Hotspot under ball of foot
 

I've begun to get a hotspot under the ball of my left foot while riding. No change to bike fit, shoes or pedals.

I have very high arches and my old Specialized footbeds could probably stand to be replaced. Any other ideas for relief?

Hot spot
 

1.) How old are your shoes? Same for cleats? Shoes can wear and stretch. Cleats can wear and get sloppy? Sometimes cleats can slip or move slightly.

2.) Do you know all of your measurements? Sometimes it is good to put a tape on everything and make sure all is where it needs to be.
Saddles wear and sag. Sometimes seatpost sinks a bit, sometimes saddle slides back on the rails.

"Hotspot" is often caused by excess pressure on the sesamoid bones underneath the first metatarsal.

First step in troubleshooting is usually assessing cleat position. A rearward shift in cleat position can often alleviate this pain. Transitioning riders to a pedal system with a larger contact patch (e.g. to SPD-SL instead of SPD) can also be helpful.

If you have changed absolutely nothing but are suddenly experiencing issues with hotfoot, something has to have changed. It could be...

1. The firmness of your footbed (is it worn?)
2. The stiffness of the sole of your shoe
3. Your riding volume or style
4. Your age (time makes fools of us all)

But alas, if it's a significant issue for you I'd recommend finding a subject matter expert who can evaluate your fit in person. It'll feel like a big commitment up front, but might be cheaper than throwing money at footbeds, cleats/pedals, shoes, and wine to quiet the nighttime-bike-fit-anxiety.

SPDs if you weigh more than before and/or standing more?

triple check a cleat screw is not too long, or you tightened them up and maybe the sole of shoe has compressed around bolt or cleat... allowing a bolt incursion.

Good points

• Footbeds are definitely old and worn - it's probably where I'll start
• Shoe is also old, but full carbon sole
• More Zwifting
• Mid 50s :eek:

FWIW, very occasionally I get a skin crack in between my toes. From winter riding and moisture with covers, yada.

Pain never feels like it is from where the cracked skin is, rather defers to under the front of my foot. So maybe look closer, and between your digits...

just a thought: PurOrganica Foot Cream


I get dry skin too....this helps.

I use CeraVe with great success. Any comparative opinion? Also urea, magic ingredient? ;)

Thanks for that too of course...

I've had this issue crop up when my footbeds get old and allow my foot to deform more than it should (also a member of the high arch club)

This seems like good advice. For a few years, I'd get painful hotpots but usually I'd only feel them at the very end of a long ride >60 miles or so and only when it was fairly hot outside.

I seem to have cured them by:
1. Switching to Time Xpro pedals instead of SPD style cleats
2. Switching to stiff carbon soled shoes (EA90 carbon)
3. Moving my cleats back and my saddle forward a bit.
4. Better hydrating myself before and during rides.

I just get what my wife tells me I need....research on skin care is her dept...

I will ask her about CeraVe;)

Having seasamoid issues on occasion the podiatrist suggested adding a metatarsal pad to my insoles and cutting it where the seasamoid sits so it's supported around but that area dips below. Might be helpful in some regard.

I had a sesamoid flare up last week while on vacation. Glad I figured out what it was. It has been (and still is) a dull pain, then BOOM it flared up severely. I am on my toes a lot in yoga classes. I treated with RICE (worked fast).

The metatarsal pad can help. For me, it was a simple matter of an unknown callus creating pressure. Used an otc callus remover and a pumice stone. Check the area regularly now.

Truly believe G8 insoles can fix the issues most people have with their feet when used with a stiff carbon sole and a big pedal like an SPD SL. G8s with a metatarsal pad and correct heel wedges fixed every ounce of foot discomfort I had overnight. Obviously if there are ‘known’ issues like bunions or whatever, then it won’t fix that, but for anyone that just has generic ‘foot pain’, G8s are amazing.