I picked up pair of Specialized Torch 3.0 shoes a little over a week ago, several rides in and the shoes just are not working for me and will probably being going back. They are just a tad on the narrow side for me and unfortunately the Torch 3.0 doesn’t come in wide. If I want to stick with Spesh I need to either move up to the Sworks & or go down to the Torch 2.0 which both have wide options.
When getting the Torch 3.0’s the fitter mentioned that I had pretty high insteps which could make find the right shoes challenging. She also mentioned that double boa dials would be beneficial die to my high insteps. I have read that Shimanno shoes have a little more volume and are good for people with high insteps. Does anyone know of any other Mfr’s?
I have been riding in Specialized shoes for few years and my fitter also recommended arch support. But easiest way to achieve that is through a footbed. Specialized make 3 versions based on the amount of support you need: Body Geometry SL Footbeds | Specialized.com
You just swap out the insole in your current shoe for the footbed. These made a big difference for me - stopped getting numb toes straight away.
p.s. I have the max support (green) footbeds. If you find a Spesh dealer shop they probably have these in store you can try. It will feel really weird to start off, but now I don’t feel them at all.
There are very few shoes on the market that really cater for specifics such as instep height. In fact most manufacturers don’t offer any arch support at all.
Your best solution would be to use a set of insoles. Specialized make them, and they come in 3 different heights. You can also look at G8 insoles that offer much more customisation.
I have high arches too and agree that a double boa is better (laces would be better still) however I’ve found that, as long as the shoe material is fairly supple, I can get away with the single boa.
I recently got a set of insoles from Solestar - I had never heard of them, but showed up in my socials after I had been looking at shoes like Bont. I took a look and was a little skeptical of their claim that different models aren’t needed for different arch heights. I have really flat feet and have tried all three of Specialized’s footbed heights; none of them felt great, so I was willing to try something else.
Anyway, given Solestar is based in the EU, I figured their “100% satisfaction guarante” was actually legit, so decided to give them a try.
Holy crap, they are a game changer. No hot spots, feet feel great all throughout my ride, and I have no post-ride aches in my arches. They are even slightly thinner than my previous insoles and the extra room in the toe box was a pleasant surprise.
I got the BLK model, and their size guide for Fizik shoes was spot-on. They are not cheap, but logic was that they are cheaper than new shoes, so worth trying first (knowing I could return them).
a high instep is actually the top of the foot, has nothing to do with arches. I have aftermarket arch support in all my shoes.
see the image at the top of the page for reference
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I use the Blue specialized foot beds in all my shoes, but they are for arch support, a high instep is the top of your foot.
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Doh. Yeah I should really read it fully before responding. Lol. I withdraw my comment. 
when the fitter told me I had high insteps I thought she was talking about my arches also
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G8 Performance Pro Series 2620 inside Lake CX238 shoes works for me
Lake CX238’s were on my short list but no one near me sells them.
I use custom insoles from Upstep Link
Wear them in all my shoes. They have a sport version that works well in my cycling shoes.
so a couple of weeks ago i picked up some new Specialized Torch 3.0 shoes. They felt great on my feet just walking around, but when pedaling those shoes and I just didn’t agree at all. I returned them today, tried on a bunch of different offerings and I left with the only pair that felt good on my feet…some Sworks 7 shoes (gulp)…I really hope these feel as good on the bike pedaling as they did when I tried them on or they are going back also.