Full custom shoe experiences
 

I’m considering fully custom shoes so that I can fit my pointy heel well. I’m talking custom last and the whole nine yards, not custom style.

I’m curious about your experience with Rivo and Bont (again, their full custom option). Rocket 7 is far too pricey for me and I’m already familiar with D2 / Don Lamson. Did I miss any options?

My intended use is for road training and racing year round in Austin TX. My best fitting prior shoe was a Specialized SWorks 6. Subsequent iterations, including the newest Torch, have a wider heel that slips a lot for me.

Going full custom would be a large cost for me, so I’m quite tentative about it.

My heel slips when walking in most shoes I wear off the bike but not on it. Yours is slipping while pedaling?

Maybe try moldable models from lake (not sure if bont heel is moldable) as that works for me.

Luck shoes.
https://www.luck-bike.es/gb/

Got mine in 2019. MTB shoes with dial/wire closures.
Old emails seem to show it was 277.11 Euros.

I corresponded with Alejandro. I went a 1/2 size bigger cuz I was paranoid about my wide fit but I should have went with his recommendation. I filled up he space with an extra Dr Scholl's pad and it just make the pedalling more plush.

I was even able to have my own custom graphic printed on it that I did up on Adobe Illustrator.
I've done D2. Excellent shoes too but different fit process.

I've ordered a few custom shoes.

First pair was from Rocket7. They were better than my sock shoes, but still had some issues. Very little support from them after they deliver your shoes.

Second pair was from Lore. These shoes have been a journey, and I have yet to have a comfortable pair of shoes to wear, but the company has been really committed (albeit slowly) to getting me something that works. They've gone so far as to fly someone out to my house. Now I'm waiting on a new model, and they're probably not ready for primetime, but I think they'll be a good option in the future.

I also attempted to order custom shoes from Bont, and they basically told me not to unless I already had a pair of Bont shoes I was comfortable with.

That’s interesting and perplexing. That was for full custom where they do a 3D mold of your foot rather than semi-custom where I think they nudge at the existing last?

FWIW, Bont told me that they can’t modify the heel with the semi-custom option.

Well, that is an interesting question. I believe that shoes from years ago did slip while on the bike. I’ve had non-slipping Sworks 6 shoes for a number of years now. In recent attempts, I only tried the shoes on without cleats and, while standing, put weight on the forefoot. If my heel rises, I decided that wouldn’t work well on the bike. I could be wrong about that.

Was a few years ago, but I think it might have been their semi-custom I was inquiring about.

Call and talk to Don Lamson. Don guarantees the fit of his shoes and will work with you to make sure they are right. The shoes may seem expensive, but they are built around a custom insole, and they last a very long time. They are well worth the expense.

Don builds his shoes by hand and it is very labor-intensive process. He can build only a couple pair in a week, at most. This means there often can be wait times of a few months. Plan accordingly.

Custom orthotics and semicustom shoes
 

If your problem is narrow heels/feet have you tried custom orthotics from a podiatrist? My setup is custom orthotics which are about $350-400 plus narrow Vittoria Velar shoes which were in the range of $300 when I bought them. This is a great combo. The orthotics need to be designed by a podiatrist who knows what their stuff and the Vittoria shoes are really nice.

Am sure you have been through a lot of options but this could be worth a try.

Feel free to PM me w questions etc

Alan

I’m not saying that it cannot be done, but be careful if you go this route, especially if the orthotics are firm. Many brands of cycling shoes have soles that are shaped, and not perfectly flat side-to-side. For instance, some are built with an amount of mold arch support already molded into the sole. Put in an orthotic on top of that and the orthotic may not sit flat or may over-correct.

Don builds his shoes with soles that are flat from side-to-side, so his custom insoles provide all of the needed correction. This differs from molded tub shoes like Bonts because to the extent there is an issue or your feet change, new insoles can be built and put in very easily.

Thanks! I contacted Luck. They don’t have enough info on their website but contact is easy via WhatsApp. I’ll see what they say. If customization options are sufficient and they use high quality materials, the price is stupendous.

Thank you. I have tried this option, though not specifically for a narrow heel. I had mixed experiences with the orthotics themselves (three pair from pros and four pair from bike shops). I can see how they might stop the heel from slipping side to side, but in my case, it’s up and down that’s the bother.

Another vote for Don Lamson; his link is on the Paceline banner. I got mine last year, three months after a personal fitting at his shop in Green Valley, AZ. I have nerve issues from breaking my back on deployment number 20. It's like neuropathy, and Don built my shoes with a wide and tall toe box. It is my best cycling purchase in decades.

….

Maybe you need a custom moldable Lake shoe if it's just an issue with heel cup.
https://www.lakecycling.com/collecti...roducts/cx-403

I have been somewhat confused about Lake’s offerings. They seem to have a variety of levels of customization but what what is customizable and how isn’t clear on their site.

I see that these indicate a moldeable heel. Have you tried it? I wonder what part of the heel can be molded and how much. I’m guessing it’s heat moldeable carbon; however, Bont uses this and their heels cannot be molded (they say).

Whatever light you can shed would be helpful.

I've owned and sold Lake but not owned heat moldable. Give them a call or shoot an email 1-888-401-0476

The video on the website shows how easily it's done but having someone who sells them do it can be helpful but not required.

I had excellent results with Riivo and highly recommend him (one-man operation).

Best shoes I have ever owned. And I have owned many over the last 40 years.

I've had three pair by Lamson(D2), Riivo, Lake heat moldable, and LUCK non custom.

As djg21 mentioned earlier, Don Lamson's method allows for tweaking via the custom footbed sitting on a flat surface inside the shoe. I think this is the highest chance for success.

Brad H./Riivo seems like a great guy and his shoe is very well made but there's nothing he can do once it's finished -and mine were way off.

Trying Lake and LUCK after the one man operations reminded me how 'right' a shoe can feel and I got rid of both.

My first step would be to visit a medical supply store that makes orthotics onsite because I suspect they'll school you on pieces you can add to the sides of your heel area that *should* prevent lift.

That would be SO much cheaper than custom.

I have contemplated custom shoes. Have ended up with lake 242. The heel cups are easily molded to be able to pinch in to get a better fit. The segmented fore foot construction and boas allow for lots of adjustment in how they cup your foot.

After 30 years of trying new shoes every 2 to 3 years, these are the best I've tried. The come in a variety of widths so you can likely find one that is close.

Only wish they came with better insoles.

When I got my Lamsons, I considered the price, compared to a set of Reserve Wheels with DT350 hubs, and concluded that the shoes would work on almost all of my bikes, unlike disc carbon wheels. I am in my upper 50s, not that far from 60, and I decided to get two bolt gravel shoes that I can walk around in and not worry about the sole. I put some nice Look Xtrack pedals on the Open Min.d, and my gravel and MTB have XT SPD pedals. I want to be comfortable for long hours in the saddle.

I still have my Shimano R321 wides with SPD-R cleats for the road bikes with Shimano pedals, but none see more than two hours at a time.

I always get a kick out of people who will spend thousands on high-end carbon wheels, and hundreds for the latest Rapha and MAAP clothing, and then complain about the price of good shoes. Shoes are probably one of the most important pieces of kit or equipment you own. They are the contact point through which power is applied to the pedals and drive-train, and a good fit is critical if you are spending hours on a bike.

Thanks for this helpful info. Regarding the Lake and Luck shoes, are you saying that those felt “right” or just be ones from custom one-man shops felt right?

Excellent to know about the heel cup. Thanks!

What other off the shelf shoes have you tried?

I had some custom then went back to Sidi as the heel area is quite narrow and can be adjusted on their newer shoes?

Sorry that wasn't clear. Custom was much better if they got the build right.

I crashed some D2 shoes beyond repair and when I went to order again I learned that Don had sold everything to Hakob(?) and started anew elsewhere.

Without the old customer data he said I'd have to go through the crush box/measuring again --the risky part. That's when I decided to try Lake and LUCK to save money. I wasn't fond of either so I returned them and tried Riivo based on Paceline recommendations. Those shoes were made too tight, bye bye $1500.

Since then I've continued to use some older D2 road and MTB pairs but I also tried some SWORKS Recon mtb and SWORKS 7 road. They've been quite good with some alterations. Even better, they were popping up dirt cheap online and they're what I use almost exclusively now. I think retail was @$425 and I was finding them for $200 -even in the fairly popular 44.5 size. Despite my considering them disposable at either price, they're much less delicate than the Lamson/Riivo customs (at a fraction) so I never worry about them.

I have had custom shoes from five different makers over the last 25 years. Some have been great but most were terrible - for various reasons.

I started with a pair of Lamsons in 1998. I did the fit kit by myself and didn't go a very good job of it. Those shoes didn't fit well and never got worn.

I tried Bart Sheldrake's LUST shoes in 2003. Neither shoe fit and each shoe had a different curvature on the cleat mounting area, neither of which matched the curvature of any cleat then on the market!

I decided to give Don Lamson another try in 2012 and combined a trip to NY with a visit to a guy in NJ that did fittings for him. This turned out to be the most successful effort to that point. The shoes fit pretty well, though I did have to send them back a few times to Don to get the toeline adjusted. I have a very wonky shaped foot and, with Don guesstimating the 3 dimensional shape of the foot, that took a few attempts. In 2014, I flew out to Eagle Co to have Don fit me in person to see if I could get a better outcome.

The process was hit or miss, though. Don made me 7 pairs of shoes over a three year period as I searched for a comfortable fit - two of which I was able to use. My first pair seemed wrong the moment I put them on as my toes were so crushed into the toe box that I couldn't keep them on for more than 5 mins much less consider riding in them.

The resulting shoes weren't perfect, but they were the best result I'd achieved, and I ended up using a single pair of Powerwires for 11 years. They were the fourth pair out of the seven that he made.

In 2017 I tried a pair of David Simmons' carbon shoes. I again did the fitting and though they were a good fitting shoe, they were way too tight to use for daily use. I could barely get them on and off - they were that snug. I guess that's great for the British track cycling team he was making lots of shoes for, but not so much for everyday riding.

After using my D2 shoes for 11 years, I worried about something happening to them and being up the creek. I had glued them back together and repaired the straps too many times. They were very loose and sloppy and they needed replacement, so last spring I made a trek to see Brad Harper in TX to have him fit me for some new shoes. My wife and I had both wanted to visit NOLA and my wife had wanted to check out Austin so we combined all three.

I am about to take delivery of my third pair of Riivos. Finally, after 25 years and more than a few thousands of dollars spent, I have cycling shoes that are actually shaped the same as my foot! The fit of these shoes is fantastic. After riding my old and sloppy D2's for so long, the snugger fit of the Riivos took some getting used to. I even had to change my sock wardrobe. I realized that the relatively thick Swiftwick Aspire socks I'd been using had been acting as a gasket of sorts to improve the fit and take up space. That wasn't needed for the Riivos so I ended up trying some Defeet EVO and Silca socks, both of which were much thinner, and they both work a treat.

Brad's fitting was the first time I'd had a proper 3D casting of my foot done and it makes all the difference. I think it's the only way to get a truly custom product.

For anyone looking for custom shoes - truly custom and not just shoes modified to try and suit your feet - seek out a maker than does 3D molding of your feet and have them do the molding. That's the only way you'll get the best result.

The crush box isn’t difficult. You need to study the directions in advance and watch the YouTube video (link is on Lamson website). Don also can participate by Skype and make sure everything is done correctly. Ask him about this. It is really helpful.

I don’t know about “delicate.” I have sets of Don’s road and gravel/mtb shoes in my closet that have to be 20 years old.

Custom
 

I have had multiple custom shoes and none of them worked out long term.

Originally had Rocket 7 back in the 90's- They were never even close to fitting properly and Rocket 7 could not make the proper adjustments.

Had a couple pairs of D2- Same Experience. On 2nd set I even went to Don for casting.

Here are the problems that I see.
1.) There is a difference in translation from casting of your foot to actual shoe. Might be the shoe maker, might be the casting- But it does not always translate.
2.) Free adjustments it get it right are all well and good, but if you don't live close to the shoe maker it becomes expensive and time consuming. Think $50 and 2 weeks for each adjustment.
It is easy to become frustrated with the process and give up. That was always my experience.
None of this is to throw shade on Don. He would have kept chaining/modifying as long as I had patience. It was me that ran out of steam on this.

For me, the most practical solution was a good pair of custom insoles and a shoe that is close to my foot shape. I have ridden Bont for many years. But their actual sizing and shape changed with the Vapor S and they no longer worked as well for me. I was actually better with the older Buckle/Velcro models. Currently on newest version of Specialized S-Works Torch and Recon. Toe box is generous. The only thing that I have found is that I need a different custom insole to properly fit the inner shape of the shoe. It is very different from Bont.

I've had my Lamson's for two months now and could not be happier with them. Don is great to deal with, supremely knowledgeable, and makes fantastic shoes.

Back then I worked in a shop that was contemplating being a D2 dealer -hence I got multiple pair to try out. Discounted, not free. I think (hope) anyone considering a custom shoe would in fact read the instructions and watch the videos before throwing in a bunch of cash.

And I didn't say the crush box was difficult. I said there was risk in transmitting information (tracing/taking measurements/crushing foam)
to someone that then interprets that and makes a shoe by hand.

I'm not saying they are tissue paper but if you don't have experience with the fancy Specialized line of shoes --the Lamson/Riivo are more delicate, w/o question.

And it's why the Spec's aren't as comfortable. The uppers are more robust, as are the soles. I broke the carbon soles on D2 Kongs three times (just a cross country rider with bad insurance and a desire to self preserve).

Zero times on the Spec so far. Time will tell.

Ps. Don was great and makes a real nice shoe.

I would be skeptical of any insole or orthotic being able to help if the heel is too big.

From experience with lots of them the insoles/orthotics always raise your heel a little bit.

If you are popping out of the heel without an insole/orthotic it is very easy to end up popping out even more. The arch support ends up making the shoe fit tighter under the laces, and if it's not well done it will take up space in the toe box, but as for the heel it is a neutral effect (well done) to negative in terms of heel popping out.

I have major heel issues with popping out with my current mountain shoes + my orthotics. However it is a total non-issue when pedaling. It only makes itself apparent if I have to get off the bike and push/run up a steep incline. Last fall I had my foot come completely out of the shoe doing that! If I use them with just the stock insoles or with superfeet low profile type stuff the popout issues are reduced.

Personally my issue is almost always needing to loosen up my shoes as a ride goes on till they feel sloppy.

I’m surprised you broke his soles, especially on a MTB shoe. He uses pretty stiff carbon fiber, but not too stiff. With the Vibram outsoles he uses, the carbon fiber soles are pretty-well protected too.

Don’s new MTB/gravel soles allow some flex at the toes in front of the cleat to allow for better walking/running. This makes the soles even more resilient. Don also stopped using Kevlar sail cloth to reinforce his shoes and instead uses Innegra fabric. Like the sail cloth, Innegra does not stretch, yet it is lighter and allows the shoe to be far more supple. His new shoes are much improved from the shoes he designed and built at D2.

I’ve been close friends with Don for over 35 years, since we both lived in Vail, Colorado, and he owned the premier ski boot-fitting/insole fabrication shop in the Vail Valley (Boot Lab of Vail, when it was in the Mill Creek building and before he sold it to focus exclusively on bike shoes). I sat in his shop and watched him build insoles and fit shoes for many on the 7-11 cycling team and a number of other pros.

I was never more than a mediocre recreational racing cyclist. But I am big, hard on equipment, and can break almost anything I touch. I often get Don’s prototypes with instructions to do my best to destroy them. I’ve had very little success thus far. If you broke 3 pair, you must be doing something right, or maybe wrong.

I had molds for shoes taken at a NAHBS years ago, and the shoes came out great. I’m not sure I would be comfortable dealing with the molds myself, or having someone else do it unless they were carefully trained. Brad is in Texas, so you might be able to have the molds taken in person.

Yes, Brad is just a couple of hours away. If I had a spare $1600, I would certainly try this route.

But what I’m getting from the experiences of others shared here is high variance — for some people, custom goes really well. For others, not so well. As a teacher, I have to be very careful with my choices. I don’t mind saving up for really high quality purchases but I need to have very high confidence in what I’m buying.

Having had a personal fitting by Don Lamson and viewed the videos to explain doing the crush box and measurements at home, I would never do one myself. We live in NW AZ, about six hours from Don's place in Green Valley, but my wife is an equestrian, and we were near Tucson last year, so he was only an hour away. It's more than the crush box; Don measures the volume of your foot and makes a form. Models of my feet are on a shelf at Don's shop. I'm not sure my measurements at home would have been as thorough.

I contacted D2 before Don and was underwhelmed. From my understanding, D2 is run by a cobbler who is not a cyclist.

Don Lamson offers custom insoles as well.

Has he changed his process recently?

When I had all my D2 shoes made by him, he would use standard lasts and would "customize" them for each customer by adding pieces of molding clay to them to get the shape needed. These bits of clay would sit in a box for each customer but there was no single last sitting on a shelf that was an exact facsimile of one person's foot.

I was under the impression that this is what he is still doing.

I think I recall him doing 3D plaster molds of customer feet when he left D2 but he seemed to stop doing that pretty quickly and reverted back to the method he employed at D2.

This is where I am at. Spending $1600 for shoes with a chance of mixed results is something I can't bring myself to do. If I lived anywhere close to either Brad or Don I would be much more likely to take the leap of faith.

Don has lasts in multiple widths for each foot length, or size, that he customizes to accommodate each riders’ needs. Keeping lasts for each individual customer isn’t necessary. The insoles are created using an Amfit system (https://amfit.com/), which is a computerized system that scans the crush boxes and creates digitized images that Don manipulates and modifies as necessary to address a riders particular needs. The Amfit system then mills and fabricates the insoles. The digitized scans are saved, along with the customer’s other fit information, and can be used by Don to build additional shoes and insoles for the customer.