Help with Shoe Pain

detones

So I had a beat up pair of cheapy Shimano R087 (I thinks that's the model) that where in a state and had shrunk a bit from me chucking them in the tumble dryer. Still wearable but a bit steptoe and son. So I invested in a spanky new pair of Carbon Giro Trans shoes. Worth €200 they come with interchangeable soles but no matter what cleat position or inner sole I used I was suffering with a dull pain on the arch/ball of my foot. I put it down to them possibly being too big. So after 2 or 3 wears I sold them and some lucky punter on here got a bargain. I use Sidi shoes on Cross bike and feel no pain so I decided I'd get some Sidi road shoes are n same size. Bought a nice new spanky pair of Genius 5s, thing is same problem. They are a perfect fit, I've tried a variety of cleat positions and within 5mins on a spin I'm in pain. So I'm back to wearing the crappy hobo Shimanos. Any advice or suggestions please? At this stage I'm now considering using mtb pedals and shoes on road bike or buying another cheapy pair of Shimanos.

07Lapierre

Get a new pair of Shimano shoes?

I had a pair of Sidi shoes a few years ago...don't like them as I found them uncomfortable.

cython

The OH picked up a pair of Sidis in the last year, and ironically found them worse for fit than a previous pair of Bontragers that were actually a size too small for her. She went for a bike fit with Aidan Hammond and mentioned one pair of shoes was causing her problems, and as soon as he clapped eyes on the two pairs he was able to say it was the Sidis - seemingly the insoles in them can leave a lot to be desired, so you might find an improvement in using better insoles in the Sidis? That said since insoles didn't help with the Giros it may make no difference, but said I'd mention it as I found it interesting that Sidis could be so bad for insoles, but when I searched it there were plenty of cases of it.

doozerie

I have very high arches but I never really paid any attention to the insoles in my various cycling shoes. I ended up with very sore feet regularly at one stage, the ligaments around my toes would remain sore for days after a ride lasting more than 3 hours or so. I'd be fine starting out on the ride but once the pain kicked in every time I put pressure on a pedal it hurt, a lot. I'd end up loosening my shoes for the remainder of the ride, my foot was practically flopping around inside the shoes by the time I got home - loosening them changed the feeling of pain rather than solved it, but that was something at least. I couldn't pinpoint the actual cause for ages, it made rides a misery.

When standing barefoot I realised I was able to replicate the discomfort on the bike by essentially collapsing my arches. That convinced me I wasn't getting the arch support I needed in the shoes. The highest arches I could find at the time were Specialized BG insoles, the green ones. They improved things instantly, my feet suddenly felt properly supported within the shoe, I felt like I was almost pushing with my entire foot for the first time, previously it always felt like the balls of the feet were the only place I felt any contact with the shoes. Those insoles also have a bulge under the base of the toes, I'm guessing that helps too.

I started to pay more attention to cycling shoe insoles after that and they generally seem very shallow, Sidi included. No surprise, I guess, shallow ones probably suit more people than they hurt. Nowadays I always assume I'll have to buy new insoles for any cycling shoe I buy.

I also tried a pair of Giro shoes a few years back, and they were terrible on my feet, they felt wrong in every possible way. I'm not helped by my two feet differing by about one european size, but usually that means that shoes might feel fine on one foot but not the other, somehow the Giro shoes were uncomfortable on both. It could be that their sizing is odd, or the shoe lasts are just entirely the wrong shape for my feet.

Positioning your cleats further back might help too, it seems a popular solution to "hot feet" (some people move them right back to the instep), but personally I'd start with insoles that seem suited to your feet and see how that goes.

detones

Thanks for the post doozerie

pedro_colnago

+1 on the shimanos. I've had all different brands over the years and I find the shimanos, even the cheap ones are most comfortable for me, I think it's the sole width as when I wear other brands I get hot foot and very sore pain on and off on the outside of the heel. Don't get the same problem with any of the Shimano shoes I have. I dunno if it's also been suggested to go up a size on regular shoes, ive heard that that helps too but I wouldn't be sure about it.