Insoles

Dredging this thread as there doesn't seem to be a more recent one. I've been getting pretty painful feet when doing longer rides and I wonder if insoles would help.

Getting pain in all 3 of the pairs of shoes I have, DHB lace up, DHB velcro and Gearne ratchet so I don't think it's a cleat position thing.

Anyone want to recommend some decent insoles?

where on your feet does it hurt?

@sohi Along the bottom at the outer edge of my foot.

Maybe it's a trivial statement but you probably need to find the reason why it happens in that area
and then find a way to spread the pressure away so it's more equal on your foot.

I didn't have pain at the outer edge but at the ball of the foot and big toe area on carbon soled
Giro shoes. I moved the cleats a bit back and put in thicker insoles and it did help.

Maybe for the outer edge you need to angle the shoe differently?

Yeah, could be.

It's my right foot that hurts, I'd be surprised if I'd mis-placed the right hand cleat on 3 pairs of shoes.

I was thinking of the angle when looked from the front. Like in this example:

If your foot is not perfectly parallel to the ground you will put more pressure on the outside.

https://www.roadbikerider.com/do-you-really-need-shoe-wedges-or-is-your-q-factor-too-narrow/

Ah right.

Q factor could be an issue, its all track stuff I ride so quite narrow I'd have thought.

Interestingly that article does say "Also, if you are using those floppy insoles that come with most cycling shoes, throw them out and get a good insole that will support your arches better." so I think investing in some might be a good idea anyway.

I’ve got pretty high arches and had all manner of fit issues before going to see Scherrit where alongside other things he shoved a load of bar tape under the insole to firm things up. It can def help.

Have since used sof sole fit insoles which are super supportive but can take up a bit of room in cycling shoes so now use icebug slims. Really low volume which is great but not quite as firm support. Both quite expensive but lasting well.

If it is a Q issue maybe pedal axle extenders/ wider axle pedals?

I have the Solestar kontrol for cycling shoes, Superfeet green for all else.
Insoles you get with shoes generally suck and lack support all over.

Could also be slight imbalance in pelvis, hips or lower back which could lead to your legs not being perfectly straight. If you have some discomfort somewhere else, try to find an osteopath who is also an athlete, they generally have quite an insight on body mechanics.

I’ve had some sciatic pain but pretty sure that was a separate issue and send to be clearer up now anyway.

I was hoping for a cheap fix so think I will experiment with things myself probably starting with insoles rather than go and see a bike fitter although I guess that would be the quicker way to get to the bottom of it.

I think I’ll measure the Q factor of the two (or maybe three?) bikes I’ve gotten the pain on so far, I said it was all track stuff but actually the bike I was riding the other day has road cracks albeit they are DA 7402 sitting on a 107mm bb so that might still be pretty narrow.

That roadbikerider article seems to suggest I’d be getting knee pain if my q factor were at fault and my knees are about as alright as it gets for a fixed gear rider. I have crepitus in my right knee but no pain associated with it, occasionally some ‘discomfort’ as opposed to pain in both knees after long/hard rides but doesn’t last.

Edit: hadn’t realised till I just wrote it out there though, right knee crepitus, right foot pain... maybe there’s something in that after all.

put your legs up against a wall.. When I do my left foot is perfectly inline, my right tilts outwards.

I had the same hotspot pain as your describing until I put wedges between my cleats and shoe (not an insole).

How do you mean up against the wall?

Sorry if I’m being dumb.

Like this?

My right foot was more tilted, inwards though.

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I mean, obviously Im not an expert but it looks like both your feet rotate outwards, maybe your right is slightly worse?

You can see my right foot clearly rotated vs left, wedge on the right shoe between cleat solved it for me. Should probably try and loosen up ankle to actually 'fix' it. I had a couple of physio appointment years back and they noticed it.

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My mate gave me a pair of blue (med arch which is what I measured myself as having) Spesh BG insoles and the commute today was my first chance to use them.

Almost instantaneous discomfort in my right foot. Felt like the arch support is too far forward or something.

Not sure if it maybe got a bit better towards the end of my commute or I was just getting numb to the pain but definitely seems like insoles are not going to be the answer.

The specialised insoles were not great in my experience. Go see someone who can do you a custom footbed. Simon at Cadence in Crystal Palace will do you a pair for 90 quid. Best 90 quid i ever spent on cycling

I've used the blue insoles for 10 years and get on well with them.

That feeling might be how it is supposed to be. One of the things that insoles go on about is metatarsal buttons. The idea is that a lump under the middle of your foot spreads the bones out, which is meant to be a good thing. May be a case of getting used to it at first. But worth googling metatarsal button + insole or something to see if that is what it is.

Do you have your shoes a size or two larger than your feet? I generally get cycling shoes a couple of sizes up. In some shoes, which are maybe a bit bigger than others, the insoles seem to slip forward, putting the support in the wrong place.

I’m in Glasgow but I think there’s someone up here I can go and see.

I reckon I might persevere with them, seemed to be less bad on my ride home last night.

Will be interesting to see hope I get on with them on a longer ride. Might stick the original insoles in a jersey pocket just incase though!

Interestingly my left foot doesn’t seem to care what insole is in it’s shoe.

As for size, no I think my shoes are properly sized. My dhb shoes are actually a smaller size than I’d normally wear being a 44. Im a46 in shimano and between 45 and 46 in non cycling shoes.

If you can afford it, then Sidas custom insoles are absolutely brilliant and one of the best investments I’ve made for my riding.

3M VHB tape hack.

I will report back

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I have been having no end of foot trouble for the last year or so. I wish I'd done this a long time ago but the magic ticket was a pair of G8 2620s. You can get them from Bicycle. in Richmond or Sigma and they have changed the game. Literally. If anyone cares, I can write out what it's done for me. I have high arches, wide feet and tend to put all of my weight on the outside of my feet and the amount of arch support you get with the G8s seems to have alleviated my foot pain/numbness entirely.

Did they fit them for you at Bicycle. in Richmond, or just gave you the box and go figure it out?

When I was after a pair of shoes, I wanted to go have a shoe fit with them. I had a budget limit of ~£200 for the shoes + the £90 for the insoles. Which is, lets be honest, a lot of money in general. Unfortunately nowadays thats like entry level in cycling shoes...
If you dont end up buying shoes from them, the fit costs £50, and they only had like 3 pairs of shoes around the £200 mark. While I understand that their time is valuable, it left a sour taste that when I asked if its possible to pay for the shoe fit and use it as credit towards a bike fit and/or the insoles, they turned it down.