I also think it's best to get very comfortable with the bike before going to clipless. I had a bad experience (falling about 7 times) with Look clipless pedals & then switched to the Speedplay & they felt sooo easy after trying the Looks. I wear a 6.5 to 7 shoe & from what everyone has told me here & elsewhere, it helps to have longer feet (i.e., more leverage) for a lot of people with the Look pedal systems.

Anyway, if you want to wear pads on your knees, wear them! Do what makes you feel most comfortable on the bike. I'm not sure how that will feel as far as comfort while riding goes because I've never tried it. Just make sure you get back out there and not become scared of your bike. I was getting pretty antsy about riding mine when I was falling so much in the Look pedals & I didn't want to fear my bike.

Anyway, good luck to you -- I'm sure things will get better!