Shoes hurting tops of feet

[Lozi]

A couple years ago i decided to finally try clipless (SPD) after years of riding in flats, long story short i hated it and didn't get on with it for a few reasons.

Im debating trying again now though possibly with different shoes, i currently have Fizizk Terra X5 and one of the biggest problems i have with them is when i get them tight enough they hurt the tops of my feet like my feet are particularly veiny or something.

I have never seen anybody mention this has anybody else experienced this? I want to try this type of racer Boa type ones again but i am worried that they just won't work for my feet.

My current road bike i am told is too big for me (i am 5' 9 and its a 56) so i am considering getting a new bike, a proper bike fit and some SPD-SL's to see if i can make it work.

 

[fossyant]

You are doing the shoes up too tight. I just make sure I can lift my heal slightly in the shoe.

I have on occasions done my normal shoes up too tight. I don't notice until the next day and I can't walk on the foot.

Also check ball of foot is directly over axel

 

[cm2mackem]

A couple years ago i decided to finally try clipless (SPD) after years of riding in flats, long story short i hated it and didn't get on with it for a few reasons.

Im debating trying again now though possibly with different shoes, i currently have Fizizk Terra X5 and one of the biggest problems i have with them is when i get them tight enough they hurt the tops of my feet like my feet are particularly veiny or something.

I have the exact same shoe, they do feel tighter across the tops that my other boa's, I put it down to the cables going across the side of my foot rather than the top, as they do on most road shoes, maybe just an MTB thing

 

[Sharky]

I am same height 5' 9" and ride 56 size frames. My old steel bikes used to be 23" frames (58cm) and also ride a 54cm alloy frame. On all the bikes the position is roughly the same. So no real help or conclusion, just that you can cope with quite a range of frame sizes. Just check that the seat post is in the middle of the min /max lines, so you have scope to adjust the saddle height.

Re shoes - do they have laces or velcro fastenings. With the latter, I have the opposite problem - can't get them tight enough, so perhaps shoes with velcro fasteners could help.

 

[si_c]

I have quite narrow feet so find that it's very hit and miss as to whether like @Sharky I can get them tight enough or not. With the Velcro I tend to have to cinch them up so tight that there is not much of the vecro engaging, usually less than an inch. Using three strap velcro works better than two as I can get the right pressure at the right points.

I've recently got a pair of shoes with a boa fitting and it's an improvement albeit with a couple of caveats, namely that when tightening up I have to pull the lower half of the closure to get some of the slack out - much like you have to do with a pair of laces and it has similar properties to how it fits my feet. And they are very quick to do up and release, which is nice.

I think for me though it's likely to be that my ultimate pair of shoes will have laces on as they fit so much better to the overall contours of your feet and are consistent in how they do up so that you don't end up with pressure in the wrong place.

 

[fossyant]

I quite like my Shimano MTB shoes with a ratchet and a strap works well. My winter boots are all velcro.

 

[vickster]

Shoes wrong fit? Do you have a high Instep/arch?

 

[Lozi]

I am same height 5' 9" and ride 56 size frames. My old steel bikes used to be 23" frames (58cm) and also ride a 54cm alloy frame. On all the bikes the position is roughly the same. So no real help or conclusion, just that you can cope with quite a range of frame sizes. Just check that the seat post is in the middle of the min /max lines, so you have scope to adjust the saddle height.

Re shoes - do they have laces or velcro fastenings. With the latter, I have the opposite problem - can't get them tight enough, so perhaps shoes with velcro fasteners could help.

I had a bike fit at a local shop when i got the SPD's and even with a small stem and seat all the way forward i still couldn't comfortably reach the hoods properly.

The shoes have the boa system with 1 velcro strap at the bottom which basically does nothing lol

Shoes wrong fit? Do you have a high Instep/arch?

Perhaps there is a foot problem that would have to be something i seek out advice on i think i might have wide feet but i would also need to have that checked.

 

[Sharky]

seat all the way forward

Something doesn't sound right. Moving the saddle forward isn't really a solution to making the hoods easier to reach. The saddle should be set relative to the BB. The KOPS method is a starting point. If saddle is too far forward, your body weight will be forward as well, putting extra strain on the arms and be a cause of being uncomfortable as well.

Are you newish to road bikes? It might just be that you need to give it more time to adjust.

Good luck

 

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

Your bike is too big for you, I would also guess that you are clawing with your toes at some point in the pedal stroke, take the footbeds out of the shoes and have a look - would be fairly obvious

 

[screenman]

You are doing the shoes up too tight. I just make sure I can lift my heal slightly in the shoe.

I have on occasions done my normal shoes up too tight. I don't notice until the next day and I can't walk on the foot.

Also check ball of foot is directly over axel

The ball of foot over axle is a bit of a myth for many and the feeling has changed on it over the years, I certainly cannot feel comfortable like that.

 

[screenman]

An interesting look on bike fit can be found on BikeFitTuesdays on youtube.

 

[Mark pallister]

I get that problem now and again ,boa fastening shoes done up to tight
it usually goes away as the shoes tend to loosen of during the ride

 

[Lozi]

Something doesn't sound right. Moving the saddle forward isn't really a solution to making the hoods easier to reach. The saddle should be set relative to the BB. The KOPS method is a starting point. If saddle is too far forward, your body weight will be forward as well, putting extra strain on the arms and be a cause of being uncomfortable as well.

Are you newish to road bikes? It might just be that you need to give it more time to adjust.

Good luck

I had done around 1600 miles on the bike when i bought the SPD shoes and had the bike fit, it was a terrible bike fit as it turns out i won't be going there again.

Your bike is too big for you, I would also guess that you are clawing with your toes at some point in the pedal stroke, take the footbeds out of the shoes and have a look - would be fairly obvious

It was mostly when i first put them on in the house that it hurts the tops of my feet i have to wear thicker socks to counteract it, during rides i experience pain in the arch of my feet mostly... to be totally honest i did a handful of ride or so and gave up on clipless i wasn't having a good time at all.

An interesting look on bike fit can be found on BikeFitTuesdays on youtube.

Funnily enough i have spent the previous few days watching those which is what made me consider trying clipless again and get a better bike fit lol