The old shoe fit question

RkFast

The old shoe fit question

Just had my LBS size me to a new set of Sidi Dominators. The long and short
of it is that he wedged me in to a set of shoes where my toes are allllll
cramped up in the front of the shoe. All of my toes are pressed up against
the front of the shoe....and the guy at my LBS insists that this is a
correct fit. OK, I know that cyclings shoes need to be a little tight...but
this cant be right....can it? I went to another LBS and tried a full size up
and Im much more comfortable. Much more room for the toes...my big toe isnt
even touching the front of the shoe, and when I grab the back or walk in the
shoes, there is barely any heel movement...virtually none....and much less
than the AXOs Im ditching.

So...the question is....how much room in the front are you supposed to have?
Should there be any "wiggle room" or are cycling shoes to be fit very tight?

Mark Janeba

The old shoe fit question

RkFast wrote:
> Just had my LBS size me to a new set of Sidi Dominators. The long and short
> of it is that he wedged me in to a set of shoes where my toes are allllll
> cramped up in the front of the shoe. All of my toes are pressed up against
> the front of the shoe....and the guy at my LBS insists that this is a
> correct fit. OK, I know that cyclings shoes need to be a little tight...but
> this cant be right....can it? I went to another LBS and tried a full size up
> and Im much more comfortable. Much more room for the toes...my big toe isnt
> even touching the front of the shoe, and when I grab the back or walk in the
> shoes, there is barely any heel movement...virtually none....and much less
> than the AXOs Im ditching.
>
> So...the question is....how much room in the front are you supposed to have?

More than the first shop told you. I think they wanted to make a sale.
Don't buy shoes that aren't comfortable when you buy them. Life is
too short to suffer so.

Mark Janeba

Tom Paterson

The old shoe fit question

>From: "RkFast"

>insists that this is a
>correct fit. OK, I know that cyclings shoes need to be a little tight...but
>this cant be right....can it? I went to another LBS and tried a full size up
>and Im much more comfortable. Much more room for the toes...my big toe isnt
>even touching the front of the shoe, and when I grab the back or walk in the
>shoes, there is barely any heel movement...virtually none....and much less
>than the AXOs Im ditching.
>
>So...the question is....how much room in the front are you supposed to have?
>Should there be any "wiggle room" or are cycling shoes to be fit very tight?

No. Not tight. Unless you want bunions, don't wear tight shoes. Yeah, the heel
can't pop out, but no toe touching for sure, and for that matter, not
compressed side-to-side, either. For me, Sidi Genius work well. The buckle
"locates" the foot, my heel stays in, and the velcro lets me adjust for
comfortably loose without flopping around. The old "tight shoes" thing comes
from the days of stretchy leather. Even then, jamming the big toe against the
end of the shoe can give you serious foot problems. Worked for me and it didn't
take long, either. --Tom Paterson

SmartyPants

The old shoe fit question

Can any company's cleats (correct term?) be added to any bike shoe or do you
purchase the bike pedal shaft attachment after deciding which bike shoe fits
best? Thanks.

Zog The Undeniable

The old shoe fit question

RkFast wrote:

> Just had my LBS size me to a new set of Sidi Dominators. The long and short
> of it is that he wedged me in to a set of shoes where my toes are allllll
> cramped up in the front of the shoe. All of my toes are pressed up against
> the front of the shoe....and the guy at my LBS insists that this is a
> correct fit. OK, I know that cyclings shoes need to be a little tight...but
> this cant be right....can it? I went to another LBS and tried a full size up
> and Im much more comfortable. Much more room for the toes...my big toe isnt
> even touching the front of the shoe, and when I grab the back or walk in the
> shoes, there is barely any heel movement...virtually none....and much less
> than the AXOs Im ditching.
>
> So...the question is....how much room in the front are you supposed to have?
> Should there be any "wiggle room" or are cycling shoes to be fit very tight?
>
>
Sidis are a slightly different fit to other brands. However, these
sound too tight - and I have 3 pairs of Sidis, which I've used for years.

Ken

The old shoe fit question

"SmartyPants" <aipeasr@hot(remove_this)mail.com> wrote in
news:6Czec.25748$Nn4.5055245@twister.nyc.rr.com:
> Can any company's cleats (correct term?) be added to any bike shoe or do
> you purchase the bike pedal shaft attachment after deciding which bike
> shoe fits best? Thanks.

No, cleats come in a few different bolt patterns that must match the mount on
your shoes. However, a 2-bolt MTB shoe will work with 2-bolt cleats used by
most MTB pedals.

Cipher

The old shoe fit question

I personally like a 'snug fit' with my cycling shoe. (I own 2 pair of
Sedi Genius 4's and alternate them between rides allowing each to dry
out). At the start of a ride the buckles and straps are extremely
loose, yet I still get a crowded/tight feel with them on. As I ride, I
will gradually tighten down the straps and buckles until I get the
glove like fit I desire. My guess is that most shops fitting me would
consider my shoes too small (10½ EE feet, Sidi 44 Mega shoe) but this
had worked for me.

--

Russell Seaton

The old shoe fit question

Long ago I bought some all leather laced Duegi shoes. They were too
small. My toes touched the end of the shoe. But I used them for
maybe 10 years and many thousands of miles. In about 1998 I bought
some expensive leather/mesh Carnac road shoes. What a revelation to
have comfortable cycling shoes. Now when I finish a ride, I don't
immediately rip my shoes off to free my feet. I still take the shoes
off and put on the sneakers right away but its not because my feet are
aching. The Carnac shoes fit somewhat like my sneakers for toe room
and such. They are comfortable. I've also purchased some Carnac
mountain bike shoes since discovering the wonderful fit of Carnac
shoes.

"RkFast" <RkFast@nospam.com> wrote in message news:<xFoec.533$467.231071@news4.srv.hcvlny.cv.net>...
> Just had my LBS size me to a new set of Sidi Dominators. The long and short
> of it is that he wedged me in to a set of shoes where my toes are allllll
> cramped up in the front of the shoe. All of my toes are pressed up against
> the front of the shoe....and the guy at my LBS insists that this is a
> correct fit. OK, I know that cyclings shoes need to be a little tight...but
> this cant be right....can it? I went to another LBS and tried a full size up
> and Im much more comfortable. Much more room for the toes...my big toe isnt
> even touching the front of the shoe, and when I grab the back or walk in the
> shoes, there is barely any heel movement...virtually none....and much less
> than the AXOs Im ditching.
>
> So...the question is....how much room in the front are you supposed to have?
> Should there be any "wiggle room" or are cycling shoes to be fit very tight?

Douglas Landau

The old shoe fit question

I read that they should in fact be on the loose side because your feet
are going to swell up while riding.

dkl

"RkFast" <RkFast@nospam.com> wrote in message news:<xFoec.533$467.231071@news4.srv.hcvlny.cv.net>...
> Just had my LBS size me to a new set of Sidi Dominators. The long and short
> of it is that he wedged me in to a set of shoes where my toes are allllll
> cramped up in the front of the shoe. All of my toes are pressed up against
> the front of the shoe....and the guy at my LBS insists that this is a
> correct fit. OK, I know that cyclings shoes need to be a little tight...but
> this cant be right....can it? I went to another LBS and tried a full size up
> and Im much more comfortable. Much more room for the toes...my big toe isnt
> even touching the front of the shoe, and when I grab the back or walk in the
> shoes, there is barely any heel movement...virtually none....and much less
> than the AXOs Im ditching.
>
> So...the question is....how much room in the front are you supposed to have?
> Should there be any "wiggle room" or are cycling shoes to be fit very tight?

rocketman58

The old shoe fit question

On a side note: who makes a size 8.5 EEE SPD MTB shoe? Where can I
get a good deal on a pair? Thanks.

andres muro

The old shoe fit question

Shoes should feel snug on the heel and along the instep. In other
words, the heel shouldn't pull out and the foot should not be dancing
around. The toes should be able to wiggle freely, not be cramped from
the sides, nor touching the front. Remember, when you ride, your foot
will expand, so you ought to leave room for this. After hours of
riding in the heat and putting pressure in your shoes, they'll get
hot, tired and sometimes slightly numb. You will want to wiggle your
toes up and down to stretch your foot a little.
People have different shapes of feet. So you want to find shoes that
properly hold your heel, is snug along the instep and arch, and is
wide enough for your toes. Contrary to popular belief the length is
not that important as long as the shoe meets the first two
requirements. I have lots running shoes that have a ton of room at
front, more than the recommended thumb. However, since the shoe feels
snug everywhere else, they are fine.

Andres

"RkFast" <RkFast@nospam.com> wrote in message news:<xFoec.533$467.231071@news4.srv.hcvlny.cv.net>...
> Just had my LBS size me to a new set of Sidi Dominators. The long and short
> of it is that he wedged me in to a set of shoes where my toes are allllll
> cramped up in the front of the shoe. All of my toes are pressed up against
> the front of the shoe....and the guy at my LBS insists that this is a
> correct fit. OK, I know that cyclings shoes need to be a little tight...but
> this cant be right....can it? I went to another LBS and tried a full size up
> and Im much more comfortable. Much more room for the toes...my big toe isnt
> even touching the front of the shoe, and when I grab the back or walk in the
> shoes, there is barely any heel movement...virtually none....and much less
> than the AXOs Im ditching.
>
> So...the question is....how much room in the front are you supposed to have?
> Should there be any "wiggle room" or are cycling shoes to be fit very tight?

Jeff Starr

The old shoe fit question

"SmartyPants" <aipeasr@hot(remove_this)mail.com> wrote in message news:<6Czec.25748$Nn4.5055245@twister.nyc.rr.com>...
> Can any company's cleats (correct term?) be added to any bike shoe or do you
> purchase the bike pedal shaft attachment after deciding which bike shoe fits
> best? Thanks.

Hi, usually people select the type of pedal they want to use and then
buy the type of shoe that the cleats will fit on. That said, most
shoes made whether road or mtb, are compatable with a SPD type of
cleat. The SPD cleat has two holes, here is an example of a SPD cleat:
http://cambriabike.com/pedals/shimano_sh_51_cleat_pedal_set.htm
One advantage of this style of cleat, is that you can use with a mtb
shoe that has a recessed area for the cleat. This makes walking
possible with that type of shoe and cleat.
Road shoes have no recessed area and with any cleat, you will not be
able to walk very effectively. With Look style cleats, I waddle like a
duck. Here are some various road cleats:
http://cambriabike.com/road/pedals/pedal_cleats.htm
So, to summarize, mtb shoes are usually limited to SPD two bolt style
cleats. Road shoes, can usually be used with all types of cleats.
Although adapters are sometimes needed to mount the various cleats.
Here are some mtb shoes:
http://cambriabike.com/shoes/shoes.htm
And here are the road shoes:
http://cambriabike.com/road/shoes/index.htm

For a newcomer to clipless pedals, I recommend Shimano PD-M324:
http://www.coloradocyclist.com/common/products/productdisplay2_v2.cfm?PRRFNBR=24578&CGRFNBR=579&CRPCGNBR=579&CI=1,225,525,579&TextMode=0
These are clipless on one side and platform on the other. They give
you a choice of not using the clips in tense situations, while
learning. I have a set on my secondary bike. I use Shimano Ultegra
SPD-SL pedals on my main bike.
I hope this helps.
Life is Good!
Jeff