designed to mate with a pedal for riding and walking is
a secondary consideration. However, the reality is that
we all need to walk various distances in our cycling
shoes and pedal manufacturers meet this need to varying
degrees. The importance of this is under appreciated.
The now largely discontinued Look Delta pedals had their
strengths, but their major weakness was that walking
abraded away the cleats contact area with the pedal.
That meant that as the cleat wore, vertical slop
developed between shoe and pedal. The current Look Keo
range gets around this by having elevated ’walking’
sections at front and rear of the cleat as well as
separate cleat covers that can be slipped over the cleat
during ride stops. The very latest
versions of the Keo cleats have added material on the
'walking' sections.
Shimano SPD-SL use yellow raised sections (red raised
sections
in their zero rotational movement version) that don't
contact the pedal
platform but do protect the pedal contact area from wear
when walking.
Time use a system similar in design and intent to
Shimano.
Keywin cleats are flattish and wear fairly well when
walked upon
and also have raised 'wear' areas. Speedplay have a
cleat with an aluminium exterior that protects the pedal
engagement area from wear but the high cost of their
cleats
means that I recommend the use of their optional
'Cafe covers'. Quattros have a raised surround on three
sides that protects the cleat from wear. Campagnolo's
design means that effectively, the cleat engagement area
is protected from abrasion while walking until the cleat
is much worn. So while there are differences in design
and effectiveness of the various ‘walkability’
systems, all work reasonably well. Ultimately, you
should put more emphasis on the riding qualities of the
pedal systems, when choosing what to buy.
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