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