+1 for this. Had custom insoles fitted 10 years ago, transformed my cycling. Not only did it solve all the foot discomfort issues I was having, but also eliminated all the bad habits I’d gotten into to try and alleviate the foot pain, and which in turn were causing muscle tightness issues elsewhere. Didn’t have a power meter at the time but I’d go so far as to say that the ability to transfer power more evenly throughout my foot actually increased my power.
I think cycling shoe fit and comfort is a hugely underestimated part of cycling performance.
I got mine from a bike fitter. Actually started out as a straightforward bike fit to try and resolve some knee and lower back issues I was having. He figured that poor shoe fit (I have very odd shaped and different sized fit, up to that point I thought foot pain was just an unavoidable part of cycling) was at least part of the cause of the knee issues. Upsold me on custom insoles, which of course necessitated new shoes as well. Walked out with an empty wallet but 10 years on I’m still very happily using the same insoles (on the third set of shoes now) and the same fit, so turned out to be money well spent!
Knowing you have a leg length difference of 5/8 of an inch, I would consider shimming your short leg, in addition to pushing your cleat back. I also have a leg length difference of 18mm. I started with 10 mm.of correction. I kept on shimming until my pelvis did not tilt, and I could sit without pelvic tilting. When your pelvis tilts down on your short leg, you put excessive pressure on that foot. It also affects a balanced pedal stroke. I ended up needing 5 Speedplay leg length shims= 15 mm of correction. Speedplay has shims for leg length issues. I hope you find this advice helpful.
I struggled with this last year. I think it was early stage Morton’s Neuroma. What fixed it for me was insoles with a metatarsal button. These fixed my issue: Amazon.com .
thanks. I’ve talked to different PTs who say different things about shims. A few have said that since I’ve accommodated for it for so long, a shim would throw off my body geometry (I’m in my late 50s, had major back surgery for scoliosis in 1977! The scoliosis caused my hips to tilt). Others have suggested what you suggest. I might try a small shim to see how that goes.
I had foot trouble when I was increasing my mileage. I went to a podiatrist. He indicated my foot just had too much flexion so we needed to add some firmness to what I was putting my foot on. I didnt need custom orthotics to fix my problem. It was a small piece glued to my insole so my foot wouldnt flex.
I have suffered from hot foot forever. Usually it’s not a problem until 4+ hours, which I don’t do that often. It was much worse before I upgraded shoes. I have long, narrow, flat feet so fitting shoes is a problem, but i found a par of top-end Fiziks that fit (after trying literally every shoe in the store that might have fit). The bump to carbon sole made a big difference.
This past fall things changed a bit when I got a new bike. I have also had long-running saddle problems, and the new steed came with a different saddle that I hadn’t tried before, so I figured I’d ride it for a while and see how it worked out. It was terrible. However, not only did my saddle issues worsen, so did my hot foot! What used to take 4+ hours was happening in an hour or less. I switched to a different (narrower) saddle, and poof! No more hot foot. I haven’t tried any 4+ hour rides since (winter arrived), but I’m eager to see what happens.
It seems that your leg-length difference might amplify any saddle fit issues that affect pedaling, so you might want to try a few different saddles. And if you’re rocking your pelvis while pedaling, try the shims for your cleat.
Hello again,
It is my opinion that correcting leg lengths for cycling and walking are different. Your body can adjust to small leg length discrepancies while walking upright with different techniques. With cycling, non weight bearing, sitting on a saddle supported by the sit bones, it is not possible to pedal correctly with to much pelvic tilting. I believe it is important to try to obtain a level pelvis when sitting on your saddle, so you can pedal properly. Just my opinion,
hope you can get your issues corrected.
Clifford, that makes a lot of sense that I hadn’t considered before. Yes, it doesn’t seem to be the same thing (standing/weight bearing and pedaling/keeping pelvis level). I’ll definitely look into that!
I experience it too. During regular weather, I hit the wall around the 70-mile mark. With the recent heat waves, though, it comes at about 50 miles. However, I’ve found a way to manage it. When we stop, usually at a gas station, I fill my shoes with crushed ice and stand on it until it melts. This trick buys me a couple more hours of pain-free riding.
I ride ultra endurance and the way forward is carbon soled stiff shoes. Hot foot still possible on warm days where feet swell after many hours. Loosen shoes off and even remove if you are stopped for a while.
Some wear SPD sandals but I’ve found they are only good for a few hours for me, as soles too flexy. A friend wore them on a 415km ride we did last Saturday and didn’t complain.
