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I've done a couple fast (for me, 16+mph) but short rides this week, and my feet are sore, like I've been walking a few miles. I've never had this problem on longer, but slower rides. My current shoes are Specialized MTB shoes. Should I look into some stiffer ones as I get faster?
Hummmm.. last weekend when I did 26 miles, the last 1/4 of the ride my right foot was pretty much numb from arch to the tips of my toes. The shoes I was wearing was Bontrager WSD shoes
http://www.bontrager.com/model/08441
I felt they were just a little tight in the toe box, but I never had this numb foot problem on shorter rides and it was only in my right foot. It was sort of hard to judge the shoes at the LBS.
I thought I should look into a wider shoe like a mountain bike shoe. So I'm at the LBS tonight. This is a different LBS as then had better selection of shoes and the sales guy looks at my shoes. I tell him about the pain and he asks to look at my shoes (we were on the way for a ride so I had actually had my bike shoes on) and says it may be that the cleat just needs to be moved back. He says I'd love to sell you a pair of shoes, but you might not need them, then after looking at the shoe closer he says, yes this cleat has shifted back. That's when we then noticed just behind the cleat, they were completely cracked, both shoes had soles that were completely cracked nearly all the way across. I say perhaps that was the reason for my pain and while we can't directly attribute it to the old shoes, we can't rule it out either, but there surely was too much "flex."
I went ahead and bought the new mountain bike shoes and was impressed the LBS just wasn't out to sell shoes and I'll take up the shoe issue with the other shop. Bought the shoes 9/17 so they are only a tad past a month old and to have them completely compromised like that is silly. Can't wait to get out and try the new kicks!! In the end, I like them much more and they were on sale, so I didn't pay any more then the Bontrager shoes were.
New Shoes:
http://www.serfas.com/product_details.asp?ID=703
Shannon
The shoes are sound, by the looks of it. They're just relatively inexpensive. I think they were $80. They're certainly less flexible than street shoes, but there's more flex in the sole than, say, DBF's Sidi Genius(es? Genii?). It seems to be speed-related. I did 36 miles with an average of 13-14mph with no problem. The higher-speed (avg 15-17mph) rides leave my feet sore. I'll certainly see if I need my cleats adjusted, though.
Good deal. Hope you figure out your issues and the new shoes are a solution to mine!!