Insoles for cycling choes to cure sore feet.

homers_double

Starting at the beginning... I also ski and have problems with sore feet, this stems from having very high arches which then leads to painful toes almost like cramp.

The reason is because the tendons travel further round the arch my toes are tight and when the arch is compressed by the forces of turning the ski etc they become sore.

I got the same cramping feeling on a long ride over the weekend.

In my ski boots I have some custom molded Superfeet insoles but wondered if anyone has had experience with custom insoles in a pair of cycling shoes?

zefs

Might be worth looking at the Specialized BG ones, the green ones are for high arches. Also make sure your cleats are not too far forward and try not to over tighten the shoes.

homers_double

I'll have a look at those, thank you.

Cleats are ok in terms of my knee being inline with the pedal spindle etc and the shoes aren't overly tight. I've been suffering with the same pain whilst skiing for about 20 years so know what the issue is, the arches and toes need to be taken out of shoes/boots and left alone for a bit to relax.

Even the custom ski insoles don't prevent it.

zefs

The cleats should be placed on the middle of 1st and 5th metatarsal, so you can mark your shoes for the bony areas and find the middle of the 2 points as a starting point. That could relief some pressure from toes if you currently have them too far forward. Hope that helps.

Forgot to ask what kind of shoes they are since shoes that are not stiff enough on the sole can create problems for some people, although the opposite can cause the same too.

manglier

I got custom insoles done at Yorkshire Bike Fitting. They use the Sidas system which is also common to ski boots.
Since I got them all my sore foot problems have simply gone away.

homers_double

zefs wrote:

The cleats should be placed on the middle of 1st and 5th metatarsal, so you can mark your shoes for the bony areas and find the middle of the 2 points as a starting point. That could relief some pressure from toes if you currently have them too far forward. Hope that helps.

Ah you mean laterally rather that fronty/backy... I'll check that too.

Forgot to ask what kind of shoes they are since shoes that are not stiff enough on the sole can create problems for some people, although the opposite can cause the same too.[/quote]

Bontranger something or other, £100 + so not a cheap shoe.

Thanks for the input, I'll line up the cleats against my feet and invest in some of the spesh soles, for £20 it's worth a punt for the bullsh** power increase quoted in the blurb

zefs

Not lateral, front and back like explained here: http://www.cyclist.co.uk/tutorials/1043 ... ust-cleats

napoleond

Sidas moulded footbeds are a revelation. I get mine done at cadencesport.co.uk, I have high arches too.

sungod

imo best are/were e-fit but they're no longer available, these were adjustable with a good metatarsal pad and good ventilation, i still use my old ones as they are so good, they are now on their fifth shoes, closest to those are g8 2620 which are also adjustable

the specialized bg footbeds may be enough, though i found the highest arch ones had the support in the wrong position for me, if they match your feet then probably the best value, they have a built-in pad - try to find a bg store where you can try them

if you need a lot of support, sidas/similar may not provide enough, there's a limit to how far they can be moulded, they also lack a pad which i find noticeable on long rides

trek_dan

sungod wrote:

imo best are/were e-fit but they're no longer available, these were adjustable with a good metatarsal pad and good ventilation, i still use my old ones as they are so good, they are now on their fifth shoes, closest to those are g8 2620 which are also adjustable

the specialized bg footbeds may be enough, though i found the highest arch ones had the support in the wrong position for me, if they match your feet then probably the best value, they have a built-in pad - try to find a bg store where you can try them

if you need a lot of support, sidas/similar may not provide enough, there's a limit to how far they can be moulded, they also lack a pad which i find noticeable on long rides

I would recommend the G8 insoles. I was the same as above, tried Specialized Green first but the arch support wasn't in the right place.

amrushton

Mick Habgood may be your man. custom carbon with all that implies. based in London

laurentian

homers double wrote:

but wondered if anyone has had experience with custom insoles in a pair of cycling shoes?

I don't know how convenient it is for you but I have custom made insoles in all of my footwear (shoes, running shoes, rugby boots and cycling shoes) that were made by the Podiatry School which is part of the University of Northampton.

£25 for a consultation and then £60 for the insoles. The insoles last for years (literally, years).

The podiaty school is within the General Hospital in Northampton and is open to anyone from anywhere. You are checked over and "diagnosed" by one of the students whose diagnosis is then assessed when a consulatant podiatrist looks at what they have found out and recommended. He will refine, correct or agree with their diagnosis. The consultant is a great bloke and asks a lot of specific questions about your sport(s) (for instance, he not only wanted to know that I played rugby but in what position, in what boots etc). If you do go, make sure you take any footwear (including your cycling shoes) with you.

At the initial consultation you will be given some temporary orthotics that are made up there and then which you wear for a couple of weeks or so before going back and reporting any results improvements etc that you have found. It may take a couple of visits and adjustments to these temporary insoles before the permanent ones are made.

I have the dodgiest of knees dues to my (flat) feet but at 53 I still play rugby every week, run cycle and weight train and it's pretty safe to say that I couldn't have done this without the orthotics.

I believe having the above done "privately" can run into the hundreds - it may be worth the journey if you're not close.

HTH

fontm0ss

Tempted to get custom insoles as I have them in my ski boots. This may have tipped the balance for me!