# Shoe advice: reaching my whits end....



## Tim Mailloux (Jun 14, 2014)

I have been wearing the same pair of specialized cycling shoes for almost 7 years now and they are way over due for replacement. But finding something to replace them has not been very easy. I initially went to local-ish bike fitter who is highly respected. Of all the appropriate options she had in stock only the specialized Torch 3 and Sworks 7 felt any good on my feet. She also carries Shimano shoes buy I wasn’t a fan of how they felt. During the shoe fitting process she also informed me that I have high insteps which finally explains why the shoe laces seem short on every pair of shoes I have ever owned…..Anyway, I left with the Torch 3s and a new pair of blue specialized foot beds. I got several trainer rides in using them and I had some pretty bad spots & toe numbness. I returned them and gave the Sworks 7 a try. Did one Zwift race in them and new they had to go back. They fit like slippers, no hot spots or toe numbness, but they didn’t have enough volume for my high insteps. After about 30 minutes on the bike my foot swelled a bit and the mid foot portion of the shoe felt like it was going to explode. Those went back and now I was looking into other options.

Lake shoes were recommended to me and I picked up a pair of CX241’s directly from Lake. I have not ridden the Lakes yet because once I mount cleats to them I own them, and at just under $400 I need to be certain about these shoes before I decide to keep them and finally ride in them. My initial impression of the Lake shoes when first putting them on was wow, these are more comfortable than some of my casual shoes. They just didn’t feel and fit like I think a pair of performance cycling shoes should fit. I love how much room they have in the toe box, but it also feels like there is a little too much room in the mid foot and heel, like the shoes are just a little too wide at that part of the foot. I only feel the shoe upper in contact with the top of my mid foot, not the sides of my feet like with my old shoes and I am worried there might be a little too much play in the shoe when putting down any sort of power (not that I have much). My inclination is to send them back, but what next?

One option would be to try something else in the Lake line up that uses their narrower race last such as the CX332. But the Tow box in that show is much narrower and I am not sure if that’s the way to go

The next option would be to give the Sworks 7 wide a try. It was explained to me that sole of the shoe isn’t actually wider, the upper just has a little more material making it more like a high volume shoe that should work with my high instep.


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## shrubs (Apr 6, 2021)

I have Lakes. I chose for the wider toe box. They are great. I did not spend $400 for them. I can figure the product line, cost and where I got them. -been a couple of years.

Cheers


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## Cooper1960 (Oct 14, 2010)

Check out bikeshoes.com, free shipping each way so that's a plus. My buddy just bought a pair of Sidi Genius 10 and says they are the most comfortable bike shoes he as ever owned, he said he may start wearing them as house slippers. lol. Sidi were always too tight in the toes for me but the pair he has has a nice large toe box, I may try a pair myself.


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## shrubs (Apr 6, 2021)

I am always amazed at the bike shoe fit “conundrum”. If one does not have the foot of a “store mannequin” the fit journey begins.

I wonder how many riders have shoe fits that are poor for one reason or another, but can ignore the discomfort.


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## tlg (May 11, 2011)

Finding the right shoe has always been a b!tch. Even worse nowadays with very few LBS to go and try something on. Even before, most LBS carried very few shoe selections.



Cooper1960 said:


> Check out bikeshoes.com, free shipping each way so that's a plus. My buddy just bought a pair of Sidi Genius 10 and says they are the most comfortable bike shoes he as ever owned, he said he may start wearing them as house slippers. lol. Sidi were always too tight in the toes for me but the pair he has has a nice large toe box, I may try a pair myself.


That's pretty cool. Never heard of them. Kinda like the zappos of cycling shoes.


I've bought shoes from biketiresdirect a few times. They do free exchanges.


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## No Time Toulouse (Sep 7, 2016)

Sounds like you don't need a 'bike fitter', but rather a podiatrist. When I get new shoes I always buy them a bit large, then take them down to the podiatrist to be fitted with inserts, and to have the end of the ball widened to fit my foot. I have just a normal pair of Shimano road shoes, as well as a pair of Lake MTB shoes.


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## Tim Mailloux (Jun 14, 2014)

I sent the Lake back this morning and think my next move is going to try the Sworks 7 wide fit and im hoping that will be the end of this.


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## Jay Strongbow (May 8, 2010)

"My initial impression of the Lake shoes when first putting them on was wow, these are more comfortable than some of my casual shoes. They just didn’t feel and fit like I think a pair of performance cycling shoes should fit. I love how much room they have in the toe box"

Maybe you don't know how a pair of performance shoes need to fit (for you). 

"They fit like slippers, no hot spots or toe numbness, but they didn’t have enough volume for my high insteps. After about 30 minutes on the bike my foot swelled a bit and the mid foot portion of the shoe felt like it was going to explode."

And/or overtighten your shoes.


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## Tim Mailloux (Jun 14, 2014)

Jay Strongbow said:


> "My initial impression of the Lake shoes when first putting them on was wow, these are more comfortable than some of my casual shoes. They just didn’t feel and fit like I think a pair of performance cycling shoes should fit. I love how much room they have in the toe box"
> 
> Maybe you don't know how a pair of performance shoes need to fit (for you).
> 
> ...


You are defiantly correct in that I am clueless in how performance cycling shoes should fit. But I am pretty confident that the Lakes were just too wide through the mid-foot for me. The sides of my feet were not in contact with the shoe upper, only the top of my foot was in contact with the upper and it felt like I could roll my foot around in the shoe. My old shoes comfortable wrap my entire mid-foot and I cannot roll my feet in the shoes. 

As far as the Sworks & regular width shoes go, due to my high instep with lot tension on the boa dials almost the entire width of the tough was exposed. After my foot swelled a bit and I released tension in the dials to the point things we comfortable there were 1/8" gaps between the side of the tongue and the uppers exposing my socks. 

This morning I ordered a pair of the Sworks 7 wide version shoes that have more material in the uppers, the sole of the shoe remains the same shape. This should accomidate my tall insteps...fingers crossed


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## Jay Strongbow (May 8, 2010)

I wasn't trying to call you clueless in the negative sense. As someone who started paying hockey when skates were not that great so common wisdom was buy a tight size and to crank them down as tight as possible, I know all about uncomfortable cycling shoes because I thought performance footwear needed to be snug and really tightened. Turns out I was dead wrong and a 'normal' sorta lose fit is perfectly comfortable and no problem performance wise.

Anyway, good luck.


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## hummina shadeeba (Oct 15, 2009)

the specialized insoles are a good help for me.


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## Tim Mailloux (Jun 14, 2014)

Last night i got in my first ride on the Sworks 7 wide shoes and I think these are the ones! The shoes along with some blue Spesh foot beds fit nice, are comfortable and most importanly no hot spots. They hug my heel and back half of my foot so well I can ride ride with little to no tension on the boa dials and my foot feels stable and planted while still having ample room in the toe box. Its either pure coincidence or proof of just how bad / inefficient my old nylon soles shoes were but last night I set an 20 minute power PR bumping up my FTP 9w.


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## Tim Mailloux (Jun 14, 2014)

FWIW the normal width Lake CX241's I tried were wider than the Sworks 7 wide shoes I have now.


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## jnbrown (Dec 9, 2009)

I have had four generations of S-Works shoes and they are good with the following exceptions:

The heel cup is very stiff and tall and bites into my ankles so I cannot use them.
This seems to have started with the S-Works 6 and many people have reported the problem.

In their attempt to make the lightest shoes which they have apparently succeeded,
The materials are very thin and prone to wearing out quickly like one or two seasons.
This is unacceptable to me considering the extremely high price.

If you decide to try them, check for the heel cup digging into your ankle bone.
If you feel this at all AVOID.

Also the BOA dials where not the best, maybe they have improved this.

I ended up with Gaerne G.Stilo+ and love them. Very high quality, durable and comfortable.
They are a race shoe and feel like it while still being comfortable.

Another shoe I would consider is Sidi. Extremely high quality and durable.
Not the lightest, but look how many pros wear them and they look awesome.
I can't wear them because the forefoot is too narrow.

It sounds like you might benefit from a dedicated insole for your high arches.
Specialized makes good ones that come in various arch heights.

Good Luck


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