# Insoles to "Fill Up" Shoes for Narrow Feet



## roddhall (Aug 22, 2013)

I have very narrow feet and have never been able to find cycling shoes that fit right. I recently bought a pair of Sidis in the narrow width, and it's the closest I've ever come to a good fit. But ... I still find myself pulling the velcro straps past their normal maximum in order to get the shoe tight enough through the arch. Anyone else have this problem, and can you recommend a solution? I tried the Sidi Comfort Fit Insoles, but they took up hardly any space at all so I sent them back. Any suggestions for another insole? Something adhesive that would attach inside the tongue of the shoe? Anything?


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## woodys737 (Dec 31, 2005)

Esoles might work. They come with 4 different height arch inserts that velcro into place. A bit pricey at $50 or so but, worth it imho.


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## Jay Strongbow (May 8, 2010)

You probably thought of this already but extra thick socks will help some. Suprisingly, thick wool socks aren't too bad in the hot summer if they are quality wool.


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## duckylick (Aug 18, 2013)

I've had this problem also. Even in Seattle, each bike shop seems to carry 1 or two brands so it's hard to find several pairs to try in one sitting without ordering stuff online which is a PAIN when you end up sending most of them back.

SO - anyone know of brands that tend to run really narrow? Roddhall think the Sidis are worth a shot for me?


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## siclmn (Feb 7, 2004)

I have had this problem all my life. Sidi shoes in narrow are the first step. You can also get custom orthotics. Thick socks never cure the problem. Buy this tongue pad and your fit will improve.

JT FOOTE TONGUE PADS


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## Peter P. (Dec 30, 2006)

I have "low volume" feet" i.e., a low instep. Consequently, most shoes feel roomy to me.

My solution was not to CHANGE insoles but to ADD an insole to the existing one. The additional insole is completely flat that is, no heel cup, arch support, etc. Experiment with whether the additional insole goes on top of or underneath the existing insole.

Of course, you'd like to find a low compression material. What I did was find a satisfactory insole and cut away the heel area. I actually traced the factory insole onto the additional insole and trimmed ALL the excess, all the way around. Since I then found my toes slightly crammed into the toe box, I trimmed away the material under the toes of just one of the insoles in each shoe. I trimmed in small increments until it felt right.

Of course, another solution you can try if no stock shoes fit well is to have custom shoes made. I think they're worth more than a set of fancy carbon "must have" wheels. A good fit of your shoes is priceless.


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## tvad (Aug 31, 2003)

I have narrow feet: A width. I presently wear Sidi narrow shoes, which fit fine if I use a Specialized footbed. I feel your pain in finding well fitting shoes. 

No amount of stuffing inside a shoe is going to compensate for a shoe last that's too wide.

Sorry to say, if the Sidi Narrow shoes are still too wide for you, then the only solution is custom shoes. They'll cost a lot up front, but they'll save you aggravation and lots of dollars down the road since you won't be buying shoe after shoe as you fruitlessly try to find a model that fits.


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## Monk (Jan 28, 2012)

AA width here. Currently using a variety of Sidi's. Agree with others who say filling up the volume is not the solution. I got a bike fit and discovered some leg/knee alignment issues in addition to hot spots my feet developed. 
Anyway, the insoles (Align) I bought not only resolved the volume issue, but corrected the alignment due the design. I switch them shoe to shoe and still have room to tighten them!


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## bikerector (Oct 31, 2012)

I've tried these insoles from Pearl Izumi to try them out, thinking that maybe I had some weird foot imbalance (weird feeling I get when riding eggbeater pedals because of the ease of rotating the and space between the cleats and wings). Turns out I didn't need the inserts that came with and actually created more problems then they helped because the inserts filled up the shoe and made them tight and created a lot of hot spots since they covered up the shoe vents.

Some of the wedges are pretty tall, especially the ones for the arch. I run with shoes with a little arch support but for the bike, it wasn't necessary apparently.

Some of the custom mold-able insoles might be better though, seems like a lot of people like them, they're pretty pricey though.

ROAD FOOTWEAR


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## LC (Jan 28, 2004)

Try a woman shoe.


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## 195cranky (Jun 25, 2013)

I feel your pain. Like you, my feet are narrow and it is very difficult to find any bike shoe, much less even street shoes that fit well. Here is what I have learned over the years of riding that included nailing on cleats (with hopes of proper alignment much less absolutely no float) many years ago. Sidi narrows are better than their standard width but aren't even close to the fit narrow feet really need. Pulling the stock insole and putting in custom footbeds (from the ski racing world) help a bit but are not the answer. Any insole put in instead of the stock insole or in addition to the stock insole can create additional fit problems and typically does increase stack height if you care about that. Sure it can take up some of the volume but there is nothing worse than having to over synch the Velcro straps and having a lousy fit.

The closest may be the Specialized narrow shoe that usually only comes in black. But still is not the perfect fit one would want for performance riding. Your fit experience may vary depending of course on your shoe shape and volume.

Being a 12 1/2 narrow B and stuck between a 46 or 47 I have found the only way to cure the narrow foot fit problem is to have custom bike shoes made. Period. Yes, they can be pricey but you only hate paying for a quality fit once. My first pair were Rocket7's and they were great. They lasted years and were very snug and totally eliminated any Velcro strap overlap that is a sure sign of poor fit. The leather eventually dried up, cracked, and the threads also dried up.

My replacement to the no longer available Rocket7 were custom made Bont A1's. Unbelievable fit, stiff carbon sole, light, very low stack height, pick your color scheme and design, good quality but can take a while after mold is sent in to factory. The fit comes down to how well the mold is made and how snug (and real tight can be had if so desired) the one who is molding the cast for you. I have had it done twice and now rotate two pairs to keep them going as long as possible. I do have some current issues with the first pair where the straps are starting to dry up and crack and now not sure how long they will last (years wise) and would like to have the straps replaced but having some difficulty with Bont to work that out.

But they fit like a glove. Barely have to synch up the straps and now they come in the Vaypor version with an interesting folding strap and you can also get the wire closure feature if that is your preference. 

You may also want to check out Riivo and D2. Have never tried those but may have to if Bont does not come through for needed (not warranty) work to be done. This may be years down the road since my second pair of Bont's look like new after a couple years of year round almost 5 day a week riding.

Good luck in your quest and do know once you get over the wallet pain you will probably eliminate all of your foot fit problems, any foot pain issues, and finally have a shoe that looks like a good fitting shoe made specifically for your narrow volume foot and feet shape. It is worth it. Just like a custom tailored custom made suit fits like an off the rack suit never can.


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## Terex (Jan 3, 2005)

Read Steve Hogg's info. https://www.stevehoggbikefitting.com/bikefit/2011/02/foot-correction-part-1-arch-support/


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## anotherguy (Dec 9, 2010)

For me narrow Sidi's with the heel adjustment tightened a fair amount combined with CycleSoles did the trick.


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## bwbishop (Sep 17, 2011)

Go to an REI or other sporting goods store and look at Super Feet. They have different colors for different purpose and I forget which color is meant to help take up volume. Great product though.


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## Dave1442397 (May 5, 2011)

My friend just solved this problem (for him) with a piece of neoprene that the LBS suggested for him. He put it on top of his foot and then tightened the shoe. He said he realized it worked because he completely forgot about it while riding yesterday and never had to adjust his shoe while we did a 100km ride.


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## ToffieBoi (May 1, 2011)

Dave1442397 said:


> My friend just solved this problem (for him) with a piece of neoprene that the LBS suggested for him. He put it on top of his foot and then tightened the shoe. He said he realized it worked because he completely forgot about it while riding yesterday and never had to adjust his shoe while we did a 100km ride.


After I read this message, I bought some really cheap laptop cases made from neoprene and will try this when I am home. Meanwhile, is there any updates from your friend?


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