# Specialized BG Footbed and Shims question



## Steeeve430 (Apr 20, 2007)

I was gonna place this in the Specialized section but I figured this is a more general question than just a Specialized question. 

My situation is that my left foot is flat (very flat actually lol) and my right food has a very slight arch. I got the Red (+) BG footbeds for my shoes and installed 2 Varus shims in the left shoe for the flat foot and 1 Varus shim in the right shoe for the slight arch foot. I rode around today for about 10 minutes and my right foot felt perfectly fine but my left foot didnt feel so great, I got the hot foot sensation in my arch. Should I add in a 3rd varus shim to my left shoe?


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## malex (Oct 5, 2009)

Steeeve430 said:


> I was gonna place this in the Specialized section but I figured this is a more general question than just a Specialized question.
> 
> My situation is that my left foot is flat (very flat actually lol) and my right food has a very slight arch. I got the Red (+) BG footbeds for my shoes and installed 2 Varus shims in the left shoe for the flat foot and 1 Varus shim in the right shoe for the slight arch foot. I rode around today for about 10 minutes and my right foot felt perfectly fine but my left foot didnt feel so great, I got the hot foot sensation in my arch. Should I add in a 3rd varus shim to my left shoe?



Heya,


The shims are to correct any inward or outward knee movement during the compression and expansion of the leg.. It isn't to help with high or low arches.... Three different types of insoles take on that role.. Red + (normal arch), Blue ++ (medium) and Green +++ (High). It sounds like you might need to different insoles. I wold suggest going to a Local shop that does Specialized BG fittings and have them set you up with you insoles....


Mike


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## Vee (Jun 17, 2010)

Steeeve430 said:


> I was gonna place this in the Specialized section but I figured this is a more general question than just a Specialized question.
> 
> My situation is that my left foot is flat (very flat actually lol) and my right food has a very slight arch. I got the Red (+) BG footbeds for my shoes and installed 2 Varus shims in the left shoe for the flat foot and 1 Varus shim in the right shoe for the slight arch foot. I rode around today for about 10 minutes and my right foot felt perfectly fine but my left foot didnt feel so great, I got the hot foot sensation in my arch. Should I add in a 3rd varus shim to my left shoe?


Disclaimer: I am not an expert nor am I a pro. fitter.

The varus shims are not going to the arch of your sole. I can't see how inserting varus wedges would help at all with the amount of arch in the insole. If you are getting a hotspot in the arch of your foot, it generally means that the arch of your insole is too high. Since red provides the lowest arch support of the insoles that specialized makes, you may need to look at some other alternative for that side, or both sides all together. Good luck.


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## thatdrewguy (Aug 7, 2009)

I bought a set of footbeds based on my foot impressions left on the Spec Arch-O-Meter. The meter suggested blue insoles but I could never get comfortable after repeated rides, there was always something bugging me under my arches. I just couldn't get use to the metatarsal button at the arch and switch to the lower red insoles. That solved my issue as the metatarsal button wasn't as prominent in the red insole.


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## Peter P. (Dec 30, 2006)

I'll echo what the other responses have said: the wedges aren't for arch support. They are to correct for forefoot tilt. And since you have one flat foot, then you'll need the proper color insole to match.

I too, have flat feet and even the normal arch model Body Geometry insole is uncomfortable, so I can appreciate your situation.

And just because the varus wedges are included in the kit, it doesn't mean you need to use them.


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## Mel Erickson (Feb 3, 2004)

thatdrewguy said:


> I bought a set of footbeds based on my foot impressions left on the Spec Arch-O-Meter. The meter suggested blue insoles but I could never get comfortable after repeated rides, there was always something bugging me under my arches. I just couldn't get use to the metatarsal button at the arch and switch to the lower red insoles. That solved my issue as the metatarsal button wasn't as prominent in the red insole.


I too have flat feet and that metatarsal button drove me crazy. I can't wear their insoles at all because of it. Had to switch to Superfeet. Otherwise Specialized shoes fit me very well.


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## PoorCyclist (Oct 14, 2010)

There is pretty good instructions inside the box (you have to open it to find it)
do the test in the instructions.


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## Steeeve430 (Apr 20, 2007)

Thanks for the responses. I know the shims arent for arch support, I do have them in properly in the front of the shoe I dont want you guys to be like uhh wait he put the shims under his arch?? haha, the reason I thought they may have something to do with it is because ultimately, a flat foot means the ankle is collapsed in more toward the center of the foot, which in turn highly miss aligns the knee. My left foot was so bad I had to get custom orthotics for my shoes because I had such bad pain in my ankle, and once I got the orthotics, the pain was gone within a few days. So I figured adding the Varus shimming would help to bring some of my leg into a better alignment while riding, thus cancelling out any foot/ankle pain I might also endure riding. 

Am I off the mark?


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## cyclequip (Oct 20, 2004)

If you have a collapsed ankle (valgus rear foot or tibial valgus) this is different from a flat foot (or more properly, a low arch). Collapsed ankle has a similar effect but the fix is different. If you do have the collapsed ankle, I'd suggest having someone check your forefoot angulation to see whether this is varus or valgus and to what extent. I'd also then suggest you persevere with the red insoles to give you some knee support but then look for some EXTERNAL wedges to go under the cleats as this is the proper fix for valgus rear foot to correct medial knee excursion. If pushed you can trace the cleat onto one of the Spec varus wedges, cut it out and use one or more of these under your cleats. And avoid using more than 2 internal wedges per foot.


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## rward325 (Sep 22, 2008)

I personally am using the Green insoles and have been fitted for the varus shims to rotate my feet the proper amount. The metatarsal bump has done what it is advertised to do. Get rid of my hot foot that I have suffered in my left foot for years.


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## siclmn (Feb 7, 2004)

I was in a high end bike shop today and they had a shoe that came with adjustable arch pads. So you could adjust and fine tune each foot that way. I don't recall the brand but you could research it quite easily.


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## Vee (Jun 17, 2010)

siclmn said:


> I was in a high end bike shop today and they had a shoe that came with adjustable arch pads. So you could adjust and fine tune each foot that way. I don't recall the brand but you could research it quite easily.


Giro Prolight and Factor shoes both come with these adjustable arch support pads. Much of the same concept as the specialized footbeds without needing to swap the entire footbed out.


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## benInMA (Jan 22, 2004)

If you're wearing orthotics in your regular shoes you're not going to get much real relief from the specialized product.. you probably need to look into real orthotics for your cycling shoes.

People who need orthotics need a product that can bear your weight, the specialized arch supports are not load bearing and will just collapse under a flat foot.

Look for something like eSoles.. they last forever for cycling. (Many years)

What I ended up doing is getting Specialized shoes for both road and mtb because specialized makes them with the exact same fit.. then I only needed to buy one pair of orthotics. I replaced my road shoes for this season after 5 years and the orthotics are still going strong and were a perfect fit in the new Specialized shoes I got.

If you won't/can't spend the money to get orthotics at least try something like "Superfeet" as those can bear a lot more weight the the specialized footbeds.


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## cyclequip (Oct 20, 2004)

benInMA said:


> If you're wearing orthotics in your regular shoes you're not going to get much real relief from the specialized product.. you probably need to look into real orthotics for your cycling shoes.
> 
> People who need orthotics need a product that can bear your weight, the specialized arch supports are not load bearing and will just collapse under a flat foot.
> 
> ...


Specialized footbeds are made for cycling - not walking. So your reference to "load bearing" is spurious. And in my experience the eSoles last no longer than Specialized or Pearl Izumi footbeds or anything else used as arch support (not load bearing) in cycling shoes. The function of the cycling footbeds is to correct for biomechanical deficiencies in pedal action - large parts of the rider's weight are borne by the saddle anyway...... - and to this end most of the footbeds work pretty well in the hands of a decent bike fitter.


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## benInMA (Jan 22, 2004)

Do you have flat feet?

I do, and I don't know about you but I easily push down on the pedals hard enough to cause my arch to flatten out under load.

I've tried the specialized products, I've tried the superfeet, and I've tried the real thing. Only the real thing keeps my arch aligned and prevents my knee from getting out of alignment. I could record a video of this and I wouldn't even have to get on the bike or even walk, just relax my feet and the specialized insole will flatten out under even partial weight.

It's a real disservice when they sell the specialized products to people who have flat/flexible feet. Every single pedal stroke the arch flattens, the tibia rotates, and a little bit of wear on the knee occurs.

I don't actually have the eSoles product.. maybe they aren't made of a material that isn't very durable. Mine look very similar though, and they're made out of a material similar to a rollerblade wheel. They wear very, very well. (I just mention eSoles because they have pro riders endorsing the product and sometimes that's the only thing people care about.)

Heck maybe the specialized product even works on the fit bike for that first 1-2 hours during the fit pedaling lightly on the trainer.. but it's certainly not going to continue to work under a powerful rider for very long, it's probably shot after the first ride since it's essentially just a regular shoe insole.

Basically IMO if the Specialized insoles work for you, you probably didn't need them and they're just a nice placebo. The shims and BG shoes for varus/valgus on the other hand are great stuff. Notice they don't make that BG shoe with a wedge in it out of soft foam, they make it out of nylon/plastic or carbon so it doesn't flex under pedaling.

Note that a real high quality orthotic built for cycling also is built to put your forefoot in the right position.. they have a "button" just like the Specialized product, but again that button is hard and can bear your weight or your force on the pedal without collapsing.

But the OP should go see a doctor if he is really having a problem. If he's already gotten orthotics for walking/running then he's already probably been to a doctor. A doctor is going to be more qualified to deal with this then a bike fitter. After that you just have to find someone who actually knows how to make good orthotics for cycling.


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## Steeeve430 (Apr 20, 2007)

I went out for a 10 mile ride yesterday (too damn cold still!) and my left foot felt better. I think I sorta just needed to get used to everything again, I didnt have the hotfoot sensation I got the other day. 

And yes I've seen a doctor. My mom works at an orthopedist office and I saw the foot and ankle specialist there and thats how I got my orthotics for my shoes. I suppose I should ask him about cycling orthotics if any, I believe he is a cyclist as well.


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## cyclequip (Oct 20, 2004)

benInMA said:


> Do you have flat feet?
> 
> I do, and I don't know about you but I easily push down on the pedals hard enough to cause my arch to flatten out under load.
> 
> ...


I don't need to see your video, just as I dispute your assertion the footbeds don't work. They work for riders like Cancellara, who I'd suggest puts down just a little more power than you do. I also have hundreds of data captures from riders I have fitted over the years, including multiple national champions from around the world that attest to the efficacy of the footbeds. And since the essence of bike fitting would be dynamic and under load, your assertion about having solid, once-off orthotics made by a podiatrist/prosthetist is a little difficult to make workable. The dynamics of the rear foor/arch/forefoot, never ming tibial varum, knee structure, injury and the rest suggest people like Pruitt know what they're doing when they design things like this.


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## Mr. Scary (Dec 7, 2005)

cyclequip said:


> I don't need to see your video, just as I dispute your assertion the footbeds don't work. They work for riders like Cancellara, who I'd suggest puts down just a little more power than you do. I also have hundreds of data captures from riders I have fitted over the years, including multiple national champions from around the world that attest to the efficacy of the footbeds. And since the essence of bike fitting would be dynamic and under load, your assertion about having solid, once-off orthotics made by a podiatrist/prosthetist is a little difficult to make workable. The dynamics of the rear foor/arch/forefoot, never ming tibial varum, knee structure, injury and the rest suggest people like Pruitt know what they're doing when they design things like this.


Cancellara uses custom footbeds, don't be foolish. But you do sound like you believe you are the real deal!


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