Give them some time to break in. At first my A530s didn't spin all that freely. I never knew which side would be "up" when I started pedaling. Now they move to an almost vertical position after I unclip. The clipless mechanism is always facing the back. So if I want to clip-in, I nudge the top of the pedal forward with my shoe and then stomp down.

My Shimano SPD-SLs are the same way.