Shoe Brand Advice

[MJBumpy]

Hi,
New member here. I'm having a very difficult time finding the right brand road shoe to fit my feet. I had Shimano RP5 for a few years but had some bad numbing in my big toe after century rides. I use the the thinnest Sole insoles, but it seems even those are too thick and take up the very little toe room I have. Is there a particular brand that has a taller toe box? I've read multiple articles about shoes with wider toe boxes, but apparently I'm in need of a taller box to accommodate my giant big toe. I picked up a pair of Northwave Extreme GTs on sale, thinking they would fit better due to my past experience with their MTB shoes. They fit pretty well with the original insole, but again, not much room left with the Sole insoles. Maybe I'm forever doomed with thin insoles.

 

[vickster]

Buy a size up?

 

[MJBumpy]

Buy a size up?

Already considered that, but was wondering if there were better options to getting a "better fitting" shoe vs simply a "bigger" shoe.

 

[raleighnut]

^^^^^^^+1

 

[PaulSB]

It's very common for cyclists to wear their cycling shoes one size up from their street shoes.

I have very broad feet and struggle to find comfortable shoes. For around 15 years I've worn Lake MTB shoes and found these very comfortable. Their range does limit both very choice significantly.

This spring I bought Specialized shoes and Fizik winter boots. The boots are a very comfortable fit. The shoes proving tighter than hoped for and irritating my bunion.

I suffer from this problem with other shoes. The trick is to stretch them over a long period. I use shoe trees which are a size to big. Insert these after every use and slowly the shoe will expand and I find it enough to improve the fit.

 

[CanucksTraveller]

Hello, fellow giant-big-toed cyclist!
I wear North Wave, one size up.

 

[Levo-Lon]

I have a dodgy big toe that goes numb, I wear all cycle shoes a full size up.

 

[MJBumpy]

I get sizing up. I typically wear a 10-5-11 US in regular shoes. In cycling shoes, wear a 45-46 (depending on brand)

 

[avecReynolds531]

Struggled with this for years & years.
Bont have a wide and roomy toe box in their standard shoe, and I'm very happy with those.
Lake are also known to do wide shoes too (haven't tried). Both companies cater for extra wide fitting and have sizing advice on their websites.
I have old Northwave Rebel mtb shoes - they are excellent with a lot of room and height. I'm not sure if there is an equivalent road shoe.
Road.cc have a good article all about this: https://road.cc/content/feature/223770-where-can-i-find-wide-cycling-shoes
All the best & hope sore feet will soon be something in the past!