Looking for advice on shoe/system.

I was having similer pains when I would ride hard. I eventually figured out that my shoes were to tight. Try loosening them a click or two and see how you feel.

I have some friends who swear by footbeds..eSoles, Superfeet, etc. I am most familiar with Superfeet, and I have heard many many people say they make all the difference. If you don't mind a small increase in the space between your foot and the pedal, they may be just the thing.
Just a thought. Get them at REI (or a shop that will let your return them), that way if it just isn't the right thing, your not stuck with them.

SCOKER said:

I am new to cycling, i am looking for some advice on what shoe/system should I be using due to a condition of flat foot, I have been riding steadily for over 8 months now, i have Sidi shoes with carbon sole on a Look pedal system, It had been ok with no pain on my soles, but last Sunday we hit some real nasty hills and I gave everything I had on those hills but eventually had to stop because my outer part of my feet (sole) had become swelled and it hurted really bad, lasted for two days, does anyone believes it is because of hard shoe sole? the flat foot? any experience with this before?? I appreciate your help in advance.

Do you mean that your feet swelled causing pain? I think swollen feet are not uncommon, and that is indeed the case, then you probably just want to get a shoe that gives some room for the feet to swell. But maybe I am completely misunderstanding your problem.

TheDarkLord said:

Do you mean that your feet swelled causing pain? I think swollen feet are not uncommon, and that is indeed the case, then you probably just want to get a shoe that gives some room for the feet to swell. But maybe I am completely misunderstanding your problem.

No, I think you are dead on, I do I have wide feet but I did not know that swelling was a common problem for cyclists, I guess you are probably right on a wider shoe, any toughts? and thanks for the insight.

SCOKER said:

No, I think you are dead on, I do I have wide feet but I did not know that swelling was a common problem for cyclists, I guess you are probably right on a wider shoe, any toughts? and thanks for the insight.

Would going 1/2 size higher give enough room? I guess you have to go to the shop and try it out.

Sidi makes a good version of the Genius in a wide version called the "Mega." Most shops that carry Sidi should have this info. Northwave runs a little larger at the toe box as well, so if you tend to get swelling in that region, they may be worth a try. I know after having raced for over 20+ years my dogs are pretty mangled, and the Lorica leather in the Sidi's gets better with every ride, conforming and stretching to the shape of the foot, leaving me a very good fit for a very mangled foot. This is all opinion of course, but it might be worth a try. If the swelling tends to be in the arch, something I have recommended for fitting for customers (I have worked for REI for over 13 years) is to use a small wedge of foam or a 'spacer' of sorts, often used in fitting Alpine hard-shell ski boots. These are readily available this time of year, and can sometimes help blow out, push or aid in molding the shoe out under the footbed, in the arch or even on the heel or toe box.
It's funny, because with as much time as we all spend in cycling shoes, there doesn't seem to be as much attention paid to the fit as their probably should be in a lot of shops. I know I have spent hours fitting people with Ski boots, only to have them spend an average of a a few hours a week in them all winter, where as in bike shoes, fit is generally considered 20 minutes or less on average with the typical user spending several more hours a week on the bike. Just food for thought here, and this is by no means a perfect suggestion for everyone, just something I have found to work in the past.

It may be worth trying on a pair of Specialized Body Geometry shoes at your LBS. Specialized make footbeds which support the arch & the angle of your toes & are specific to their Body Geometry shoes. The height of your arch is measured using a special heat sensitive pad & the imprint your feet leave determine which level of arch support you need. I use them & they are brilliant. See link below to the Specialized website for details. Hope this helps!!!

specialized.comSBCEqProduct.jspOpen ↗

mingtian12345 said:

hi,i'm sell shoes online ,the site:www.fine-nike.com,so i can know what shoe/system should I be using due to a condition of flat foot,

Dude, why don't you just [censored]! This is a forum for some useful discussion, not spamming and advertising.

I have the problem also when I go for a ride that the part of my foot where the cleat is goes numb after about 30 min. I have Specialized Tahoe shoes, and a Shimano Pedal, which is just big enough for the cleat.
Any suggestions?