Do you wear your custom orthodics inside your cycling shoes?

[Tokie]

I love my custom orthotics! I wear them on every bike ride, and they keep my foot in a much better position. They are the best! My DH uses Superfeet insoles instead of custom orthotics (recommended by the PT who thought he could get away with the superfeet instead of investing in custom orthotics) He has been very pleased. Hot feet or foot hot spots have not been problems for either of us though. Tokie

[Trek420]

Pretty good info here:

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=15268

[OakLeaf]

I use the OTC ones that Specialized sells for their shoes.

But my massage therapist recently recommended I use the custom ones. I've got other things going on with my calves stemming from tight hip flexors. But even though I'm not getting foot pain on the bike, apparently I'm still pronating enough to cause calf trouble. I think my custom ones are good, but she said to make sure that a physical therapist makes them.

[Ana]

Yeah, most of the pain I experience is on the outer edge of the ball of my foot. I think I will stop by REI on Friday during their big sale, bring in my cycling shoes and try a couple of Superfeet

When you "try" them, do you just walk around in them in your cycling shoes? Usually my foot pain does not begin until about mile 8-10 (plus, I'm on my bike, not walking around in my cycling shoes).

I am grateful for any tips you have about assessing the effectiveness of the Superfeet in the store

[celerystalksme]

I do quite a bit of running...and my poor feet were not right. Superfeet and other pre-formed inserts did no good. So I went to a pedorthist in Lake Orion (he's he pedorthotic consult for the Detroit Pistons, Detroit Shock, Michigan State Spartan mens and women basketball teams, and the US olympic ski teams)...and he made me custom orthotics. I actually asked him if I need to use them in my cycling shoes. He said he would recommend that I use them in everything...BUT, it probably wouldn't be as necessary in cycling as there's little to nompact and the forces on my feet are nothing like that of running. Seeing as how another pair of custom orthics from him would have cost me $250+, I decided to try cycling without custom orthotics.

It's been fine! Cycling is definitely not the same as walking and running...I can't run more than a mile without my orthotics...otherwise, my feet hurt so bad I want to cut them off. But I can do centuries no problem in cycling shoes (Shimano SPD-L or Look Keo or Crank Brother Egg Beaters with Sidi shoes).

Have you experienced pain in the feet while cycling?

[GLC1968]

Ditto Celerystalkme.

I have flat feet and also have special custom orthotics designed specifically for high impact athletics (running, step, etc). Even when I use them for these activities, I still have foot trouble. In fact, that's the reason I started cycling - for the low impact cardio.

Anyway, I purposely bought high-end super stiff cycling shoes and I use the Ultegra SPD-SL pedals and have had no problems riding distances without orthotics. I did have trouble with my first pair of shoes and SPD pedals after mile 15 or so. The pain would be so bad by mile 35 that I thought I'd never be able to do centuries. Walking after riding was almost impossible, too! Better shoes and different pedals made all the difference in the world (though I changed them both at the same time, so I don't know which one was more beneficial). Oh, and I use only Specialized shoes because they are desgined for people who pronate, which I do. This was under recommendation from my bike fitter who also happens to be a foot/leg alignment expert/specialist (I forget the proper term!).

[Kiwi Stoker]

Not me but DH has custom ones. He has very flat feet and had pain along the outside edge of his foot when riding. He saw a running/cycling specialist who asked him to bring his bike and shoes and watched him ride and took casts of his feet.

He ended up with a thin neoprene type insole with very hard plastic reinforcement in certain places. He uses them in all his cycling shoes. No more pain.