Shoe question(long)

[dekindy]

In 2009 after trying on Shimano, Sidi, and Bontrager back to back at the same LBS. I purchased a pair of closeout(probably a couple of model years old) Diadora Speedracer's so have almost 4 years wear. Sidi's felt great also but were twice as expensive so went with Diadora. Diadora's have worn well and still feel good but not quite as good as before as I have added an orthotic. The Diadora's felt so good that when I saw them online at a closeout price even lower than the LBS price so I purchased them for when the original pair needed replacing.

Because of the slight decrease in comfort, I am reconsidering the Diadora Speedracer strategy. I tried on Sidi Genius 5 Pro Carbon ($239), Bontrager Race Lite ($179), and Shimano SH-R107 ($149 or $159, not positive) and they all felt good. After inserting the custom orthotic, they felt fantastic! I liked the Shimano the best but it did not have the fine adjustment the other models have(edit-after reading product description it now appears this may not be true). Sidi was a little larger than I needed so need to do final comparison with the correct size.

I think that I will be fine with the New In Box Diadora Speedracer's when the original pair wears out.

Did the newer model shoes feel better because of advancement in materials and design or was it just my imagination? Is it the slightly larger size that makes the difference? Don't really feel cramped in the Diadora's. Next time I will take the Diadora's to the LBS and get their opinion on the fit.

When I went to a professional shoe fitter the last time she recommended a size larger than I had been purchasing because according to her the length was not as important as the fit on the rest of my foot. It felt very akward at first but is fine now. Cycling shoe fitter recommends a slightly longer cycling shoe than I have been purchasing for the same reason. Does this make sense? Previously wore 43 in Shimano and the Diadora is a 43.5. Tried on 44.5 first and it felt great and 44 felt great and could not tell much difference between the sizes. Shimano was a 44 and Sidi was a 44.5 but that was all they had in stock currently.

I know Sidi's last forever and are rebuildable, but like the Shimano's the best so wondering if the longevity arguement makes sense or are there going to be even more advancements in the next few years that I will want to replace anyway?

Really want the newer model shoes, partially because of styling, but not sure I can justify the expense considering all the money that I spend on cycling. Appreciate any assistance helping me think through this.

[shovelhd]

Shoes and pedals are just not something that I skimp on. They are simply too important to the enjoyment and performance of cycling. I did get my last pair of shoes second hand, with two rides on them, which saved some cash. Specialized replaced them with a new set when one of the BOA fasteners broke, but that was just luck. I would pay full retail for my next set if I had to. Penny wise and pound foolish and all that.

[carpediemracing]

+1 on the shoes.

I consider equipment that moves from bike to bike to be worthy of investment, especially if they're fit specific or if they're really expensive. Fit stuff means, for me, stuff like bars, saddle, pedals, sort of stems, cranks (for arm length), shoes, helmet, main clothing (not gloves but like jacket, wind vest, etc), lighting, even insulated bottles. Expensive stuff for me are things like wheels and power meters.

For shoes I'm a Sidi person. I tried on and verified that the same sizes fit me for Giro and... one other brand, I forget which one, Fizik maybe, but I haven't bought any.

I have Sidis I got in 2007. I recently overhauled (http://sprinterdellacasa.blogspot.com/2013/01/equipment-sidi-shoe-overhaul.html) them.

I debated buying new shoes but couldn't justify the $300-400 for an upgrade shoe when I had almost perfectly serviceable not-quite-as-light shoes, plus a back up (the velcro ones), plus a back up back up (the G5s) (http://sprinterdellacasa.blogspot.com/2007/04/equipment-new-pedals-and-shoes.html).

I even have a few older Sidis but the three newest sets are enough for me. I have the others on hand as they still fit and they're only sort of worn (velcro straps die on them but a shoe/tailor person should be able to replace them).

Serviceable shoes make sense and you avoid throwing out a shoe that works otherwise. For example I just tossed some very good steel toe work boots because all sorts of stuff started wearing out - sole, leather sides, inside... it would need to be totally rebuilt to be usable again. Cycling shoes are not quite like that, especially those with replaceable heel pads (because it protects the otherwise fragile sole). Unless you do some damage to the upper you can keep shoes going for a long time.

[pdmtong]

This may be an over-simplification, but look at the variables the mfgs have to work with

- the shoe last. I doubt this changes much year to year. each mfg has its own curve

- the sole material - here is where price can vary - fibreglass to carbon

- the upper material - same here...pleather to yak

- retention system - same here - straps to buckles to BOA

once you find the last that works, they find your size and then budget according to sole/upper/retention

if a shoe is too small for me, my toes hit. if it is too big for me, the heel lifts.
so I buy the size in between those two scenarios.

I tried the Specialized BG system with all the inserts once. actually felt worse for me than a std sole with no name inser

Had a single BOA shoe. never felt a need for double BOA.

The higher priced sidi actually just fit more glove like (less slop) than the lover price. ergo 2 fit better than 6.6 fit better than G5

As s mentioned, I would not skimp on saddle, bar, chamois and shoes (key touchpoints) meaning that I will pay what I need to find the model that works great for me.

[jpw]

In 2009 after trying on Shimano, Sidi, and Bontrager back to back at the same LBS. I purchased a pair of closeout(probably a couple of model years old) Diadora Speedracer's so have almost 4 years wear. Sidi's felt great also but were twice as expensive so went with Diadora. Diadora's have worn well and still feel good but not quite as good as before as I have added an orthotic. The Diadora's felt so good that when I saw them online at a closeout price even lower than the LBS price so I purchased them for when the original pair needed replacing.

Because of the slight decrease in comfort, I am reconsidering the Diadora Speedracer strategy. I tried on Sidi Genius 5 Pro Carbon ($239), Bontrager Race Lite ($179), and Shimano SH-R107 ($149 or $159, not positive) and they all felt good. After inserting the custom orthotic, they felt fantastic! I liked the Shimano the best but it did not have the fine adjustment the other models have(edit-after reading product description it now appears this may not be true). Sidi was a little larger than I needed so need to do final comparison with the correct size.

I think that I will be fine with the New In Box Diadora Speedracer's when the original pair wears out.

Did the newer model shoes feel better because of advancement in materials and design or was it just my imagination? Is it the slightly larger size that makes the difference? Don't really feel cramped in the Diadora's. Next time I will take the Diadora's to the LBS and get their opinion on the fit.

When I went to a professional shoe fitter the last time she recommended a size larger than I had been purchasing because according to her the length was not as important as the fit on the rest of my foot. It felt very akward at first but is fine now. Cycling shoe fitter recommends a slightly longer cycling shoe than I have been purchasing for the same reason. Does this make sense? Previously wore 43 in Shimano and the Diadora is a 43.5. Tried on 44.5 first and it felt great and 44 felt great and could not tell much difference between the sizes. Shimano was a 44 and Sidi was a 44.5 but that was all they had in stock currently.

I know Sidi's last forever and are rebuildable, but like the Shimano's the best so wondering if the longevity arguement makes sense or are there going to be even more advancements in the next few years that I will want to replace anyway?

Really want the newer model shoes, partially because of styling, but not sure I can justify the expense considering all the money that I spend on cycling. Appreciate any assistance helping me think through this.

how mm long are your feet?