Ache/crampiness on outsides of feet...shoes too narrow?

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Oooh...now these LG mtn. shoes are intriguing. Even DH thinks they sound good on paper. Sounds like they would work for my heels, too...and I'm hoping to get into cyclocross either this year or next, so they would likely work just as well for that as they would on the road.

Hmmm...now I just wonder what size. My Sidis are 40s, the Northwaves I tried are women's 39s...39 in men's LGs? No matter what I will order from a retailer with a good return policy. There are only a few places on this side of the state that carry LG, but I don't know that anyone carries actual shoes, just clothing.

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So I ordered a pair of the LG shoes in 39...and they fit better than my Sidis (they should, since they are men's standard D width and my Sidis are women's standard B)...but I think may be a hair short/narrow, especially since the toe box feels to have pretty low volume (my feet are not only wide, but fat, heh).

Just how much room should a cycling shoe have beyond the toes? I can never find any hard/fast rule on this. Right now I'd say I have <cm. The next size up is 40, which is about a CM longer. The heel fit is excellent...better than my Sidis and better than the women's Northwaves I tried. I have a stupid narrow heel that slips out of a lot of shoes.

I would like to be able to wear these in the Winter, too, with a heavier sock. Right now I have a relatively lightweight Smartwool cycling sock on.

[Kiwi Stoker]

Most boot and shoe retailers say a thumb's width at the end of a closed toe shoe.

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Most boot and shoe retailers say a thumb's width at the end of a closed toe shoe.

I keep reading conflicting info. re: cycling shoes...some places say they should fit in length like running shoes, other things I read suggest that there should be very minimal room beyond the toes. But the new shoes are definitely a hair too short and narrow to feel "right" on my feet.

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So I ordered the LG shoes...the 39s were too small, so I went up to the 40s (same size as my Sidis)...what a different fit from the Sidis! Length is about the same, but they are generous through the midfoot and forefoot, narrow through the heels. No pointy toe, a very gentle, rounded toe. The shape of the shoe is also more straight-lasted, while Sidis are curved lasted--I have never been able to wear curve-lasted shoes. These shoes feel like snug, stiff racing flats, instead of tight, pointy-toed women's dress shoes.

The LGs feel great on my feet and are heat moldable, so I heated them up and put them on for 20 minutes while they were soft and flexy. They stretched in just the right spots. Plus the toes are designed to flex for running off the bike...I hope to try cyclocross this Fall.

And I have room for a slim pair of blue Superfeet insoles and forefoot shims. I can't wait to see if this improves my mechanics on the bike...I can now tweak things to adjust for a suspected shorter/functionally shorter left leg. Hoping to do at least 30 miles in them, tomorrow.

[Desert Tortoise]

Zoom-zoom, glad you found some shoes that seem to work. I know how you feel, I too have duck feet.

By the way, just noticed this thread. Thanks for sharing your search. I need to get shoes and I've been putting it off because finding a heel that does not slide out is such a pain.

Curious, what is straight-lasted and what is curve-lasted?

DT

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When you look at a shoe does it go pretty much straight from heel to toes, or does it curve towards the big toe, some? I find that the shoes that work best for me are generally wide and straight...like Dansko clogs, Keens, and New Balance or Nike running shoes. I can't wear Asics...they are almost all too curved for my foot.

First ride in the shoes (46 miles) went reasonably well--no more overlapping and cramping toes. I still had to loosen the toe straps after about 9 miles, since my feet were swelling. They are definitely not too wide. I'm not sure how I rode in women's Sidis for so long.

I still have to tweak a few things. I need to move my cleats back a bit more and I think the combo of Superfeet insoles and forefoot shims was a bit much. I'm leaving the shims out for my next ride to see if I like that better. That will give my feet a bit more room, too.

They seem to absorb road vibration better than my Sidis. Heel fit is better and I felt more airflow around my feet, too--though I will not be happy about this come Winter...but I should be able to wear a heavier sock and can always do full shoe covers.

[Desert Tortoise]

Oh, I never really thought about the curve/straight thing. I'm going to look at that next time, thanks.

These shoes seem to be working out. Good luck with the tweaks and happy riding!