Cycling Shoe Fit

Cycling Shoe Fit -

How Should a Well Fit Shoe Feel and Other Considerations

How should a properly fit cycling shoe feel? A properly fit cycling shoe should fit much like a properly fit running shoe. It should be snug in the heel with even pressure on the instep. You should have a little toe room at the end of the shoe and the shoe should hold your forefoot stable without pinching. You should not have large areas of gapping or folds in the material. The ball of your foot should lie at the widest portion of the shoe to allow for proper cleat positioning within the shoe’s adjustment range. Also, remember that performance and comfort enhancing custom footbeds take up more room than most stock insoles and it is always good to have enough room for them. Buy comfortably snug, but don’t buy overly tight expecting them to stretch.

Do cycling shoes come in widths? Yes. One reason we carry Sidi and Carnac are because they are committed to making 3 distinct widths and lasts (narrow, standard and wide) in some of their models to fit all shapes of feet. Don’t suffer by being in the wrong last for your foot shape thinking that there are not options in cycling shoes! There are options and very good ones at that.

What about foot support? Just like in a running shoe or a ski boot, proper foot support in a cycling shoe is crucial to maximizing performance, comfort and injury prevention. However, most cycling shoes are fairly flat on the bottom and have stock insoles that offer little to no support. Learn more about custom cycling footbeds and consider having a pair made before you choose your new shoes as they can drastically improve a shoes performance and feel.

Why are some shoes $60 and some $400? Fit, materials, features and quality of workmanship. The more expensive shoes are designed and built by craftsman and simply fit and feel good. High quality materials (like leather and Lorica), stiff soles, ratcheting buckles and replaceable parts all cost more to produce but add greatly to the long-term durability, performance and quality of fit of a shoe. Shoes under $100 are not designed for performance cyclists. They are designed for recreational use where walking comfort is as important as riding. Shoes in the $100-$150 range will be of reasonable quality and are designed for low to moderate mileage riders looking to enhance performance beyond what the walking/cycling shoes offer. Shoes from $150-$240 are usually excellent values built with many top end features like ratcheting buckles, high quality materials and built to very high standards. $240-$400 shoes have all that technology can currently offer with features like carbon fiber soles, micro-adjustable buckles, additional straps for retention, the highest quality materials and most refined last shapes technology can offer. Choose according to how the shoe fits and your intended use. Spending an extra $100 now can make your feet much happier and can keep you from having to buy another pair next year.

What about carbon fiber soles? Carbon fiber soles are usually very stiff. This can help with power transmission, but can also sometimes contribute to some problems as well. Carbon soles can sometimes be so stiff that they do not flex enough to absorb the weight and force of the rider’s body. This has led to a notable rise in the rate of painful injuries like plantar fascitis in cyclists. Using a really stiff sole without additional foot support is a lot like running on pavement barefoot – after awhile it can hurt. How can you reduce your risk?

1) Have a custom cycling footbed made to keep your foot from over-flexing and potentially injuring itself on an overly stiff sole.

2) Consider a shoe with a slightly more forgiving sole than the full carbon soles some companies use. One reason we often recommend Sidi and Carnac carbon soled shoes is that they use a bi-injected carbon sole. Bi-injection mixes a more forgiving plastic with the carbon to provide a bit more flex in the sole to protect the rider’s foot while still enhancing the torsional stiffness of the shoe beyond what a standard plastic sole can offer. Power transmission is great, but not at the expense of injury.

Contact us at (866)833-4FIT (4348) or by E-mail for an appointment or to order or discuss shoes and pedal systems in more detail.

Copyright 2003 – Performance Specialties, Inc.