Yet Another Cycling Forum
General Category => The Knowledge => Health & Fitness => Topic started by: yanto on 05 August, 2019, 06:07:56 am
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Two weeks ago I cycled two 600km rides separated by a 2 day break with a small amount of riding. On the first 600km ride my feet were fine until the last 60km which had some serious (for me) climbing and the temperature rose to 33 Deg C, I then started to suffer with hot foot requiring a stop every hr or so to relive the pain by walking about with a pair of sandals on rather than my cycling shoes.
The two day interlude was fine, but on the return 600km ride the hot foot came back after only a couple of hundred km and gradually got worse requiring many stops as I was unable to put any pressure on the pedals.
Over the past two weeks I have ridden a few 40 mile routes with just a very small feeling of pain, however yesterday I rode a 100miler and for the last lumpy 30 miles I was in agony, even now 12hrs later my right foot has a slight pain just sitting still.
I have PBP coming up later this month and I'm starting to worry that re-occurrence there which with the hills looks probable may well be a show stopper.
I ride with my cleats as near to the heel as possible, this way for many years, I ride with Look Keo cleats which are about as large as possible and a very stiff soled shoe.
I'm beginning to look at metatarsal supports/cushion pads and was wondering if anybody else has used them and to what degree of effectiveness, or indeed anything else that has helped.
Ian
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See a sports podiatrist if you want a chance to sort this before PBP. Hotfoot is mostly a nerve problem, often exacerbated by too-narrow shoes, particularly if your feet swell in heat and over time. Orthotics usually help, particularly custom orthotics, but that takes time and trial and error. Most cycling shoes don’t have enough room to fit shaped insoles and you don’t have much time to experiment.
The traditional get-to-PBP-finish solution is folded paper napkins in the shoes but you need enough room in the shoes to fit them. I buy my shoes to fit well with thicker socks, rather than super-thin cycling socks.
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I would agree with LWAB. I think it is often a slightly tight forefoot which causes the nerves to be irritated.
Frankie mentioned some interesting flat pedals with a very large surface area.
I have cured it in the past by taking out the insole to give more room.
I now buy shoes deliberately wide in the forefoot.
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Its a few years back since i had this sort of issue, but loosening the lacing at the front of the shoe helped me - which fits the "too tight" replies above. Heat and repeated pressure (not as much as running, but still) are likely to lead to swelling or spreading. I've always used shoes with actual laces, I'm not sure how well that translates to other fastenings.
Sent from my LG-H850 using Tapatalk
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I have high arches and used to suffer badly from hotfoot. After a bit of research I fitted some Specialized footbed insoles and that cured the problem instantly and permanently.
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I resolved my last foot related problems with pedal extenders. My feet were being forced too close together, which was placing undue stress on the outside of my feet. Have since done a 300 and a 600 without problems.
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I had hot foot for some time some years ago. The answer, for me, turned out to be very simple - getting bigger shoes.
I knew my shoe size, I’d ridden the same size of cycling and street shoes for years. I had several beautiful pairs of expensive Carnac shoes ( through knowing “ someone “). Therefore I was loath to change.
However, I also found that when buying smart shoes to walk around in when working, the manufacturers were clearly making them smaller.
Once it dawned that my feet were getting bigger, and bit the bullet, everything changed. I went from 42 (8) to 43, even 44. I now ride Shimano 43wide cycling shoes with Superfeet footbeds, even 44 in some cases. “ Posh” shoes 9.
Interestingly, talking to others, most people report their feet getting bigger as they aged.
I tried on a pair of my Pete “ perfect” Salisbury racing shoes from my 20’s the other day - no chance of even getting my foot in!
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Agree with above. You need big shoes.
I always buy cycling shoes 2-3 sizes up.
At the first sign of hot foot I loosen off the laces, velcro or whatever. Relief can be pretty quick if you can ease whatever is squeezing the nerve.
Other thing to think about is some kind of insole. I think the Specialized ones go on about metatarsal button, designed to stretch out the bit of the foot where the nerve would likely get squeezed.
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Carnac shoes used to be great - wider fitting and a bit flexible. Shame they went belly up. Nowadays I'm using Mavics, but I had to go up a size to get the width so when I walk they try to pull my socks off.
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I'm using some Luck MTB shoes I got off Planet X for £40 which are nice and wide. They still do a Luck shoe but the exact one I got is all sold out. I think they must have cleared out some luckless retailer who couldn't shift them.
It's basically https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/SHLUCKSPD/luck-spider-mtb-shoes but with velcro and a composite sole instead of full carbon.
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Lake have wide fittings and a good measurement system but are eyewateringly expensive
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Thanks all, I'm reluctant to buy a new pair of shoes at this late stage as I have precious little time to bed them in and they may create more problems, and seeing a specialist is not possible due to work committments. However, I'm formulating a plan :facepalm:
Buy some Specialized blue inserts for my shoes, shaping them to fit the perimeter outline of my shoes.
Ensure I ride from the start with loose straps at the front.
When I stop at controls take shoes off (was going to do that anyway)
Take some yoga mat foam, scissors and tape with me so I can fashion further inserts if needed.
The final one and more radical is to perforate my shoes to increase airflow in an attempt to reduce heat induced swelling.
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Taking your socks off another coping strategy (which I did for last 160km of a 400 in June). Take a few plasters.
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Thanks for the above. I've had occasional hot foot problems. I do tend to lace shoes tight but that's a legacy of having narrow feet (A width fitting) and having problems because every shoe in a shoe shop is too wide for me. So will try the advice of loosening the front straps on my new shoes.
Getting bigger shoes doesn't help. There's precious few made above EU size 48/49 and I hate to think what a custom built cycling shoe would cost if you could find someone that made them.
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I have one foot a full half size bigger than the other. So when I got shoes that fitted my bigger foot the smaller one floated. I then got pads off amazon which I have attached to the inside of the shoe to pad it to the correct size.
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Apologies for resurrecting an old thread but on the recent North Coast Classic 600 I had the worst hot foot I've ever experienced. I've always suffered from this a bit on long rides, but usually only after about 400km. On the NCC I was feeling it after 100km, by 300km I was having to take time off the bike to cool off my feet. It was a hot for Scotland ride (25C and lots of sunshine) and very hilly. I use Superfeet Yellow insoles in my SIDI cycling shoes and while they give great arch support for my high arches they don't have any cushioning. Would switching to Specialized or another brand of insole help?
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I doubt it. It's not really the insole, it's the space you need. I'm surprised you can wear Sidis- they're not renowned for being wide in the forefoot.
I used to get hotfoot in sandals, mind, so there's a limit to what shoes can do. Ideally your insole will have a metatarsal button to ensure your toes spread from higher in your foot. Having done a quick google it would appear that Spesh insoles have that so I'm going to contradict myself and say maybe it would be worth switching.
I have Liv insoles (https://www.bouldercyclesport.com/product/liv-truefit-custom-insoles-273775-1.htm)which have variable support options so I can pamper the foot that gets it worse- obviously as these were good they're no longer available.
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Sounds like you're playing a guessing game.
I went to a podiatrist, they know about this problem.
My (painfully dear) bike-fitter also knew a bit, and was able to recommend best-fit Superfeet (together with a small wedge that ... Does Stuff).
With proper stiff soles (and wide toe-box), these days I barely suffer .
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Normal Sidi are Italian narrow but their Mega lasts are different. Random internet supplier quote: “Mega lasts are EE to EEE width fitting.”
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I use Italian leather shoes and Boardman shoes. The Italian jobs have a wide toe area and the Boardmans don’t.
The wide “toe box” gets my vote every time.
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I have yet to find a cycling shoe that really fits my Hobbit feet. Even the wide fits are narrow for me.
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If you're happy with the fit of your shoes and are just interested in insoles, I've found the Enertor running insoles pretty good. They have a small metatarsal button and arch support.
I too am in the search for shoes that fit feet resembling an equilateral triangle.
Sam
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Just an update - nowhere around here to try on lots of shoes so had to resort to online. After much research I bought a pair of Lake MX238 wide fit from Salt Dog Cycling. They feel very wide and loose compared to my Sidis but seem comfortable enough after a couple of days commuting. Would have liked to have done some longer rides in them before PBP but that ain’t going to happen so I’ll just wear them and hope for the best.
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Another update from me - I rode with the Lakes and the Currex BikePro insoles on PBP. It was hot and sunny and my hot foot was as bad as ever. Riding at night was fine, the hot foot basically switches on when the temperatures go past about 23 degrees and switch off again once the temperature has dropped below that. The Lakes are super roomy, so shoes being too tight are definitely not the issue. I guess I'll go looking for alternative insoles and see if I can find a solution that way.
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I suffered from hot foot, generally after cycling about 40-50 miles. After a bike fit moved the cleat position much further down, I don't have hot foot any more.
Toe overlap is now more of an issue though!