I find myself in a bit of a pickle. Two years ago I invested heavily into some very fancy mik.fit orthotics, and Mik himself suggested that, for my foot, shimano s-phyres or rapha pro teams would be good options. The idea being that I have a slightly curved foot, which is quite narrow (281x96 mm right foot, 278x95 mm left foot). Well, that backfired. Basically, within 30/40 mins of riding my toes, especially the big toe, start going numb. In addition, especially early on I had FHL issues, with tenosynovitis and arch discomfort.
I had almost a year off riding for a variety of reasons, and now that I’m starting again, I wonder what to do. Early rides tell me that things haven’t changed, although the fhls haven’t been as grumpy. The power transfer of the shoes + orthotics combo is insane, and the stability is really good, but the feet go numb and are quite uncomfortable.
I have tried other shoes (old pair of cx332 wide I had lying around), and things seem much better, even though the fit is not very good. Basically, my take is that the shimanos must be just slightly too narrow in the toebox, though the measurements at the ball of the foot are ok, and therefore must be creating issues.
So, onto my question: what is a good shoe that is as narrow as the shimanos, but with a slightly more rounded toe box?
I love my Lake CX-239. They adjusted the fit on this newest iteration so the heel is more snug. I use the Wide version for maximum toe box space. My experience in trying on the S-works (in wide) is that the width was ok, but the space above the toe was too snug. Also I see the CX-239’s are now on sale. Good luck!
I think toe shape/size is an underrated part of shoe fit. If your big toe is longer than the other toes, or if your second toe is longest, it will result in verrrry different fits. Hard to recommend without knowing that, but for my foot shape, I’ve found Fizik give my big toe enough room.
I have had good luck with Udog. Very roomy toe box. Hard to know if it narrow enough in the heal for you. And I am all about laces. I find that is an awesome way to actually get shoes to feel right.
Bont shoes have a wider forefoot area and have a more bean-like curve shape to them, I love mine. The downside is they are expensive and (at least where I’m at) really difficult to find a local dealer so you can try them on before you commit.
the whole range is heat mouldable at home although, admittedly, the amount of adjustment that gives is minimal. Bont also do a full custom option for really difficult feet. No experience here, just mentioning it’s an option.
I have a wide left foot, as a result of broken metatarsals when younger, and a “normal” right foot. Even the Bont Riot base model with their mid arch support (for me) seems a step up from more expensive other brands.
I have narrow heel/slightly wide forefoot and have had great luck with specialized.
Fit-wise the torch 3.0 and s-works have both worked fine, but in the previous generation there was a big step up in quality of materials and durability for the s-works version. The top of the heel fell apart on a couple pairs of 3.0’s (this was frustrating-still an expensive shoe), and the s-works can often be found on sale.
While it’s probably not for everyone, my all-time favorite shoe that solves all of my toebox issues is the s-works 7 lace. In theory the main downside is lack of on-the-bike adjustability, but with the comfort and lack of restriction on the forefoot I rarely feel the need to do so.
After coming back and reading this again, I’m betting that the numbness and arch issues are a combination of a toe box that’s a little too tight, and insufficient arch support. It’s highly unlikely that your feet need the same amount of arch support, and your measurements show they are different sizes.
I’d suggest you check out Bike Fit James on YouTube, who has a load of videos where different shoes and/or insoles are needed. He’s got quite strong feelings re shoes and feet, but the evidence in the videos would seem to back-up why. He’s a big fan of the G8 adjustable insole, of which I recently noticed that Neil Stanbury (another bike fitter you can see on YouTube) is also a fan.
For heel retention, the best I’ve found is Sidi shoes, although unfortunately only the expensive ones with the reflex adjustable retention on the rear of the shoes. You can adjust it to your heel to stop any movement.
Can’t comment on the toe box as my feet are very narrow.
Another one for Lake. Specifically, the “race” last. This gives you a handful of model options that all have this last.
The S-Works Torch is pretty good too. Keep in mind though that these have a built-in varus bias, which basically raises the inboard side of your forefoot. Not going to work for everyone. It can be neutralized w a slip-in wedge, but doing this reduces the volume in the forefoot.
I’ve tested many of the shoes mentioned and found the Lake CX239 offers the best combination of wide toe box and forefoot width, good heel hold, and great arch support. See this review and the last comparisons. THE BEST ROAD CYCLING SHOES - In The Know Cycling .
I’ve been on a wide toe box, narrow heel quest the last few years as my custom shoe maker retired. Some observations:
—Shimano saddens me as they went backwards. The old (like 3 generations ago) SPhyres were wide forefoot even in their non-wide iteration…then they just narrowed them up and now even their wides are narrower than their prior normals.
—SWorks Torch, even in wide, is not that wide. The new last used on the Ares 2 is much better (a regular Ares 2 is wider than a wide SWorks Torch). The problem now with the Ares 2 is that the foot retention isn’t great (relies on the one strap across the bridge of the foot; the toe strap is useless). If only they made the last of the Ares 2 with the sock-like upper material of the Ares 1!
—I’d like to try custom Bonts at some point, but off the shelf ones are weird. The old ones are unyielding and the heat molding a mirage (doesn’t actually change anything). The new ones are way, way better—but still have some quirks (to me, their inside shape along the big toe is abnormal—kind of bends inward as if you have a bunion there—and rubs against a normal/straight foot). I’m hopeful that they come out with a completely neutral forefoot shape.
—People love Lakes…but they’re just a traditional shape that then has wide versions (aka they’re not “natural foot shaped”). My problem with them has been that the wides fit my forefoot—but then the upper / enclosure system is super loose—and I can’t crank them down, even at the max, enough to not have a ton of heel play. That said, I haven’t tried the newest one they just launched yet.
—New to cycling shoes, but very promising: the new Q36.5 shoes seem to be amazing. I haven’t done more than try them on yet, but they seem to have narrow heel hold and wide forefoot width, with slipper like comfort. Downsides: very expensive, and potentially might need to lower saddle a tad given their low stack height.
The two standard recommendations are Lake and Bont. I own pairs of both. Bont shoes might be a good fit, because they feature a “bathtub” sole design that is meant to be molded in an oven. So you can e. g. narrow the heel if you wish. Their most expensive shoes come in four widths, the less expensive ones only in two.
I have Bont Riot+ MTB and they were inexpensive (about $150) and super stiff. In fact, they are stiffer than I want in a MTB shoe that I want to walk in Despite the price, the quality is great and they offer replacement parts.
My next road shoes will likely be Bont road shoes, because Specialized’s prices have gone from expensive to ludicrous. (I own a pair of S-Works 7 in Wide, great shoes.)
My experience here is that a wide toe box is not necessarily a tall toe box. For example, my feet are not exceptionally wide but i do have a “tall” big toe. I am able to wear Sidi wires comfortably however, i have had terrible luck with Fizik, Quoc and Giro shoes. Most articles would say they all errr to a more traditional fit than the new wide foot fit. Same issues arise within same brand also. Newer Torch have less vertical space than the old models. From what i know, the S-phyres have a very low toe box as well as narrow. I think you will find that the “traditional” shoe makers such as Lake, Sidi, Gaerne etc as well as knitted uppers would work for you but all of the newer style thermoplastic bonded styles are going to cause troubles. It’s the nature of the material and process that is it difficult to build a lot of vertical space out of a single piece of stretched material
Despite the price, the quality is great and they offer replacement parts.