I have heard other reports of broken KEO cleats (and also pedal spindles), so I do not doubt that it happens. But I have read the thread you referenced, and that was not an innocent cleat break -- that was "user error" with your friend crashing and obviously putting a rather odd force on the cleat. If the cleat had not broken, your friend may have suffered a leg or knee injury. All things considered, I think he was lucky.

Hmm, you may be missing the point. People go to speedplays for the non-centering float. Looks are centering float, which is very, very different.

Given, but having been there I don't believe one of the old style Look cleats would have broken. It really wasn't too bad of a fall. Kind of like falling over sideways at a stop light. Sure made for a crappy ride home for him that day.

Non of my Looks were centering float. Time's latest generation of pedals have centering float. Horribly annoying for me. Lasted about 30 revs before I yanked them.

sorry, should have been specific that I was talking about the current gen. I think I'm accurate for current models?

Never used float, never will use float. You can get away without it if you get with someone that knows how to set up cleats.

Been on clipless since they were invented and never had float.

It's not a problem if you know how to set up cleats and pedals...

To be honest I never had anything but trouble with Speedplays, I had clips fall apart pedals jam etc . Also all I got was hot spots and my feet sliding past them when I tried to clip in , in a hurry. Generally they were a massive pain, I love my Looks they are easy to use and work.

Nothing but trouble with speedplay as well. Lasted two whole days on my bike. You couldn't pay me to ride them again.

You might as well just say "I use Looks because it's tradition and I'll use the same old reasons that don't apply anymore"

Hot spots went out with the advent of carbon soles. The entire SOLE is the contact area!

I don't like double sided pedals, they're never at the right angle. I think having a one-sided weighted pedal provides a more constant platform to clip-in. Therefore....i ride LOOK's

I guess I am. I must admit, I don't know the difference of center vs. non-center float.

If you clip in to (current generation) LOOKs, you can move heel in/out, but there is a tendency of the pedal to force your foot back into one particular position. we call that 'centering float', because there is one position that the pedal tries to return your foot to, even though it will allow some degree of motion.

Non-centering float (speedplays) doesn't force your foot to return to any particular position. People talk about an 'ice skating' sensation when they first try speedplays - there is nothing forcing your foot to any particular position, and it feels pretty weird at first.

I've ridden both, and I like the way my knees feel after riding speedplays better than Looks.

Incorrect, and one of the biggest myths in cycling. Blanket generalizations regarding biomechanics are usually prone to failure. While the vast majority of people could be fit well with fixed cleats (ahh like my good old clip riding days) there will ALWAYS be someone who will have physical limitations preventing them from being comfortable and fully efficient without float.

How many people have you set up on bikes and many fittings have you done that you have been paid for? Versus looking at someone on a bike and providing "expert advice" (which in a riding club is usually the guy with the nicest bike, or the one that espouses that last thing they got out of whatever book they are reading lately to the rider on the hybrid).

Do I set everyone up without float? No. However, it's possible to do if one knows what they are talking about and what they are doing.

So, again you misunderstand. The point is that it is possible to set up someone "with physical limitations" (an extremely broad term, but very suitable for the "experts" on BF) with no float.

Each rider is unique. That's why they should have someone who knows what they are doing set them up properly versus coming out here and getting "expert" advice. A person, whomever that might be that's actually been trained on ow to do this correctly.

Back on topic...don't dismiss the new Shimano Ultegra or Dura Ace pedals. They fixed the nasty little plastic center and also widened the pedal to make it much more stable side to side. I rode a prototype set last summer and really liked them.

Without float...

I set up a friend on Ultegras with arthritic knees...without float. He's riding about 7,000 miles a year without any issues. Rapidly.

You explicitly stated that :
That is incorrect.

BTW - Paying for someone to do something does not A: make them an expert or B: ensure that they know anything...other than how to take your money.

I simply highly object to other old school "experts" that continue to think that there is some advantage to going with a fixed cleat setup over one with float. Holding it out there like it is some kind of holy grail or level of fit that every true rider should strive to attain. It just simply isn't true.

On another note...it appears that Look has taken the fragile Keo cleat design to heart and made the inevitable cleat design change....https://www.bikeforums.net/road-cycling/332708-new-look-keo-pedals-2008-a.html

The dirt/sand issue only applies to Speedplay X-series pedals, NOT the Zeros.