Can too much float cause knee pain? I recently switched from SPDs to Speedplay X2s and have some pain on the inner front side of my knee. I have never had any knee pain while cycling. I am pretty sure this is due to cleat placement, but I wanted to make sure excessive float couldn't cause it.
I think the problem is how loose you are supposed to leave the cleats on the speedplays. By the end of the ride mine have slipped a bit, and my left leg is positioned further out on the spindle. Just wanted to make sure its not the float before I focus solely on the cleat position. Thanks.

it can if you have muscle imbalances in your leg.
does your knee or foot pull to one side?

During the ride it starts as a hot spot in my left foot. Then maybe 15 to 30 minutes after I stop riding, I get the pain in my knee. It lasts for 24 hours. I took 36 hours off, went for another ride and felt the same thing. I definitely noticed my left knee sits maybe an inch or two further out than my right while riding but assumed this was cleat placement.

Too much float can mask a problem of poor bike fit, poor cleat adjustment, or poor pedaling technique. Any of those issues can cause knee injury. If your pedals don't have much float, you quickly notice when you have a problem, but if your pedals of lots of float, you may not notice the problem until you have an injury.

Assuming that you have the cleats positioned correctly, float supposedly prevents injuries.

This is from Speedplay's website:

Why is "float" important?
The float in X pedals helps to prevent the type of chronic knee joint stress that occurs when a cyclist's foot is held in a wrong position. X pedals adapt to the cyclist's biomechanics, preventing joint misalignment and overuse injuries.

Why do X pedals have such a wide range of float?
The wide range of float is a necessary design by-product of a free floating pedal system. For safety reasons, a free-floating pedal design requires a release angle greater than fixed pedal designs. Although the majority of riders will use only a few degrees of the available float, riders with serious biomechanical misalignments will use more. X pedals do not ever cause a rider's foot to use the full range of float. A rider naturally uses only the float needed to prevent misalignment.

Is there any loss of power from pedals with rotational float?
No. Several independent studies have concluded there is no loss of power from float, yet float can be instrumental in preventing repetitive-motion injuries due to misaligned joints.

move shoes towards bb

Too much float can be bad in some circumstances. I've tried Speedplay several times and have never liked them. The cleats shouldn't be moving on your ride so tighten them down a bit. Otherwise, don't know what to tell ya.