And you are right to think that they all look pretty much the same. There is much less to a road pedal. There isn't much to chose between them in terms of bearing quality, and mud clogging isn't an issue, so that doesn't really matter. In the end, I would go for whatever you can get the best deal on. As I said, spend on the shoes, not on the pedals. Get the cheapest pedals you can from one of the big brands.
I have always ridden Time, but that goes back to the days when Time offered some float adjustment and Look didn't, and Shimano were running tiny metal cleats (like off road cleats) that caused a hotspot under the foot as shoes weren't as advanced as they are now. Nowadays there isn't much to chose as most of them share similar features.
Walking seems to be a concern and in this respect, I would go for Time as they have what's known as a 'cafe cleat', with rubber outriggers that help you to walk but aren't part of the cleat itself, so you aren't wearing out the bit that clips into the pedal. You actually walk on the part of the cleat that you clip into the pedal with Look, but the KEO system has always received great reviews.
If you look at the Pro Peleton, pedals and shoes are often the few items that riders don't have to use because of team sponsorship deals. There seems to be a preference for Look, followed by Time, followed by Shimano, with a few using Speedplay, but that is mainly down to team sponsorhip deals.
Have a look on Ribble and go from there for pedals, but buy your shoes from a bricks and mortar shop. The fit is everything.
Float/adjustability/ease of use are really the main things I was concerned with, sounds like they are all pretty much the same in use/adjustment so I might go Look simply because they seem to have the most float (although I take your point about it not being so important on the road). Will have a browse at a few different models online, thanks.
