# Comfortable Road Shoes



## n2deep (Mar 23, 2014)

I’m having problems with hot spots and it seems that I’m not able to adjust my shoes/cleats to resolve the issues. These spots start to be noticeable around the 25 mile mark and increase in severity with the miles. I planned to visit a fitter but due to the virus I a little Leary of our LBS.. My shoes are Giro Empires with Shimano cleats/pedals, both have about 7K miles and I wear 44’s normal width. I checked my pedal stroke and I’m not stuffing or pointing my toes and sock thickness does not seem to affect the problem. 

What am I over looking? Do they make shoes that are intended for longer rides, is the sole stiffness a help or hinderance for longer rides.. What is the most comfortable shoe that you have worn for long rides (+50)

Regards


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## Mapei (Feb 3, 2004)

To borrow a line from the Rolling Stones, when it comes to bicycle shoes my feet have been tossed around by every she-rat in this town. I've found that you got to keep trying shoes until you find The Pair. 

As for me, I finally found road shoe nirvana with the Specialized S-Works. A sole rigid enough for me never to feel the cleat pressing up beneath my feet. All I feel is the insole, which happens to be shaped remarkably comfortably for my foot. The sides of the shoes come up far enough to support my foot while never interfering with my ankles. The shoes are generously wide. The hold-down mechanisms allow me to find a near ideal tightness and are easy to loosen when my feet inevitably begin to swell. To be sure, my shoes have several years in them and I don't know if the current ones would be as comfortable for me, but essentially I've stopped shopping. I've found my shoe.


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## PoorInRichfield (Nov 30, 2013)

I find the OP's problem perplexing. The Giro Empire shoes have carbon soles and it's been my experience having owned several pairs of Giro shoes, that their shoes are top-notch. I'd have a hard time believing that there's somehow a weak spot in the soles (I could be wrong, but...)

Some articles on this topic, like this one, suggest hot spots are caused by:



*Cleats are too far forward.* I always push my cleats as far back as possible to reduce the "lever length" that is my large foot.
*Shoes that are too tight.* This is believable as I've stopped buying Giro shoes because I found the last too narrow for my feet. Do you tighten your shoes down a lot so that your toes can't move? I've been on a quest to find shoes that are wider in the toe area so my toes can wiggle at least a little while the rest of my foot is firmly strapped in.

This article gives "hot foot" a special name, "metatarsalgia", and has multiple things you can try/check to resolve the issue.



> Hot Foot is a common experience to new and sometimes intermediate riders. It is a burning or numbing sensation in one or both feet that prevent a comfortable and efficient pedal stroke. “Hot foot” in cycling, also known as Metatarsalgia, is a condition where the nerves and joint tissues near the ball of your foot are repeatedly squeezed by the long metatarsal bones which run through the feet to the toes. The constant squeezing leads to a pain in the base of the foot. New riding, increasing distance, or poor equipment often contribute to this condition.


Check back here after trying some of the suggested fixes and let us know if you've seen any improvement.


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## velodog (Sep 26, 2007)

I've never used Giro shoes but it's my understanding that they run narrow. Maybe something with a wider toe box. I've used Sidi Mega's and have recently been using Bont's and have been happy with them. Their Riot's can be had for around $150, sometimes less, not too pricey to experiment.

https://www.berkeleywellness.com/self-care/article/do-feet-really-get-bigger-age says that feet can grow up to 1/2 size a decade after the age of 40. Don't know your age, but maybe.


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## Srode (Aug 19, 2012)

Stiff soles and a good fit definitely help hot spots. I use Shimano shoes all higher end and they are very stiff. Higher end doesn't mean expensive either, I wait till they are on huge sales to buy them, like half or more off normally.


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## Jay Strongbow (May 8, 2010)

Don't underestimate the role of having proper insoles. By proper I mean for what the bottom of your feet need.

I'm not sure but I think giro uses the name "empire" for a lot of models from crap up to high end.
So it's hard to say if the quality of your shoes could be a factor but if you feel they fit I would try new/better insoles before spending on new shoes.


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## DaveG (Feb 4, 2004)

Jay Strongbow said:


> Don't underestimate the role of having proper insoles. By proper I mean for what the bottom of your feet need.
> 
> I'm not sure but I think giro uses the name "empire" for a lot of models from crap up to high end.
> So it's hard to say if the quality of your shoes could be a factor but if you feel they fit I would try new/better insoles before spending on new shoes.


Giro uses the Empire name for about a dozen shoes that range from $200-$300 so they are not low end. I run Giro Factor shes (middle of line) and they have been very comfortable for me (note: my feet are long and narrow). To the OP, I think Jay's idea of trying some insoles may be worth a try. The stock Giro insoles are just so-so


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## pmf (Feb 23, 2004)

Try a different/new insole. What Specializes uses in their shoes are kind of crappy. If you did replace them, try something else. Cheaper than new shoes -- and if you end up buying new shoes, you can use your new insoles in them. 

You shouldn't be feeling the cleat with carbon soled shoes -- they're really stiff.


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## Jay Strongbow (May 8, 2010)

You didn't mention where you were getting the hot spots that I saw but for what it's worth I used to get that in the ball of my feet. That was with good stiff and proper fitting shoes to. Apparently I naturally put all the pressure there.

The solution was to get shoes with A LOT of arch support. So much that it was very uncomfortable to walk and stand with them (but fine pedaling). I don't have feet such that I need arch support per se.......but that forced me to spread some of the pressure away from the ball of my feet and more evenly distribute it.


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## Mapei (Feb 3, 2004)

Jay Strongbow said:


> You didn't mention where you were getting the hot spots that I saw but for what it's worth I used to get that in the ball of my feet. That was with good stiff and proper fitting shoes to. Apparently I naturally put all the pressure there.
> 
> The solution was to get shoes with A LOT of arch support. So much that it was very uncomfortable to walk and stand with them (but fine pedaling). I don't have feet such that I need arch support per se.......but that forced me to spread some of the pressure away from the ball of my feet and more evenly distribute it.


For me, too much arch support makes the joint in my big toe sore. In other words, different streets for different feets.


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## Jay Strongbow (May 8, 2010)

Mapei said:


> For me, too much arch support makes the joint in my big toe sore. In other words, different streets for different feets.


yeah you never know what works for people. Exact oppose for me. "To much" (as judged by how much I'd be comfortable with for street shoes) arch support works wonders for me on the bike.


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## ogre (Dec 16, 2005)

I would suggest first trying insoles.

Something that hasn't been mentioned - would you consider switching to MTB shoes and pedals? My Sidi Dominators are by far the most comfortable bike shoe I've ever worn. I get some hot spots with my road pedals and I also get pain on the outside of the foot opposite the arch. I've never had road shoes that were truly comfortable compared to MTB shoes.


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## PBL450 (Apr 12, 2014)

Your shoes are too small. There isn’t any fancy alchemy involved. For an athletic shoe to “fit” means it works under the load experienced doing the sport it is being used for. Your shoes fail. Most cycling shoes are pretty poorly designed shoes. Bont, and yes, I’m a fanboy, is an exception. They understand shoes on a whole different level because they are a speedskating company. That’s a sport that demands an understanding of feet and their relationship with shoes and athletic performance. As a cyclist there is no reason to endure the brutality of what real boot sport athletes deal with. I’ve said it a million times, you could bolt cleats to hard soled flip flop and make it work fine on a bike. The longer the ride the more your feet will swell. Buy shoes a little big. If they flex over the pedal they are POS shoes. I don’t care what they cost, they have one job, if they can’t do that they are garbage. Remember, cycling shoes have no bearing on performance so your only concern is a comfy shoe.


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## Oxtox (Aug 16, 2006)

velodog said:


> I've never used Giro shoes but it's my understanding that they run narrow.


narrow-ish for sure. my slender foot wallows around in many brands...Giros fit me well.

after multiple pairs of shoes with BOA, tried the Giro Empire lace-up. took a little getting used to the extra 45 seconds needed to tie them, but they offer a nice range of adjustment.


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## PBL450 (Apr 12, 2014)

Oxtox said:


> narrow-ish for sure. my slender foot wallows around in many brands...Giros fit me well.
> 
> after multiple pairs of shoes with BOA, tried the Giro Empire lace-up. took a little getting used to the extra 45 seconds needed to tie them, but they offer a nice range of adjustment.


Trackies wear lace ups because the shoe is starting to matter more relative to performance. Lace ups work great, period. You have so much control. If perfect and precise fit matter enough, def consider lace ups. A properly fitting lace up is the best ergonomic design by leaps and bounds. That said, it is unnecessary for the vast majority of cycling applications.


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## PoorInRichfield (Nov 30, 2013)

Ah, the memories from when I was young...


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## ROAD&DIRT (Mar 27, 2009)

Is anybody familiar with Shimano R171 shoes... fit, convertibility, sizing etc.


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## Finx (Oct 19, 2017)

For those looking for 'comfort over everything else', it's pretty hard to beat leather uppers.

I own two pairs of Lake leather shoes. One for road (three bolt) and one for gravel (two bolt). They are the most comfortable shoes I've ever owned (including non-cycling shoes).

The sizing is pretty standard (I wear a 46 is Shimano, Pearl Izumi, Giro and Lake). They also come in a variety of widths and last shapes (read the model descriptions on their website). 

They aren't cheap, but are worth every penny in my mind.


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## PoorInRichfield (Nov 30, 2013)

An updates on this, OP? Curious if anything suggested here has helped.


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