'Cross shoes: Recommendations? (Narrow, high instep, narrow heel)

[Lewis Moon]

I've been riding Sidi FOR. EVER. I've tried other shoes but always come back. They seem to be one of the few shoes that "fit" (sorta). I have a very high instep/arch, and a narrow forefoot and heel. I've tried Bonts but can't get the shoes to mold anywhere near my foot shape. I wore Shimanos for about as long as it took me to sell them, and Pear Izumis about the same. I buy my shoes short, I measure at 12 american size but wear a 45 in Sidis, just to get a snug fit.
The problem is: my Sidis have incredibly hard lug material. Good for mud but not so much on anything hard. I got a taste of that doing a CX dismount in my driveway at the end of a workout. You can still see the skidmark where my foot skated out from under me and I landed on my a$$. Show's over folks, don't forget to tip the waitstaff.
I did a bit of research and this seems to be a common beef with Sidis. Besides the Giro Privateers, what is out there with a bit softer compound sole? Replaceable lugs would be tres bon and I'm not much of a fan of the "boa" type closure. Light, stiff sole and, see above on fit. I'd love to go to the "'Cross Shoe Superstore" but I live in Tempe/Phoenix where you're lucky if anyone carries more than one brand.

[old fat man]

Long time happy Giro Code user here. Sidi soles are TERRIBLE. Even the replaceable ones, the only good thing about those is that you can replace them, because you'll need to quickly. The Code has a harder sole than the Privateer (stiffer shoe overall), but not nearly as slick as a traditional Sidi shoe.

I'm eyeing the new Giros with Vibram soles like the Code VR70 for next cross season. I've used Mavic Chasms in the past as well, but they are not as durable and all Mavic mtb shoes are terrible in wet, cold conditions because they are so heavily ventilated on the toe.

My foot is not particularly hard to fit, but the Giro Code VR70, Mavics, and some of the offerings from Lake (BOA though) would be tops of my list for good traction.

[jdp211]

I was in a pair of Specialized for the past few seasons, but this year picked up a pair of Giro Empires. They're on the narrower side of things and rather comfortable. Easy to run in, certainly stiff enough for riding (duh).

[Lewis Moon]

Long time happy Giro Code user here. Sidi soles are TERRIBLE. Even the replaceable ones, the only good thing about those is that you can replace them, because you'll need to quickly. The Code has a harder sole than the Privateer (stiffer shoe overall), but not nearly as slick as a traditional Sidi shoe.

I'm eyeing the new Giros with Vibram soles like the Code VR70 for next cross season. I've used Mavic Chasms in the past as well, but they are not as durable and all Mavic mtb shoes are terrible in wet, cold conditions because they are so heavily ventilated on the toe.

My foot is not particularly hard to fit, but the Giro Code VR70, Mavics, and some of the offerings from Lake (BOA though) would be tops of my list for good traction.

Ventilation would be a plus here in Arizona. These will be my all 'round shoes and will see duty in 100+ degree temps. How do the Mavics hold up?

[eippo1]

I ride Sidis for road and Specialized for mtn and cross. I have a narrow foot with a high instep and find that half a size down with the medium height insole works perfectly for me. So 46 for Sidi and 45.5 for Specialized = bliss for me.

[zennmotion]

First, don't worry so much about the dismounts on pavement, in my 100+ races over 10 years I can't remember a race course that included a dismount on pavement. That said, there are a few memorable ones that include wood or concrete stairs, but even my Sidi Dom 5's are fine on those, removing the toe spikes that are the main hazard for me on hard surfaces. I don't race often on my Sidis, mostly because I'm a cheap ass and cross racing beats the crap out of my shoes, I save the Sidis for training and long road rides- I quit using road shoes altogether several years ago, don't see the point now that I don't do more than a few road races a year. I have a pair of discount Cannondale shoes made by Diadora that I've raced on for 4 seasons now, an older version of the X-Trivex Plus made in Cdale colors, The fit is perfect and I can't kill them despite the abuse (spraying down the inside with vinegar kills the skank from being constantly wet every weekend btw). I would look at the cheaper models of the brands that tend to work for you, because a super stiff sole compromises your movement off the bike. Buckles are good as velcro can wear out or let go running through mud and puddles (may not be an issue in the AZ scene though). I like good durable toes and edges, I'm always kicking and scraping stuff- these are wear points in cross. Carbon soles are too slippery when pedaling and fishing for a fast clip in- a frequent concern on a cross race course, multiple times per lap.. For me, not too much mesh, cross is a cool weather sport and mesh let water in faster, I hate squishy shoes and mesh is less durable. Given your feet, I'd look at Lakes (why discount the boa? they work well for most people) or Diadoras (my faves) or Northwaves. Also maybe the Giro Privateers that seem to be the latest thing in cross footwear and reasonably priced. But in your dry climate, and the fact that harder, more slippery lugs are (IMO) a non-issue for anything on a cross course except parking lot dismounts, just use your Sidi's, especially if you're only doing a few races a year (how many events are there really out in AZ?) and they are great all-rounders for the other 90% of the other non-cross race riding you'll do with them. And maybe work on your dismount technique which sounds more like the limiting factor here... slow=smooth and smooth=fast... So many beginning cross racers (myself included when I started) look at equipment fixes to technique problems. Shoes, tires, components etc are hardly ever the central issue to improvement in cyclocross racing.

[John H.]

Don't know how they fit but I remember reading about these.
http://shop.pearlizumi.com/product.php?mode=view&pc_id=43&product_id=2052919&outlet=&color_code=4KH
Supposedly optimized for riding and hiking.

[old fat man]

Ventilation would be a plus here in Arizona. These will be my all 'round shoes and will see duty in 100+ degree temps. How do the Mavics hold up?

I think the Chasms break down kinda quick, but I've always bought them on sale for $125 or less. I would not be satisfied if I bought them at $150+ I get about 2 seasons of cx and mtb use out of them before they're retired.

I use my current Codes for longer cx bike rides, commuting, winter training on the cx bike, or mtb riding when I know I won't be in serious muck since I'm trying to keep them in good shape until next cross season.