Cycling With Flat Feet - Orthotics Making Problem WORSE - Am I The Only One!?

[iRide]

I was having knee pain, which I found out was caused from me having flat feet. The knee brace fixed the knee pain. I then got custom orthotics which is helping the original problem but has created a new one! They have more arch support which is causing excruciating pain on the insides of both feet. I first thought it was because arch support was new to me- but I wear them in my regular shoes and have no pain- only in the cycling shoes. They start hurting from the first step I take after putting them on and I am in excruciating pain after biking about A MILE

I've been having these problems since I started cycling this April / May and this final thing makes me feel like quitting- but I've put so much into getting started and I really enjoy it (and was actually hoping to start racing in the next year or so).

Am I the only one with this problem!?

 

[John Ponting]

I have similar problems. Arches dropping, feet widening, shoes no longer really fitting correctly, custom orthotics in 'formal' shoes and trainers.

My preferred cycling shoes are a close fit with rigid sole and sized to fit with light socks; no space for orthotics. My feet get really sore after an hour on the turbo but last up to 3 hours of real riding.

I also have a pair of Lidel cycling shoes (trainer style) and thes, with orthotics, are fine. However I can't use them on my road bike as the trainer heel catches the crank; not a problem with the narrower sport shoe. Trainers work on my hybrid because of wider clearances all round.

 

[ASC1951]

Am I the only one with this problem!?

Who knows?

Be wary of relying on this forum for medical advice. Depending on the issue, knowledge varies from lots to less than nil; and the magic of t'Interweb is that you can't tell whose is which. [You may get a better response if you re-post this in Know How/Health and Fitness.]

I have never worn orthotics (although they have recently been suggested) but I have had various stretches and exercises prescribed over the years for leg injuries and distortions. My experience, FWIW, is that cycling uses a different range of small muscles from walking, running or swimming, so you may need to train up your lower legs and feet even if you have used the orthotics successfully for walking.

You also use different shoes. An obvious point, but are your cycling shoes still a good fit with the orthotics in?

Most of us here move onto clipless i.e. cleated pedals after a while because that gives a much more efficient and positive pedalling action. If you are still using platform pedals with soft soled shoes and loose feet, I suspect your knee and feet will be helped by a locked action provided you have the cleats set up correctly.

My immediate suggestion would be to stop using the orthotics while you are on the bike until you have been through the problem with whoever prescribed them for you.

 

[peanut]

I would make sure that you eliminate the obvious first. Check that the axle of each pedal is placed exactly central to the sole of your feet. its very important to get this right.
if the centre of the sole of your feet are 1cm behind the axle it will result in your toes clenching to compensate and your feet will start to ache very quickly.
Also check that your feet are in a comfortable alignment with the pedals. Don't assume, like most cyclists,that your feet will be happiest pointing straight ahead. My feet are comfortable pointing very slightly outwards which is very weird but it works for me. Its quite an art getting shoe/pedal alighnment right but it pays to get it spot on

 

[bonj2]

I've got fairly flat feet, i recently got some mavic shoes and i find them really comfy.
specialized road shoes always feel like they would never be comfy to me when i try them on in shops, although i have got some specialized mtb shoes which I find ok, probably because they're pretty soft-soled relatively (OT, but they are also bombproof which is one thing i like about them)

When i was a kid i did get some pain, almost like cramp, in the back of the ankle/the achilles, when i ran - an orthopaedic specialist said it was 'cos i had flat feet and i got some foot arch supports. don't know whether that cured it or it went away of its own accord.

 

[purplepolly]

Who knows?

Be wary of relying on this forum for medical advice. Depending on the issue, knowledge varies from lots to less than nil; and the magic of t'Interweb is that you can't tell whose is which. [You may get a better response if you re-post this in Know How/Health and Fitness.]

True but it's unlikely that whoever prescribed the orthotics will have experience of cycling and the answer isn't the same for everyone in any case.

Check the set-up like peanut says and be prepared to experiment a bit. Some people here use cleats, my feet are happiest with thick soled walking shoes and arch support used with half-toe clips. I normally wear these shoes when walking as well as normal ones flex too much. If you're wearing orthotics with normal shoes, maybe you could look at walking shoes which will give more support and flex the foot less.

 

[accountantpete]

I'd just add that you ought to look at your pedalling style - if it hurts to press down on the pedals there are plenty of workarounds using clip-in pedals.

 

[iRide]

I have Sidi shoes and LOOK pedals. I've done 2 fittings at separate bike shops (cleats are currently as far back as they go as at the last fitting, he said to try that, but I can go back for whatever adjustments as it's for the life of the bike). The orthhotics were made 'in-house' by someone who understands cycling (has been working with my bike fitter for quite some time now) so they can be adjusted. Already had some of the support taken out as it was way too much.

Just wanted to see if anyone else had this problem and couldn't stand orthotics on the bike!

 

[Jonathan M]

Question to iRide - what cycling shoes do you have?

Some (Specialised spring to mind) are alledged to have extra support to ensure best foot position. If you have such shoes then the orthotics may be unneccessary - although I use Spesh Body Geometry MTB shoes and find they hurt my feet!!

Would an option be to get an orthotic fitting done with your cycling shoes and see if you require a different support for those shoes than you do for normal shoes?

 

[iRide]

They're the Genius 5 Pro Carbon Women's Road Shoes. I took my cycling shoes in when I got the orthotics- she made them lower profile than she normally would've and when they were heated to get the custom mold, I used the cycling shoes.

 

[Baggy]

I've worn orthotics for walking/running due to flat feet, but was told not to wear them for cycling as cyccling doesn't cause your feet to over-pronate (which is what was causing my problem) as it's not an impact exercise. Do your feet hurt on the bike when you don't wear them?

Also, carbon shoes are also going to be so stiff that they have no give at all, so the orthotics are probably over-correcting as your feet will not be moving as much as they would in walking shoes (what Jonathan M said).

Could you get a second opinion from another podiatrist?

 

[Rollon]

My experience of custom made orthotics come from running rather than cycling, and my problem is the oposite to yours (High Arch). However one thing you could check is to see whether you are fastening your cycling shoes too tight, bearing in mind the fact that your arch is being lifted by the orthotic. I found that when wearing them I had to slacken off the shoes a bit or I would get really painful soles of the feet.
Dave.

 

[iRide]

Thanks for all the replies! Yes, I had problems before getting the orthotics- I had some Specialized shoes and some mtb style pedals and I'm telling you, I could feel the pedals through the shoes. So then I got the Sidis and the pain was better, but definitely still there (while my right foot was always worse, the pain in the left foot continued to die down once getting the new shoes).

 

[Jonathan M]

OK, another tack here. Where in your foot does the pain occur?

Something that is recognised as a problem (especially with ramblers, hill walkers etc) is Mortons Neuroma. This is where a nerve in the foot becomes enlarged over time, usually worsened by hig heels or over-tight shoes, and when present the problem can be exacerbated by wearing over-tight shoes (or over tightening correctly fitting shoes).

I'm just throwing this into things as you say you took the cycling shoes when getting the orthotics fitted, orthotics shouldn't mean shoes become over tight, but is this something that needs excluding, and if the orthotics are pushing your heel up somewhat (my son wears orthotics for flat feet and finds that they can push his heel too far up, and therefore out of the shoe - we have to choose shoes carefully) then might you be over-tightening the shoe to compensate, and it is really easy to over tighten cycling shoes with velcro or ratchet type fasteners.

As an aside, I returned to doing some hill walking earlier in the year, and found that the boots I had worn for a number of years, so they were broken in, gave me the painful burning sensation under the ball of my foot that is associated with Morton's neuroma. Super-feet insoles helped reduce the severity of the symptom, but it was a change of boot to a more flexible model that resolved it. IMO too stiff footwear can also exacerbate Mortons symptoms.

So two other things to throw in the pot:

How tight are the shoes being fastened

Does shoe flexibility make a difference to the pain?

http://www.footcareexpert.co.uk/MortonsNeuroma.html

 

[iRide]

Before the orthotics it was pretty much in the middle of my foot (right foot, mainly), now, it's on the insides of both feet. Can't tell if it still hurts in the middle, as the new pain is excruciating !

Wow thanks so much for those new ideas- I'm going to look at link for Morton's neuroma now