Bony top of foot pain

[Robbos]

I've tried to read up as much as I can but cannot find a solution. The top of my foot is quite bony and prominent, which makes finding comfortable footwear difficult. I've a new pair of Fizik's that use a boa, and the prominence of the top of my foot makes it hard to get good, even distribution of pressure. Has anyone ever seen pads made to compensate for this? (see image below). I might resort to making something DIY, but wanted to see if anyone else has had this issue and perhaps found a solution.

[benb]

I have had issues like this and the actual cause was other types of bike fit issues.

What caused it is things like the combination of saddle setback and cleat position not being quite right, usually too much setback and/or the cleats too far forward on the shoe.

When that happens it would put a forward component into my foot's motion in the pedal stroke and either my toes would hurt if the boa was loose or the area you're talking about would hurt if the boa was tightened enough to keep my foot from sliding.

Insoles that are too high can be an issue too.

[professerr]

I’ve had this same problem with shoes and boots all my life (super high, boney arches). Seems like some sort of foam pad with a blister cut out might work in a pinch, but it’s a pretty fiddly long term solution imo.

I’m curious which fizik shoes you have — the ones with a single BOA are terrible for me because there’s no way to adjust the part of the closure above my arch separately from the part closer to my toes. Other fiziks work well because they have a totally separate closure that just covers my arch, which I can leave as loose as necessary for comfort, while locking in the front part closer to my toes.

[Robbos]

Originally Posted by professerr

I’ve had this same problem with shoes and boots all my life (super high, boney arches). Seems like some sort of foam pad with a blister cut out might work in a pinch, but it’s a pretty fiddly long term solution imo.

I’m curious which fizik shoes you have — the ones with a single BOA are terrible for me because there’s no way to adjust the part of the closure above my arch separately from the part closer to my toes. Other fiziks work well because they have a totally separate closure that just covers my arch, which I can leave as loose as necessary for comfort, while locking in the front part closer to my toes.

Hmmmm. So it's not just me! My Fiziks are single BOA, and I think that is part of the issue, like it is for you. It's a shame, I really like them over all. I might try this hack at some point, tying off the lower portion and shortening the BOA.

[benb]

I have 2 pairs of Bontrager shoes with single Boa and now have a pair of Lakes with dual boa and this does seem like a good theory.

But in my case the Lakes fit differently too.

I still think it's a case of making sure your bike fit doesn't cause your foot to push into the boa straps as well though.

[professerr]

Originally Posted by Robbos

Hmmmm. So it's not just me! My Fiziks are single BOA, and I think that is part of the issue, like it is for you. It's a shame, I really like them over all. I might try this hack at some point, tying off the lower portion and shortening the BOA.

I think that hack is a good thing to try to see if the dual strap/BOA“fix” works for you (vs, say, the problems being a fit issue), though it may be hard to get just the right amount of tightness.

The other thing I’ve done is use lace ups shoes and then double twisting the laces where they cross at, say, the third pair of eyelets so that the tension for the higher eyelets can be set somewhat looser than from the lower ones closer to your toes. This is an old trick many use with hiking boots. But dual BOAs where there is one BOA for just the arch has really worked quite well for me.

[Alan]

If you have top of foot pain and there is enough room I would try tongue pads that are cheap on Amazon. You should also think about insoles. Try a few different types that have different thicknesses. You may find that this can help give you more room in the shoe.

I have custom orthotics but don't recommend them unless you have a really good person to design and work with the lab.

A lot of good fitters use the G8s which are by far the most adjustable insoles. See link at https://www.g8performance.com/cyclin...otics-insoles/

You could do some experimentation on your own first unless you have a super knowledgeable fitter. Try several different insoles and let us know how you do.

Watch Bikefit James videos on cleat placement and shoes. He is quite knowledgeable. He uses G8s a lot.

See his video on cleat placement at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoB7uaJcyUU&t=239s He has some great videos on foot issues.

Alan

[Alan]

Try different socks depending on available volume. I use wool fairly thick hiking socks which feel totally different than normal thin cycling socks. Wool has a lot more padding and comes in different thicknesses.

Agree w others that shoes, cleat position, insoles etc make huge differences in feel on the bike. For most people cleats should be pulled all the way back on the shoe. I have been like this for many years. The classic ball of foot over pedal axle is not recommended. Watch bikefit James on youtube.

[Robbos]

Thanks for all the feedback. I was careful in how I set up my cleats, and the bike fit videos confirmed that I did it correctly. The bone at the top of my food really is prominent, so I've ordered some shoe tongue cushions. I also cracked out a pair of E-Soles insoles I've had but couldn't get accustomed to. I'm going to try them with my newer Giros. I found it rather fascinating in the cycling shoe adjustment videos that arch inserts can lead to a serious reduction in saddle pressure(!). I'm going to continue putting pennies towards a proper bike fitting- there's a bike fitting specialist nearby-ish who's highly thought of.
Noted for the thick socks- that was going to happen inevitably as we're entering that time of the year when things get fresher outside...sigh.