[Stumps]

Recently i’ve started getting a pain on the outside of my foot, sort of halfway between my toes and ankle. 

I’ve tried tightening my shoes and slackening them as well as different thickness of socks but nothing seems to ease it. 

Has anyone had similar pain and if so how did they recover etc. 

i wear fizik shoes so they aren’t cheap ones. 

Topic

[Pilot Pete]

1. Correct fit shoe including

1. Correct fit shoe including width. Not too tight, even when done up correctly, not loose either. Some, like Sidi have heel cup adjustment, mega width sizes (wider than standard) which can mean a superior accurate fit, which doesn’t need over tightening to stop your foot sliding around.

2. About ten years ago I got a pair of Sidas mouldable footbeds. They seemed expensive for ‘just an insole’, but they really aren’t. They come (like clipless technology) from the ski boot world and are heat moulded to the shape of your foot and individually trimmed to fit each shoe. I found them an absolute revelation. I too used to get pain on the outside of my foot, leading into cramp on long rides. Never experienced it since fitting the footbeds. Still have the same pair which I swap from shoe to shoe, they have not degraded and still make a lovely comfortable shoe fit.

3. Correct cleat position, and in fact complete bike fit – it starts at the shoe/ cleat/ pedal interface and works up, then forward from there. Each element can have a negative effect on something else, which can lead to aches and pains. Just get everything in the ball park to start with unless you can afford a full on bike fit. Tweaks can then be made to fine tune and optimise. I’d start with getting the ball of your foot as close to the centreline of the pedal axle as possible by adjusting the cleat fore/ aft. Then heel in/out – start with the shoe totally aligned with the centreline of the bike and work from there – everyone’s anatomy is different, you may need a bit of heel in, or out as you pedal around the stroke. What you want is it to be comfortable so the pedalling action is not putting any side strain on knees etc. With saddle height and fore/ aft set correctly this should mean any foot aches are then more down to something anatomical rather than incorrect position. You may find a heel wedge or orthotic insole to correct your foot in the shoe is needed, but you will need specialist advice for that really….

Good luck

PP

[pablo]

Yep cleat position and the

Yep cleat position and the drillingposition for the cleat on the shoe is as important as size but is a little overlooked as every manfacturer puts them in a different place relative to the heal.  

Fizik are well known for having drillings very far forward compared to other brands they are perfect for people with decent flexibility but if your not then they can cause problems.  

I had a lovely pair of Fiziks but i developed problems a little while after i bought them but didn’t associate the shoes with the issues until i went back to my fitter who within 5 minutes told me that due to my tight hamstrings they were completely wrong for me and to get rid.  I went back to my previous brand as recommended and the problem soon cleared up.  The drillings were 15mm different when the shoes were aligned heal to heal.  When you looked at the videos it was causing me to ride massively toe down we the weight pushing to the outside of my foot.

I’m not picking on Fizik i’m sure other brands are similar it’s just from my experiance with them.

 

 

[SlowOldSteve]

Should have also added that

Should have also added that my yoga teacher has us roll a semi soft tennis sized ball under the sole of our feet for a few minutes and that gives an amazing release to tension that you can hold there. 

[SlowOldSteve]

Back in 1970 as a schoolboy

Back in 1970 as a schoolboy club racer when my first cycling shoes where leather with shoe plates you nailed on, yes I  know I’m that old!, they were very comfortable and stayed so as I grew and got larger sizes. Fast  forward to clipless modern shoes, which are obviously much easier to  live with,  i never found a make that ever really fealt comfortable and often had some discomfort,  numbness even after a short ride like a 10mile TT. My first 100 miler resulted in my feet hurting more than my bum! Then some years ago I read of someone having a similar issue and then discovered Shimano wide fitting. I bought a road pair and an mtb pair and they are just so comfortable with a wide toe box, which as a previous comment said is so different to all the very  narrow racy looking modern shoes. If you hunt around  they are £50 ish, so a reasonable price and impressively well made with a good range of cleat positions,  both in the 3 fix and 2 fix cleats. Not saying that is your specific problem but worth considering if your everyday street shoes don’t cause you a problem.  Good luck  getting  comfortable again.

[MrMoo]

Good luck – I had similar

Good luck – I had similar with new shoes last year. I thought they were too narrow and tried loosening, tightening etc as you did.

Then after watching a you tube vid from Francis Cade on cleat positioning – basically saying move your cleats as far back as poss (fizik are a particular issue as they are more toward the toe as standard). I thought I’d try it, moving my cleats all the way back (about 5-7mm diff) and all the way inboard which made my feet sit wider apart on the pedals (probably 3-4mm diff). The difference was instant – no more foot pain, and my toes stopped getting slightly numb / cold which I’d put down to winter weather.

[Stumps]

Thank you for all the

Thank you for all the suggestions. I’ve been to see a local physio and they’ve given me some advice. Fingers crossed. 

[Recoveryride]

At the risk of being Capt

At the risk of being Capt Obvious, I’d see a professional. If it’s bothering you and hasn’t gone/doesn’t go away, then it needs looking at. Most professionals can’t diagnose you without examining you and taking a proper history, much less a group of non-medics over the internet (with apologies if there is a Dr or similar on the board).

Find a cycling-literate physio and see them. Medical professionals (including physios) are allowed to work in lockdown, so there shouldn’t be a problem. I know a couple of good ones in you’re in the south-east.

[don simon fbpe]

I had similar, it was plantar

I had similar, it was plantar fasciitis.

[TheBillder]

Wide shoes made a huge
Wide shoes made a huge difference for me. My feet are not that wide but most road shoes are designed to look cool rather than fit actual human feet.

eBay is good for cheap shoes to try. I’m selling a pair at the moment and prices seem a lot lower than when I’m buying…

[theslowcyclistxx]

As someone who had struggled
As someone who had struggled for many years before finding a solution (I hope) for my foot, here are my learnings:
1. The actual point where your foot hurts is not necessarily the place where the pain comes from.
2. The price and quality of your shoes has very little to do with your pain, but the size and width may very well be the cause.
3. Cleat / pedal position is important, and you may consider pedal extenders (16mm).
4. I my case hallux vallux inserts works, try them to see if they make a difference.
5. I am not sure if a different sole will do it, but before you start buying the expensive ones (I prefer sole insoles), try putting in a thicker sole or simply an extra sole to see if it makes a difference.

[Hirsute]

Adjust the cleat postion.

Adjust the cleat postion.

Try an insole with better arch support eg Giro X-STATIC SUPERNATURAL FOOTBED FIT KIT

[Author]

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