Hi there,
I’m supposed to wear insoles in my shoes for arch support. Was trying regular Superfeet ones, but they are too thick for cycling shoes. I saw they have some specific for sports that should work well for cycling:
Any have used them or have other recommendations?
I’ve been on the Fizik 3d heat moldable for many years, but they are discontinued so I’m on the hunt for new ones. Before jumping right to something custom like Surefoot, I’ve tried the Specialized BG mid and the Icebug slim mid and so far the Icebug’s feel pretty good. They are definitely weird, because it feels like there is something in your shoe when you first try them on but it eventually becomes normal.
I was sold the Archtech G8 insoles by the guy who did my bike fit as part of the fit.
I couldn’t stand them. I tried to get used to them for about 2 months because they aren’t cheap before I finally took them out. I found they made my feet sore and hot, my shoes felt too tight. I just could not get used to them.
Could the discomfort be solved if I sized up in my shoe? Maybe? But I wasn’t prepared to drop money on unneeded shoes to find out.
I have that exact insole in my road shoes. I use other superfeet insoles in my gravel/mtn shoes and my running shoes. Years ago I had foot/arch problems running. I tried every insole I could find including two expensive custom versions. I landed on superfeet as the only one that worked for me. I even have them in my dress shoes. I find I like slightly higher arches in my cycling shoes than in my running shoes.
In my first bike fit the fitter sold me a specialized insole. I find the superfeet insoles to be much better. The seem to last forever - my first pair is now 5-6 years old and still going strong.
Specialized and Bontrager also offer footbeds with 3 levels of arch support. They should be in stock at most shops for you to test.
I’ve used the Superfeet carbon insoles for a couple of years now in my cycling shoes. They work great for me.
I really like Giro’s Supernatural insoles. They came with some Giro shoes I bought some years back and I liked them so much I bought the separately for all my subsequent shoes. For me it’s the arch support that is really helpful. The insoles have multiple shims of different sizes that you can insert to get the right feel. They also hold up extremely well.
I am likely going to try a set of custom Surefoot insoles when I get to a fitter during my ski week in late Feb.
I’ve been using these insoles for the last 8 months. Been great so far. Noticeable improvement in support over the Giro insoles that came with my Empires.
Another vote for giro supernaturals.
They’re not rigid like most high end orthotics, just foam so they will compact and don’t last forever. Still, they’re cheap and conform to my high arches while allowing the foot to move naturally without causing pressure like I’ve found super feet and my old ortho supplied custom orthotics could.
Any updates on the icebugs? Lately after about 3hrs on the saddler, I’ve been experiencing foot pain (hot spots, numbness) with all three of my shoes (902’s, SW7 Vent, and Giro Empire). I tried the green BG’s but they don’t seem to have enough support.
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I love my SoleStar
I have them in all my shoes… They do things slightly differently to the usual arch support but really do work.
I’ve used custom insoles from both urthotics and upstep with good results. They sent me the kit, I followed the process and then returned my oem insole with the kit to make sure the sizing was perfect. Great support and very comfortable after the break in period.
Seems like both are essentially the same thing so each time was whichever I could find the best deal on
Specialized does custom heat molded ones too
My bike fitter used these for my shoes. Work great so far and nice thing is if you do this yourself you can change the arch support if you find you have discomfort.
G8 Performance Pro Series 2620 - Custom Orthotic Insoles | Footbeds | Arch Support - G8 Performance
I don’t have the ice bugs yet… I’m hoping the help with the pain!
i’m a big fan of specialized. i believe there are 3 levels. i use the highest arch support one.
i’ve tried a few. trial and error. with MTB some cause a beating on the pads of my feet. like when i tried my good feet support; which are hard plastic for my every day shoes. i had about a week to recover from the beating my feet took.
I use Specialized BG Footbeds, along with the varus wedges, to ensure my arch is properly supported and my knees track correctly. They are very good.
I’m in the process of getting cycling specific insoles from https://solestar.de. I need to wear custom insoles in my shoes for arch support, and used to just use them in my cycling shoes. The solestar provide great stability, however I experienced “burning feet” on my first few outings with them, so I returned them and the owner of solestar is making some refinements to them. (They are quite close to where I live). Hopefully they will work better with the modifications.
I will say though that almost everyone will benefit from such insoles. If you have the means, try them!
Considering the price of high end shoes an insole should be included as adding a further ~£100 is almost criminal.
Saying that G8 insoles have been widely recommended to me although I have no experience.