Advice on new shoes - Arch support is critical

sah682

Morning all,

I am in the market for some new road shoes been riding in some Fizik R1's (2013 I think) for a few years and I am looking to replace them. They have been fantastic shoes.

Most important thing is arch support, I am looking for any recommendations base on your experiences.

I purchased some Northwave boots this winter that were great but didn't have enough arch support so I couldn't ride in them.

Thanks

Steve

alanyu

Get a pair of Specialized BG fit insoles or Shimano customer fit insoles instead of a pair of new shoes.

wongataa

If you want decent arch support you will need to get different insoles whatever shoe you get/have. The insoles you get with shoes are never the best.

ibr17xvii

G8 2620 insoles.

Pricey but certainly worth it, for me anyway.

hopster

Have you considered getting some custom footbeds from a podiatrist, one that specialises in ones for cyclists?

amrushton

Go to You Tube and look at Francis Cade and Bikefit James. You'll find James discussing G8 insoles and various shoes. James will post the footbed out to you but might be worth watching the vid and then having a chat.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDnieUWB224

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDBIfJrN4ow

Custom sidas ones can be had from people like Cyclefit or Phil Burt

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=phil+burt+bike+fit

ibr17xvii

Don't tell BikeFitJames you wear Fizik at the minute though.

If you watch him regularly you'll see that for some reason he has a massive downer on them & cleats with no float as well.

Incidentally I've ridden with both so that proves there's no one size fits all so to speak.

amrushton

he regards Fizik as narrow and the cleat drilling too far forward which for £200+ shoes are major failings. Likewise he regards the S-works shoe as poor in that it comes with foot correction already built in which may give more issues than they solve (see shoe episode)

ibr17xvii

amrushton said:

he regards Fizik as narrow and the cleat drilling too far forward which for £200+ shoes are major failings. Likewise he regards the S-works shoe as poor in that it comes with foot correction already built in which may give more issues than they solve (see shoe episode)

Fizik are certainly narrow particularly as you get up to the toebox. I actually found them pretty comfortable but it was on longer rides I had the issues.

I quite fancied a pair of some kind of knitted shoe for summer until he started slating them as well. He says they don't give the foot enough support.

def_defyr

alanyu said:

Get a pair of Specialized BG fit insoles or Shimano customer fit insoles instead of a pair of new shoes.

I second the BG insoles -- there are 3 heights, I use the medium ones and I have really high arches. They fit best with Specialized shoes but work ok with other brands, just watch the instep clearance.

Just a comment on the Specialized BG shoes: I had worn DMT for a decade or so but the prices and graphics kind of turned me off. I have high arches, high instep and wide forefoot but narrow heel; DMT worked for me. Then I tried a pair of Sidis, just 'cause they're omnipresent. But the toebox was too narrow and arch support nonexistent. I first tried the BG insoles but they didn't fit right with the Sidis which weren't right for me anyway. I did a bit of reading up and bought mid-range Specialized BG shoes last year -- wow, what a difference! They have a large, anatomically shaped toebox, kind of like a Munson-lasted shoe. I think it's the first time I've ever had a cycling shoe that feels like a pair of well-fitting running shoes.

sloppyschleckonds

Bikefit? Custom insoles?

Wallet emptying schemes morelike.

The new Rapha shoes have high arch support options included. As per the poster above i've been on DMT's for 10 years along with BG insoles. Sidis didnt work for me either.

navrig2

I prefer Spesh road shoes as I know they fit length and width. My first pair were fine straight out of the box. My new pair gave me problems which were sorted by the BG geometry insoles. I can't remember the colour but they were about £25.

I wear NW winter boots and again not enough arch support so I put in a pair of orthotics I had previously used in trainers and walking shoes. Sorted, except the orthotics are £50! Still more acceptable than foot pain.

As said above if you have arch problems it is unlikely a pair straight out of the box will work.

joeyhalloran

I'd separate out arch support from shoe requirements. I have difficult feet and have sides custom insoles. They were expensive at £100 but I've been using them for 5 years and they must be approaching 40,000 miles or so as I used them in all my shoes. They made a huge difference to my fit and comfort on the bike and for me are easily the best bike purchase I've made by far.

the_cyclist_of_catan

I’ve got some custom inserts in one pair of shoes that have been great, but BikeFitJames' argument against them - that they are not easily "repeatable" is well-made. As a consequence I have the usual cardboard insert in my second pair of shoes, and over 40-mile distances I start to notice the difference (and at 100 miles or more that is significant).

I’m waiting on MyHermes delivering a set of G8s.

I’m always fascinated by people buying shoes because they like the appearance/style. I HAVE to try shoes on - often in a couple of sizes - to get close to a pair that fits. Sizing and width fitting is no more than a rough guide IME.