i've got the ss beaters and ss candies and like em both. i do actually find sometimes my foot slides around on the candies platform before i hit the engagement, but with the beaters it's either in or you're not on the pedal. never had a prob unclipping while skidding or skipping, like morbot said that would only happen if you twist your foot, and then pretty much any pedal is gonna release.
i've had both for almost two years now and haven't needed to rebuild em or get new cleats yet.