Bike shoe fit???

[RJR]

I've been cycling too long not to know this but...
Different shops have given me different advice...shoes should be really snug...or they should give you plenty of room...

I've got two pair of Sidi's...a 46 and a 47. 47 leaves some room (1/2 inch) at the toe. 46 I'm right at the end. Will the smaller give me fits in the long run?

[mandasol]

If you're right at the end with your 46 your dogs will be barking after they've swollen from a long ride on a hot day. 1/2 inch is a little much. Was the bike shop out of 46 1/2?

[regularguy412]

I found after my first pair of cycling shoes that it was better for me to get shoes 1/2 size larger,, i.e., 43.5 instead of 43. The main reason I did this was because I could ' feel' the ends of the screws holding the cleat on through the insole. So since the first pair, I've always purchased shoes half size larger so I could put in an extra insole. An added benefit of this was I could use a thick sock in winter and take out the extra insole without the shoe being too tight. Now, I've only owned Shimano shoes, so I can't really comment on other brands.

Mike in AR:beer:

[rustychisel]

If you're right at the end with your 46 your dogs will be barking after they've swollen from a long ride on a hot day. 1/2 inch is a little much. Was the bike shop out of 46 1/2?


Yup. Took me three years to find out how comfortable I could be.

[happycampyer]

It does sound like the 46.5 would be the best fit lengthwise, if you find that both a 46 and a 47 can fit you.

Although Sidi's don't have much in the way of arch support, they are still contoured for the arch--do you notice a difference where the arch is? Also, Sidi's have a relatively low toe box compared to a lot of other shoes, so I find that the right size for me fits a little closer in the forefoot, but is still comfortable for hours of riding.

OTOH, if you need custom orthotics, or just like to replace the flimsy Sidi footbed with something that has a bit more support, a .5 size larger might be better (e.g., the 47 vs the 46.5), as long as the arch etc. doesn't feel out of place.

[TC Johnson]

I have been shopping for a set of road shoes, and tried Sidi Genius 5s over the weekend. I found the upper to feel great and the ratchet system giving a very secure fit, but the flat uncontoured insole a disappointment. It was like the outside of my foot was not making contact with the insole. Granted, they were not set up with cleats to try on a bike, but my Northwave Mtn and DMT tri shoes feel like they mould to the bottom of my foot better.

Are there aftermarket insoles with better contours available for Sidi?

TC

[Karin Kirk]

Are there aftermarket insoles with better contours available for Sidi?

TC

Yes. Best bet is to just bring your Sidis to a shoe store or sporting goods store and try out a bunch until you find one that fits and feels good to you. I use insoles that came out of some Salomon trail running shoes, they just so happen to fit perfectly and have nice support.

[RJR]

Thanks for the thoughts. I suspect that bigger is the way to err, but I keep seeing things that say cycling shoes should be really snug :confused: .

I think that the several who've advised 1/2 sizes are probably correct. Unfortunately, they aren't available...in fact, I haven't even seen many of them online.

I think I'm going to go with the 47's. I'll probably replace the Sidi insole with something a bit more substantial, plus I do like my Smartwool socks which are a bit thicker than most.

You've freed me to ride without guilt for having feet that aren't compressed beyond recognition.

[Der_Kruscher]

Just a thought. We had a Sidi rep in yesterday and he reccomends these as the Sidi insole is flat. I've used the grey ones in the past and liked them.

http://www.superfeet.com/products/Yellow.aspx

[pdbrye]

Yeah the stock Sidi insole is horrible, really disappointing for a $300 pair of shoes. I switched the insoles to a pair of the Superfeet Grey and have found them to be a big improvement.

[old fat man]

Just a thought. We had a Sidi rep in yesterday and he reccomends these as the Sidi insole is flat. I've used the grey ones in the past and liked them.

http://www.superfeet.com/products/Yellow.aspx

I rode across the country this summer in a new pair of sidi energy's. I had severe knee pain early on and visited Voree Smith (?) a Serotta fitter and Physical Therapist in NW Washington state on day 2. He set me up with an arch supporting tape job until I could get to a store to buy the Superfeet inserts. He recommended the black because they are lower volume.

Once I put those black Superfeet inserts into the Sidi's I stopped the taping of my arch and rode the remainder of my trip pain free. If you like less stiff shoes like the Sidi's, try the black Superfeet insert for some added arch support. It was the best $35 I spent all summer.

[Pete Serotta]

go with the 47. Comfort, as long as they do not ride up in back. Different insoles and socks can fine tune....I use a size bigger in SIDI lately.

[SadieKate]

I'm very happy not to pay extra for fancy insoles in shoes. I own prescription orthotics and throw out the insoles that come in all shoes.

Whatever insole a company used would not fit someone so it's better just to put in a cheap one on the assumption that everyone will be buying something of higher quality and more appropriate to their individual foot needs (example, with or without metatarsal bumps), custom or OTC.

[Ti Designs]

What size bowling shoes should I wear?

[quattro]

Ti, that is the question I'll be asking tonight at Jillian's when I go bowling? Do you have any suggestions? Do you think I should go a half size larger? I trust your advice. :beer:

[Dave]

I agree with others, that you don't want a toe pinching fit. Most peoples feet swell some while riding and an over snug shoe is rarely wise.

The inside soles of Sidi shoes is not flat. There is a significant arch built in. The removable insoles are very thin with no extra build-up in the arch area. I've got high arches, but always felt some arch support from the shape built into the Sidi shoe.

If you want to see a shoe with a completely flat inner sole, try Rocket 7 shoes. They are made to be flat, so the shape of custom insoles won't be altered by the shoe.

I have used the black Superfeet model mentioned and found it comfortable, but it can tighten the fit of a shoe.

I would recommend a heat-formable insole, made by Sole. That's what I put in my Rocket 7 shoes. These insoles are formed into a high arch to start with. I heated mine up, one at a time, quickly put them into the shoe and rode on a trainer, rather than stand in the shoe. I don't think the high initial arch was changed much.


http://www2.yoursole.com/products/footbeds/slim/sport

If you really want the best, look into D2 custom shoes. $600 is a lot, but custom orthotics are often $300 and you get shoes with custom orthotics with D2. http://www.d2shoe.com/index.php?page=shop.browse&category_id=1&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1

[Louis]

I would love to replace my Sidi insoles with something better and I've tried gray Superfeet, but they take up way too much volume in the shoe. I love my mesh and Lorica Sidi's (for warm / hot and cool weather, respectively) and they fit very well, but aftermarket insoles are just too thick.

Is there anything out there that will be better than the plasticized cardboard, but not fill the entire shoe?

TIA
Louis

[Pete Serotta]

I think :) I have the blue ones


I would love to replace my Sidi insoles with something better and I've tried gray Superfeet, but they take up way too much volume in the shoe. I love my mesh and Lorica Sidi's (for warm / hot and cool weather, respectively) and they fit very well, but aftermarket insoles are just too thick.

Is there anything out there that will be better than the plasticized cardboard, but not fill the entire shoe?

TIA
Louis

[old fat man]

I would love to replace my Sidi insoles with something better and I've tried gray Superfeet, but they take up way too much volume in the shoe. I love my mesh and Lorica Sidi's (for warm / hot and cool weather, respectively) and they fit very well, but aftermarket insoles are just too thick.

Is there anything out there that will be better than the plasticized cardboard, but not fill the entire shoe?

TIA
Louis

the superfeet black insole is the thinnest they make. it is higher volume than the sidi insert but not as big as gray or blue.

[Bruce K]

I was at a bike shop today with a freind while he was getting some preliminary fit dimensioning done.

The fitter told him (and it makes sense to me) that you need to fit a cycling shoe so that the ball of your foot and your arch meet the same areas of the cycling shoe that you are purchasing, even if it means having a little extra room in the toe box.

The reason this came up is that while my pal's size by toe length was a 42, his arch length showed he really needed a 43.

If he had gone with the 42, the fitter stated that he would have issues with his arch and the area under the ball of his foot.

BK

[jlwdm]

I bought new Sidis the first of last year with esoles. The esoles are custom made to fit in the specific shoe you have.

I was wearing a Sidi size 46 but it was starting to feel too short. My fitter, Paraic (just before he left for Serotta), showed me that my foot was longer because at age 60 my arch was collapsing. With an esole the arch would be higher and my shoe size would be fine.

My understanding is that a Sidi 46.5 is not longer than a 46 it just has more volume. In order to fit the esole I was fitted with a 46.5 mega. This made a perfect fit for the esole (more height and width) and they have worked perfectly from the first day.

Obviously this does not work so well if you are not buying new shoes. For me though buying the shoes and esoles together with a good shoe and esole fitter made all of the difference.

Jeff

[A.L.Breguet]

In my opinion, the "buy em tight" idea is a carry over from the days when all cycling shoes were leather and would stretch over time.
You want them to fit like any athletic shoe. Not so loose that your foot can slide around, and not so tight that circulation is an issue. Circulation is especially important in cold weather. I know my feet are warmer now that I buy cycling shoes that are big enough.

[itsalldark]

Great insert for a cycling shoe: SOLE Slim Sport----heat moldable. $40.00

[android]

I've been cycling too long not to know this but...
Different shops have given me different advice...shoes should be really snug...or they should give you plenty of room...

I've got two pair of Sidi's...a 46 and a 47. 47 leaves some room (1/2 inch) at the toe. 46 I'm right at the end. Will the smaller give me fits in the long run?

You don't correctly fit shoes based on the toes. You fit shoes based on the ball of your foot. There is only one correct fit, although the size may vary between brands and models. The big bone at the ball of your foot should be exactly at the widest part of the shoe.
Now two things can happen after that:

1) There is room for your toes to be comfortable.

2) The toe box is too short for your foot. This means you need to look at a different brand or model. Different manufacturers use different lasts.

A cycling shoe should fit comfortable snug in the heel, arch and sides of the foot and there should be a little room at the toe. If the shoe fits properly, you should not be sliding front and back in the shoe, so your toe should not jam against the front while you are riding.


More info here.
http://brannock.com/cgi-bin/start.cgi/brannock/instructions.html

[android]

I was at a bike shop today with a freind while he was getting some preliminary fit dimensioning done.

The fitter told him (and it makes sense to me) that you need to fit a cycling shoe so that the ball of your foot and your arch meet the same areas of the cycling shoe that you are purchasing, even if it means having a little extra room in the toe box.

The reason this came up is that while my pal's size by toe length was a 42, his arch length showed he really needed a 43.

If he had gone with the 42, the fitter stated that he would have issues with his arch and the area under the ball of his foot.

BK


Ahh, somebody that actually know how to fit shoes. :)