Odd shoe fit problem

[bking]

Maybe someone here can relate or better still has gone through this and has a solution. This is a bit long and boring unless you've struggled with this, sorry.
Under the ball/sole of my foot--my left foot always, after riding for 30 or so minutes I develop a sensation of a sock bunched up, or some kind of "bump"--think pencil laying across the ball of the foot though not that big, that gets worse the longer I ride.

I've purchased multiple shoes: Sidi, Fizik, Giro, Shimano, Specialized and they all do it. I have two "magic pair", the early Fizik, that I don't have this problem with. Once they changed their shoe last a couple years in production, the magic is gone and it's back to the pencil feel.
I've checked the shoe and there's nothing there. I've also used multiple insoles, from thin to thick. I've even cut out some heavy plastic and inserted it into shoe with insole over that, no change.
I was in Portland a couple weeks ago and Dave, one of the owners of River City recommended Superfeet's merino wool insole, I put that into the Specailized yesterday and after some time same problem.
If i stop for a bit and get off, pressure goes away until back on the bike for a bit and it comes back.
I've considered custom shoes, even having my foot xrayed--it's only my left foot. Right foot is happy in all the above shoes.
I'm generally wearing swiftwick socks, and use speedplay. I've also considered changing out pedals, but I do have two pair of shoes that are fine, and the right foot is never a problem, so you'd think I could eliminate pedals as culprit.

Any guidance or suggestions is appreciated. After 85 miles and 4k of climbing yesterday on a hot day, the only thing that drove me off the bike was my poor left foot. Got to figure this out as those two "magic" Fizik's won't last.

[2LeftCleats]

The sensation of a bunched up sock is likely from nerve compression in the foot, if the foot gets tight especially with swelling or from pressure against the hard sole. Maybe see a podiatrist if you haven't already.

[Jad]

That's got to be frustrating--but good that you have shoes it doesn't happen with.

It's common to have differently sized feet, so not that surprised it only happens with one. I wonder if the last (shape of the footbed) on the older Fiziks is different enough in just the right way so that it takes pressure off the right part of your foot. Is your left foot bigger or smaller than the right? Depending on that, you could maybe mess around with a half-size up or down for that foot and see if that helps anything. Same with trying diiferent widths as a bunching factor.

You mentioned Superfeet, so you may have done it, but it may be worth trying different arch heights to add or subtract that kind of support.

[quattro]

Bking, sounds like a Morton's Neuroma. I have had one on my left foot for over 10 years, I get the same kind of sensations. I have custom orthotics in all of my shoes and cycling shoes. The key I feel is a metatarsal pad correctly placed to spread the metatarals so there is no pressure, and wide enough shoes. I ride Shimano 321's and find them very comfortable with my custom orthotics, it took me years to get here. PM me if I can answer any questions. Not much a Dr. can do but prescribe custom orthotics. Also, I recently picked up a pair of Birkenstock sport inserts, didn't get them for cycling, but in regular shoes they do everything my custom orthotics do, for the price they are worth a try, here is a link to them.
https://completebirkenstock.com/collections/socks-for-him/products/birko-sport

Good luck!

[charliedid]

Try building up the insole just behind the ball (1st metatarsal head) to redistribute the weight. Cut a piece or two of an old insole 1 3/4" and tape it (if using double cut the second one about 3/4 " and place it on the back half of the first layer as a ramp to the ball then tape those to bottom of insole.

[Tickdoc]

ugg. Morton's Neuroma is my guess as well. I have had it in the past and it is no fun.

I had a set of custom orthotics made that helped. They don't work well for cycling, and the best help I found there was foot massage, and specialized inserts with the metatarsal bump.

[Peter P.]

Please, see a sports podiatrist.

I definitely agree a metatarsal treatment will likely do the trick. If you refuse to see a podiatrist, then try some Specialized Body Geometry insoles, which have the metatarsal bump built in. They come in three degrees of support. Your Specialized dealer should be able to help you.

If you want to prove the pedals aren't the culprit, then remove the Speedplays and your cleats, and install a pair of cheapo platform pedals. Go for a ride and see if the symptom occurs with the platform pedals. I suggest using your road shoes because a sneaker or other shoe might flex too much, possibly causing pain elsewhere and skewing the results.

[ultraman6970]

ust a thought ok? because I do had and sometimes have the same problem in the same foot than you.

There is a slight chance the left foot is smaller just enough to "float" around the shoe, the other detail and because took me a while to figure it out is that probably the heel is moving generating that tiny floating effect that mess up your foot.

In my case I needed to put support closer to the ankle/arch area because the anckle was falling, not the arch. I put a piece of leather under the insole aswell to solve the smaller left foot issue, let me tell you is not even that noticeable but with cycling if its not right you get the problems mentioned, took me years to figure it out exactly the problem you know.

[mbrtool]

This happened to me several years ago. Last year I changed the location of the cleat one space lower towards the heel. It's helped... YMMV.

Ray

[djg21]

Bking, sounds like a Morton's Neuroma. I have had one on my left foot for over 10 years, I get the same kind of sensations. I have custom orthotics in all of my shoes and cycling shoes. The key I feel is a metatarsal pad correctly placed to spread the metatarals so there is no pressure, and wide enough shoes. I ride Shimano 321's and find them very comfortable with my custom orthotics, it took me years to get here. PM me if I can answer any questions. Not much a Dr. can do but prescribe custom orthotics. Also, I recently picked up a pair of Birkenstock sport inserts, didn't get them for cycling, but in regular shoes they do everything my custom orthotics do, for the price they are worth a try, here is a link to them.
https://completebirkenstock.com/collections/socks-for-him/products/birko-sport

Good luck!

It does sound like the start of a Morton's Neuroma. You need to make sure you don't wear shoes that are too narrow and compress your metatarsal heads. Orthotics or sometimes a metatarsal pad can help assuming your shoes fit.

My suggestion would be to call Don Lamson at D2 shoe and have him build you a set of shoes and custom insoles. The cost of one set of his shoes and insoles is not small, but given how much you already have sunk into shoes that haven't worked too well, you'd probably come out on top in the end. You also should look at your everyday shoes and make sure they are wide enough to a accomodate your feet.

[regularguy412]

Those who have frequented this board for a long time have heard me purport this possibility before,, but here goes.

I once 'thot' that I was getting a Morton's Neuroma. I was on the trainer and doing some intervals. Got off the bike and my first step on the kitchen floor felt like I was standing on a marble between my great toe and 2nd toe on my left foot. Couldn't figure it out. It kinda bothered me the rest of the evening, but when I got outta bed the next morning it was gone. Then the sciatica started. First in the back of my left leg. Then down both legs.

Turns out my 'Morton's Neuroma' was not at all. The compression fracture that I've had in my L3 vertebra finally got a little worse and the disc had slipped a bit. That was 11 years ago. I only had the 'sore' foot for that one day. Now that pain has actually changed into numbness on the front half of the bottoms of both feet.

It is what it is. Moral of the story: the pain you feel in a particular place may not actually be emanating from that place. I could be referred pain --- from your back.

Mike in AR:beer:

[bking]

A wealth of knowledge and experience! I was beginning to think i was nuts. Thanks fellas.
You've given me a lot to work on. I tried looking for an orthotics specialist here in Vegas but couldn't find one. I'll certainly look for a sports podiatrist.


Edit--while cleats were fairly far back, moved them back all the way. Easiest thing to try. Looking for some insoles to address 'Morton's Neuroma'
Again, thanks.

[MattTuck]

You mentioned the feeling of sock bunching. Do your socks actually get bunched up? Mine do sometimes, and I have attributed it to a combination of shoe fit and pedaling style that causes slight foot movement in the forward/backward axis that causes the bunching.

[Catman]

Probably not the same issue, but I was getting cramps/hot spots in my arches and tried all sorts of things. Now I ride the black super feet insoles made for dress shoes in all my shoes and they seemed to have solved that issue for me. You can buy them on Amazon. Worth a try if you're having discomfort.

Good luck!

Rob


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[bking]

You mentioned the feeling of sock bunching. Do your socks actually get bunched up? Mine do sometimes, and I have attributed it to a combination of shoe fit and pedaling style that causes slight foot movement in the forward/backward axis that causes the bunching.

No, it's not my socks, just feels somewhat like that.

So i did move cleat back all the way and really loosened the toe strap to give my toe area a bit more volume--it helped, no question. I've ordered two pair of the specialized body geometry soles--medium and high arch and will add those when they come in. But I'm pretty confident you've got me on the right track, Morton's Neuroma or something similar.

[bking]

Probably not the same issue, but I was getting cramps/hot spots in my arches and tried all sorts of things. Now I ride the black super feet insoles made for dress shoes in all my shoes and they seemed to have solved that issue for me. You can buy them on Amazon. Worth a try if you're having discomfort.

Good luck!

Rob


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I've been through that too and moving cleat back to get pedal a bit more toward center relieved that for me. Now I've just moved it as far back as it goes.