Is it time for custom shoes?

[shinomaster]

The woes of the shinomaster are many, but the worst may be of his poor feet. After years of not fitting into bike shoes ( and street shoes) because they all hurt the ball of my feet, I went to a foot doc. He made me some goofy orthotics for sneaker but they don't work in bike shoes. So I think what I need are either custom inserts or custom shoes.
ON the Rocket website they offer custom foot beds for over $100 and custom shoes for $500. I wonder If the Carbon inserts would work?
Do any of you have a similar problem? Do any of you use custom Shoes? If so what brands? Are you happy with them? Or were they dissapointing? Rip Off? Hmmm..
Why can't I be normal? Like all of you..

sad Shinomaster

[Tom]

I have both. Find a podiatrist that rides. They cost me a lot, but the beauty is that when my shoes wear out I don't have to get gonged again.

[Climb01742]

shino, cycling footbeds are very different. running ones must work with flexible soled shoes. cycling ones work with rigid soled shoes. very different animals. i'm in the process of getting custom shoes from don lamson. for $450, he gives you footbeds and shoes. as part of the process, i measured my feet. wow, they are very different. right one is longer. left one is wider and fatter. :crap: which explains various aches and pains i've had, footwise, over the years. seeing that so much of cycling goes through your feet, if you can't get comfy with off-the-shelf shoes, try custom.

[Birddog]

Try a ski shop. They have the equipment to make custom footbeds and they are stiff soled like cycling shoes. They usually cost between $50 and $100. I switch mine out all the time with no problems. Try to find a ski shop that has a good reputation for boot fitting, ask around, plenty of skiers in P-town.

Birddog

[bostondrunk]

by the time you waste your money on various orthotics, different cycling shoes, beer, etc. you could have just spent the $500 on the R7 customs that would fit perfect. Lust is another option, but twice as expensive.

[Dekonick]

OK - I have to jump in. Shino - check out Dsquared

Here is the link - www.d2customfootwear.com/bike.html

This outfit is the best. They send you a custom fit kit (follow directions exactly - if any doubt exists have a podiatrist do the fit for you with their kit)
and then make you orthotics, with a custom shoe. The cost is really not that bad - I am paying $860 for 2 pair of shoes: one road, one mountain each with its own set of orthotics (but you can flip the orthotics from shoe to shoe - so you can use them with your other shoes.) AND a third set of orthotics for my rollerblades - I was told the rollerblade set would fit ski boots too. They did tell me that there is a difference between ski orthotics and cycling orthotics - cant remember what they said...sorry.

They have been calling me to twesk my shoes, ask al kinds of Q's about your feet, knee tracking, cycling style, KOPS positioning, etc... - they really strive to give you a shoe + orthotic that not just fits you, but also your style of riding. (me - I am a masher type 80-90rpm with my KOPS alightly behind the spindle. Smiley may change this, but It feels comfy to me)

Hope this helps! :banana:

Gotta add that this should be tax deductable too - just get a MD note.

[Climb01742]

any custom shoe needs to take the footbed into account. footbeds eat up shoe volume. a shoe could fit perfectly, then put in a footbed, and it pinches places. oddly, BD makes a good point ;) : if you are having foot issues, maybe just cut to the chase and go custom. challenge with LUSTs is, he needs to fit you personally and finding him ain't easy. rocket and D2 send you kits. for what its worth, e-richie recommends lamson/D2.

[bostondrunk]

OK....
Just out of interest, didn't lamson shaft a bunch of people several years ago when he suddenly closed shop?
For the record, I could be COMPLETELY wrong about this, or misunderstood what happend, but thought I had read that in newsgroups several years ago. :confused:

[Climb01742]

i was advised to not give lamson any dough until i got the shoes. this from an experienced ex-pro. what they do now, is get a credit card number but not put the charge thru until shoes are delivered. maybe its like the schwin out of bankruptcy ad: we fell down. we got up. end of story.

[bostondrunk]

II hate giving my money to people who are not nice and disappear with your money, to then return as a 'honest' company, but not return your money.

[Climb01742]

criminals might be a tad strong... :rolleyes:

[bostondrunk]

OK, I re-worded it for you...:)
Ready to move that ill-fitting Merckx yet?? :p :banana:

[george]

I am a 6'8" rider with a size 16 shoe, 51 (Europe sizing). Four years ago I got my first serious bike... a Custom Rock Lobster. When it came time for cycling shoes we couil not find a pair so I opted for the then in 2000 Rocket 7 custom shoes for $400. They send you a firberglass [sock] [mold] that you put on your feet let dry then cut it and send it to them. You also trace your feet and the soles from a pair of running shoes. The shoes are exellent. Now the bottoms at the heels have worn through. I am thinking of using an old inner tube as a patch and glue it with a strong type of glue? Now I discovered that Sidi makes a Genius 4 road cycling shoe for $220 that has mega sizing up to a 52! I will try those eventually. My Rock Lobster was my first... I am waiting for delevery of my Coeur d'Acier some time in early September this is my very first post stay tuned for more including pics and my maiden ride story! I all ready LOVE my Serotta while it is still in the womb!!

[Too Tall]

Uh, just a note about being polite here....Don is a reader of this forum.

For what it is worth I am meeting Bart Sheldrake (LUST) at the Denver airport on my way back from the Olympic Training Center and am glad to forward any requests. He is just getting back from fittings at Park City.

I've tried em' all and LUST is the best by a far sight.

[Climb01742]

TT--i had thought about LUSTs and had contacted bart about his travel schedule. hooking up with him isn't easy. lamsons came recommended by e-richie and others. acknowledging don's past isn't impolite, i don't think. it's just being a knowledgeable, aware consumer. second chances are very american. having don make me shoes is a vote of confidence, i think. my tootsie's are eagerly awaiting don's creations.

[shinomaster]

I really don't want to spend much over $400, and I'm on a tight budget, with getting my Atlanta repainted and all..And rebuilt.

So just how durable are these custom shoes? Can they be serviced? Repaired? Resoled? Such thin carbon fiber bottoms can't last long.??

[Too Tall]

Climb - 's kool baby :)

Shino - I've ridden the LUSTS across the USA 3 times, 2 PBPs and had them repainted twice....zero repairs. Carbon is strong stuff.

[Kevin]

I like my R7s. Very comfortable and light.

Kevin

[eddief]

http://www.wellfeet.com/index.htm