shoes with wide toebox

[Jen]

I have a painful neuroma ( pinched nerve) in my foot. The last 1/2 of my long ride was almost unbearable. I need cycle shoes that have a wide toebox. I researched the internet and found Sidi Mega zeta but they only come in men's sizes with the smallest being 40. I need no more than a 39. Anyone with a similar problem, know of any wide toebox shoes? Trying to get ready for the seagull century. Need my feet to feel cozy. Sure hope someone answers this. I really need new shoes.

[Andrea]

My feet are somewhat wide, and I ride in a Specialized S works shoe (the men's version). I wear a 41, but on their site, they show a 39 as an option. I tried the women's version on & it felt a little narrower.

[ilima]

I have a wide-ish foot, and I have found Specialized's shoes to be the most comfortable. I have two pair, one road and one mountain. Sidis were always too tight in the toe area. Nice thing about a women's shoe is that the ankle area is tight enough and doesn't flop around like men's shoes tend to on me.

Shimano's WH-80 are semi-custom and might be worth a try. Bicycling had a short write-up about them.

http://www.bicycling.com/article/0,6610,s1-1-2-17179-1,00.html

[Miranda]

I don't own these, but tried them on, and a friend owns them for the wide toe box: Pearl Izumi brand. They seemed to have a lot of toe wiggle room, and were more square than rounded. Maybe worth trying on a pair somewhere. Hope your foot gets better!

[KnottedYet]

I have a neuroma, too.

Men's Specialized Taho shoes work for me, on the one bike with cleats.

My other 3 bikes have platform pedals, so I just wear whatever shoes I have on when I ride those.

[salsabike]

Actually, our host Susan Otcenas counseled me to get a men's pair of Sidis because the women's shoes run narrow. They are working very well for me.

[madscot13]

I also bought a pair of men's sidis and those are working well for me. actually I was able to buy them for less than $60 so they are working very well for me. I think the 1/2 sizes might be the same length but wider.

[OakLeaf]

I'm wide in the balls of my feet and narrow in the heel, and I also have a low instep. Specialized shoes work well for me because there are two positions for the ratchet. At the tighter position I still ratchet mine almost to the very end of the strap, but they stay on and fit well.

[Eden]

Are you completely set on road shoes? "Touring" shoes or some styles of mt bike shoe might be a good option for you. They tend to have a nice wide toe box and a more comfy fit than straight up road shoes. They also generally have a recessed cleat and are walkable.

[colby]

I had Sidi Genius 5s (mens) and they were okay for shorter rides, but toes fell asleep on long rides - not quite wide enough. When I bought my new bike, I bought new pedals, cleats, and shoes. I ended up with Shimanos (a tri shoe, in this case), the bike shop dude said they tend to run wider in the toebox. I did still have to buy mens, but they fit great! Mine are a 40 - we first tried some Pearl Izumis, which he said also run wide, but the mens didn't have a 40/41.

My dad has wide feet and loves his Specialized MTB shoes, too, so +1 for Specialized. If you expand your search to other shoes, you really expand your choices.

[HoosierGiant]

I'm currently riding in a pair of MTB shoes, size 39, which have never felt as comfortable as I'd like. I searched for new cycling shoes for six months before I finally found a pair that felt like they had enough room in the toebox. Broke the sesamoid bone in my right foot several years ago (run over by a tractor trailer loaded with sandbags -- ouch!) and have had issues finding shoes that are roomy enough since then. Tried Sidi Megas, both men's and women's -- not enough room. Several people recommended Specialized for their wide toebox -- not enough room. After months of trying on shoes, slipped on a pair of Shimano SH-R085 road shoes, and it was LOVE! I knew they were going home with me as soon as I put them on.

[Nansel]

I have a wide forefoot, and found Specialized Sport mountain bike shoes fit me well. Love them.