Reducing shoe volume

bl0k3

I recently purchased some Specialized Comp road shoes as an upgrade from my SPD leisure/touring setup. After trying them out at the LBS and chatting to the guys there I settled on the EU 43 size (supposedly a UK 8.6) - all seemed well.

When I got to taking them out for a spin I quickly realised that they felt a lot more roomy while actually on the bike i.e. I could move my toes around quite freely, my foot would lift from the sole slightly when pulling on the pedals and if going hard out of the saddle while pulling up my foot feels like it shifts back a forth slightly. Does anyone else experience this/ is it normal? I don't seem to get any heel slip when on the bike and my ankle feels fairly planted however.

I've accepted that now I've ridden the shoe I won't be returning them for the size down so making the most of what I've got is the plan.

Any suggestions to reduce the volume and give a more close fitting shoe would be appreciated, maybe thicker soles, doubling up soles, shims? I know in winter some thicker socks might help but I generally prefer the feel of a thinner sock and a layer over the shoe.

Cheers

sigorman85

Put another insole in there on my lg ls100 they came with a summer insole blue(thin with loads of vents) and the winter ones over the top (thick with no vents ) red .... Makes a noticeable difference when I removed one pair

Grill

An insole will stabilise the foot but it will also cause a slight increase in volume as a result. To combat that use a 3-5mm volume reducer (sole shaped piece of hard foam). Should be able to get them at any shoe fitter or ski shop.

bl0k3

Thanks guys.

A volume reducer looks just the ticket, I'm amazed they didn't show up from my previous google searches...

Is having a shoe a bit on the big side much of an issue generally, how much performance can I expect to lose?

prhymeate

BL0K3 wrote:

Thanks guys.

A volume reducer looks just the ticket, I'm amazed they didn't show up from my previous google searches...

Is having a shoe a bit on the big side much of an issue generally, how much performance can I expect to lose?

I think it's good to have them a little on the big side, assuming they aren't giant. It gives you room for your feet to swell a bit on hot days and to wear thicker socks during the winter.

fenix

You wont lose any performance and its much better to have a bit of wiggle room rather than shoes that are too tight.

Grill

If your shoes are too big then your feet will slide forward in them. This will impact the toes as well and cut circulation due to over tightening. It can also cause stress across the metatarsals as you tend to try and grip the insole with your toes to mitigate sliding.

izza

Grill wrote:

If your shoes are too big then your feet will slide forward in them. This will impact the toes as well and cut circulation due to over tightening. It can also cause stress across the metatarsals as you tend to try and grip the insole with your toes to mitigate sliding.

Plus, I had a pair, when the shoes' upper potions were made of slightly stretchy material (e.g. kangaroo leather) and the additional and repeated movement increased the amount of stretch. I ended up replacing a pair of shoes that were only two months old. Put another insole in quicker to try and solve the problem.