Any good sources for old Speedplay Zero cleats
 

I just mounted a set of the walkable speedplay cleats and I'm seriously underwhelmed. I know they are likely to cost an arm and a leg, but the new ones are scheit. Are there any aftermarket speedplay cleats you would recommend? Really, I have the springs, I just need the Alu plates.

Edited because I have fat thumbs.

pspeedplay cleats
 

I was wondering how the new Speedplay stuff would be compared to before. I am sad to hear that the new Wahoo acquired Speedplay cleats suck based on this one experience. Hopefully Wahoo will remedy this. Some shops keep the old ones in stock, last I checked MJ in Austin had a few. The old versions, real ones and knock offs from China, are available on Amazon and FleaBay.

Im curious if all the walkable cleats suck or if its just the post-acquisition cleats.

Zero user here for @21 years. I've found the Speedplay walkable cleats (and original alu style) to work very well if you get the curve shims right.

Maybe some clarification for the rest of us as to how they lack quality?

The pre-Wahoo walkable cleat body/spring is made of steel. Did they change the design? That seems unlikely, but?

None of the walkable cleats use an aluminum plate.

Many of the aftermarket ebay cleats have substandard (brittle?) springs. False economy?

Would also like to hear more about what the OPs experience is. The walkable cleats have been out for quite a while - long before the Wahoo buyout. I've personally not noticed any appreciable difference in function between them aside from having to be a bit more precise with the walkable versions. IME, the pedal doesn't slide to self center quite as smoothly as with the flat metal face. Can make it feel like it is "hanging" every so slightly.

I'm not aware of any rolling changes that were made to the cleats with the Wahoo transition beyond the line consolidation. As with any speedplay cleat, proper shims under the sole to keep the mounting plate and clipe flat and appropriate torque on the bolts are ESSENTIAL for function.

The cleats I have are pre Wahoo walkable. They look to be designed exclusively for Speedplay compatible shoes, because they sit like a mushroom on top of the 3 hole adapter plate. I'm pretty sure the yellow cover will pull right off the first time I walk on anything other than a linoleum floor. I have a set of Speedplay adaptable Northwave shoes, but the 4 hole adapter doesn't work with the walkables so I have to use the 3 hole.
I've been riding Speedplay since the early 90s and, other than the wear on the first generation aluminum pucks, I never had a problem with them. IMHO, the new cleats are a real step down in quality.

This sounds like a mounting interface issue or the ones you have are defective. They should be flat before and after mounting. FWIW, I've installed dozens of walkable cleats on my own and customer shoes, almost all of them 3-hole with the adapter plate and as long as the right shims are used so that the adapter plate stays flat after it's attached, I've never seen an issue with function.

The flat bottom ones do feel more substantial. I will say that getting the rubber cover on can take some force but once it is on, it shouldn't go anywhere.

The plate and everything but the rubber cover seem to fit perfectly. But this happens

I can add my voice to this, making it two experiences. The new cleats suck on two counts, by my measure. First, the grommet that fits over the outer edge around the circumference of the cleat is tough to muscle in place. Even my dealer had to fight with it for a few minutes. Really! What are the engineers thinking, if they are thinking at all? Second, the cleat itself pivots less on the shoes than the old style. The result is that you have less range of rotation, even when the adjustment screws are set to the max rotation. Other than that, it was a pleasant trip to Dallas, Mrs. Kennedy. I have logged my complaints with Wahoo, and a promise to switch to Shimano. Will let yall know if I get a reply and what they say.

Do you mean that there is less mounting flexibility when securing the cleat to the shoe? I haven't found that to be the case. The original design doesn't allow for rotational adjustment either. X/Y yes, but not rotation. Rotation is "free" within the limit screw boundaries.

Mine work fine.

when the rando customer has to shim the mounting plate....too complex for the average user

Carry on

Try Keywin Carbon pedals. If you like Speedplay, you love these, though you might miss all the hassle and maintenance that SP requires.

That’s normal unless you buy the new “aero” walkable cleats.