hotfoot

alan wrote:
|| I see people referring to "hotfoot" on aprevious post. is this
|| condition like plantar fasciitis or just a temporary thing on long
|| rides? i ask because i have a chronic pf problem and wonder if my
|| egg-beaters are contributing...(have new shoes with hard sole)

It only happens on long rides on hot days for me, especially if I wear my
shoes too tight. Once I get off the bike the problem disappears.

||
|| ps. i know i know, go and see the doctor...too bad more of them
|| aren't cyclists!
|| -alan

alan said:

I see people referring to "hotfoot" on aprevious post. is this
condition like plantar fasciitis or just a temporary thing on long
rides? i ask because i have a chronic pf problem and wonder if my
egg-beaters are contributing...(have new shoes with hard sole)

Quoted message said:

ps. i know i know, go and see the doctor...too bad more of them aren't
cyclists!

Try moving your cleat(s) rearward on the shoe(s). Lessens the strain on
ligaments a bit.

(Ever try a cortisone shot in your foot/feet? Knocked my pf out
completely.) (Hurts like HELL tho'!)

A larger-platform pedal (like Look) MAY help, but try other stuff first.

Rearrange answers in coherent order,

--
BS (no, really)

: I see people referring to "hotfoot" on aprevious post. is this condition
: like plantar fasciitis or just a temporary thing on long rides? i ask
: because i have a chronic pf problem and wonder if my egg-beaters are
: contributing...(have new shoes with hard sole)
:
: ps. i know i know, go and see the doctor...too bad more of them aren't
: cyclists!
: -alan

As I understand it, "hotfoot" is a condition resulting from pinching some
nerves in the ball of the foot or at the root of the toes. If your shoe
soles bend too much, or, in my case, the SPD pedals were too small, you get
this burning sensation in your forefoot and toes. I asked around (medical
types) and was told that orthotics, rigid shoe soles, or larger cleats would
prevent the problem by spreading the pressure on a larger area of the foot.
A orthotist advised me to put a pad under the arch right behind the toes to
spread the bones apart a bit when pushing down on the pedals.

When you have the condition, it feels as if your feet are on fire. That's a
classic symptom of a nerve being irritated. I switched to better shoes with
stiffer soles AND the Look cleats at the same time and haven't had the
problem since then. Upon reflection, though, I don't know if just changing
to a better shoe would have solved the problem.

Pat in TX
:
:

"Pat" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

As I understand it, "hotfoot" is a condition resulting from pinching some
nerves in the ball of the foot or at the root of the toes. If your shoe
soles bend too much, or, in my case, the SPD pedals were too small, you

get

Quoted message said:

this burning sensation in your forefoot and toes. I asked around

(medical

Quoted message said:

types) and was told that orthotics, rigid shoe soles, or larger cleats

would

Quoted message said:

prevent the problem by spreading the pressure on a larger area of the

foot.

Quoted message said:

A orthotist advised me to put a pad under the arch right behind the toes

to

Quoted message said:

spread the bones apart a bit when pushing down on the pedals.

I never understood the "cleat is too small" or "sole is to flexy" argument,
because that would cause a bulge under the ball of your foot, which is
essentially what they sell you to fix the problem.

"Pat" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

As I understand it, "hotfoot" is a condition resulting from pinching some
nerves in the ball of the foot or at the root of the toes. If your shoe
soles bend too much, or, in my case, the SPD pedals were too small, you

get

Quoted message said:

this burning sensation in your forefoot and toes. I asked around

(medical

Quoted message said:

types) and was told that orthotics, rigid shoe soles, or larger cleats

would

Quoted message said:

prevent the problem by spreading the pressure on a larger area of the

foot.

Quoted message said:

A orthotist advised me to put a pad under the arch right behind the toes

to

Quoted message said:

spread the bones apart a bit when pushing down on the pedals.

I never understood the "cleat is too small" or "sole is to flexy" argument,
because that would cause a bulge under the ball of your foot, which is
essentially what they sell you to fix the problem.

Quoted message said:

I never understood the "cleat is too small" or "sole is to flexy"
argument, because that would cause a bulge under the ball of your
foot, which is essentially what they sell you to fix the problem.

A bigger cleat and more rigid sole prevents the pressure from being focused
on the ball of your foot. By distributing the presssure, the rigid sole/big
cleat mitigates the pressure from the "bulge.'

Alan Acock

: > I never understood the "cleat is too small" or "sole is to flexy"
: > argument, because that would cause a bulge under the ball of your
: > foot, which is essentially what they sell you to fix the problem.
: >
: A bigger cleat and more rigid sole prevents the pressure from being
focused
: on the ball of your foot. By distributing the presssure, the rigid
sole/big
: cleat mitigates the pressure from the "bulge.'
:
: Alan Acock

Yeah, what Alan said. The small cleat with the sole that sort of wraps
around the cleat makes for a lot of pressure in a small area.

Pat in TX
:

"Pat" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

: > I never understood the "cleat is too small" or "sole is to flexy"
: > argument, because that would cause a bulge under the ball of your
: > foot, which is essentially what they sell you to fix the problem.
: >
: A bigger cleat and more rigid sole prevents the pressure from being
focused
: on the ball of your foot. By distributing the presssure, the rigid
sole/big
: cleat mitigates the pressure from the "bulge.'
:
: Alan Acock

Yeah, what Alan said. The small cleat with the sole that sort of wraps
around the cleat makes for a lot of pressure in a small area.

That wasn't my question. I understand the "theory" perfectly. As a previous
poster said though, what you get as a "fix" for things like Morton's
neuroma is a pad that creates a bulge right where your cleat is, just the
thing that is supposedly causing the problem. I think most cases of "hot
foot" are simply shoes that are too tight.

: >
: > Yeah, what Alan said. The small cleat with the sole that sort of wraps
: > around the cleat makes for a lot of pressure in a small area.
:
: That wasn't my question. I understand the "theory" perfectly. As a
previous
: poster said though, what you get as a "fix" for things like Morton's
: neuroma is a pad that creates a bulge right where your cleat is, just the
: thing that is supposedly causing the problem. I think most cases of "hot
: foot" are simply shoes that are too tight.

The orthotist explained it to me as the pad spreads the bones apart a bit
and the extra space relieves pressure on the nerves. As for the too tight
shoes, my experience does not bear this out. I have used 3 different pairs
of shoes now and the best ones are simply the ones with the stiffest soles.

Pat in TX
:
:

"Pat" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

: >
: > Yeah, what Alan said. The small cleat with the sole that sort of

wraps

Quoted message said:

: > around the cleat makes for a lot of pressure in a small area.
:
: That wasn't my question. I understand the "theory" perfectly. As a
previous
: poster said though, what you get as a "fix" for things like Morton's
: neuroma is a pad that creates a bulge right where your cleat is, just

the

Quoted message said:

: thing that is supposedly causing the problem. I think most cases of

"hot

Quoted message said:

: foot" are simply shoes that are too tight.

The orthotist explained it to me as the pad spreads the bones apart a bit
and the extra space relieves pressure on the nerves.

Yes, hence my question: why doesn't the cleat "bulge" do the same thing?

: >
: > The orthotist explained it to me as the pad spreads the bones apart a
bit
: > and the extra space relieves pressure on the nerves.
:
: Yes, hence my question: why doesn't the cleat "bulge" do the same thing?

The cleats that gave me the problem were the small Shimano 515s. And, they
were on the outside of the soles (soft as those soles were), not on the
insides next to the bones of the arch. So, possibly the effects (if any) of
a cleat bulge were dissipated by the flatness of the sole in between the
cleat and the foot. In fact, I don't remember feeling a bulge of any sort
from those cleats, just as I don't feel the big triangle of my Look cleats
when I am riding.

Pat in TX
:
:

Peter Cole said:

"Pat" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

: > I never understood the "cleat is too small" or "sole is to flexy"
: > argument, because that would cause a bulge under the ball of your
: > foot, which is essentially what they sell you to fix the problem.
: >
: A bigger cleat and more rigid sole prevents the pressure from being

focused

Quoted message said:

: on the ball of your foot. By distributing the presssure, the rigid

sole/big

Quoted message said:

: cleat mitigates the pressure from the "bulge.'
:
: Alan Acock

Yeah, what Alan said. The small cleat with the sole that sort of wraps
around the cleat makes for a lot of pressure in a small area.

That wasn't my question. I understand the "theory" perfectly. As a previous
poster said though, what you get as a "fix" for things like Morton's
neuroma is a pad that creates a bulge right where your cleat is, just the
thing that is supposedly causing the problem. I think most cases of "hot
foot" are simply shoes that are too tight.

I'd really like to understand what causes this, since it started bothering
me a few years ago, but for me too tight shoes doesn't seem right. My feet
are apparently skinny for their length, so shoes with enough space for the
ends of my toes always fit me loose. I also use hard-soled road shoes with
big SPD-SL cleats. Yet in my closet I have a little-used pair of Sidi shoes
and a similarly clean pair of Shimano shoes, both of which give me a severe
case of "hot foot" after 40 or 50 miles, along with a pair of very-well-used
Nike shoes which I can ride in all day without any trouble at all. If
anything the Nike shoes fit the tightest, they're a bit wide but are at
least snug in the top-to-bottom direction. I have no idea what it is about
the Nike shoes which prevent this, or what it is about the other shoes that
cause it.

I do wish I knew, however, because I'm tired of having to carry extra shoes
on rides where I may need to walk (this happens more and more as my trips
get longer, more ambitious and more interesting) and I'd really like to go
back to using regular SPD cleats with walkable shoes. I just don't want to
have to do a trial-and-error search for shoes which work for me the way I
did with the road shoes.

Dennis Ferguson

:
: I'd really like to understand what causes this, since it started bothering
: me a few years ago, but for me too tight shoes doesn't seem right. My
feet
: are apparently skinny for their length, so shoes with enough space for the
: ends of my toes always fit me loose. I also use hard-soled road shoes
with
: big SPD-SL cleats.

The cleats may be your problem. I got rid of the hot foot problem when I
changed to Look cleats.

Pat in TX

"Dennis Ferguson" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Peter Cole said:

I think most cases of "hot
foot" are simply shoes that are too tight.

Yet in my closet I have a little-used pair of Sidi shoes
and a similarly clean pair of Shimano shoes, both of which give me a

severe

Quoted message said:

case of "hot foot" after 40 or 50 miles, along with a pair of

very-well-used

Quoted message said:

Nike shoes which I can ride in all day without any trouble at all. If
anything the Nike shoes fit the tightest, they're a bit wide but are at
least snug in the top-to-bottom direction. I have no idea what it is

about

Quoted message said:

the Nike shoes which prevent this, or what it is about the other shoes

that

Quoted message said:

cause it.

It's been my experience that width in the ball of the foot area is the
important dimension.