Lars Halstrom

My feet fit tight in my shoes after about 20 miles of riding. I have loosened the boas but then my feet slide fore and aft on the footbed, causing my toes to scrunch up and get sore. Is using a foot stretcher going to be effective or not any different than just loosening the Boas?

Campag4life

Specialized road shoes? What I have. Answer is yes. Most humans have slightly different size feet. My left foot is slightly longer than my right.
No stretch required with my right foot with size 45. Left toe very tight in the toe box.
What you need are the fixed style cedar shoe trees. Unscrew them longer so insertion of the shoe tree is difficult. In my case its the left one only. Right shoe fits perfectly. What I do is use clear packing tape over folded paper tower taped to the toe of the shoe tree to act as a standoff/stretcher locally to the area in the shoe I need room. . Again, you need fixed shoe trees or a pro level shoe stretcher. Don't waste your money on a cheap shoe stretcher. I use shoe trees in my cycling shoes and my left one adjusted firm with the standoff taped to the toe. Over a period of a couple of weeks..if you build up the toe, you will create all the room you need.

Btw, skiiers….I used to be...resort to extraordinary things to create a line to line to fit with ski boots because it is so critical to ski performance and comfort.

You will get the fit you need. You incrementally build up the standoff on the toe of the shoe tree. Now I have equivalent fit between my two feet. I did not want to size up to 45.5 because then my right shoe would be too loose.

Btw, fit is so good with these shoes I can even race with the boas loose. Like the shoes are part of my feet. No pressure points. Speedplay pedals.

Hope that helps.

Lars Halstrom

So why didn't you just loosen the boas of the left shoe that's too tight? My shoes are leather not synthetic leather.

Campag4life

Really Lars? You aren't trolling are you...lol. Almost seems like you have to be.

Boas aren't located on the toe box. Toe boxes are part of the formation of the last of the shoe and unaffected by Boa adjustment.

What manufacturer and model 'leather' shoes do you wear with Boa enclosures?

Why don't you post a picture?

We need to know a bit more about your feet anatomy...what size shoe you normally wear relative to cycling shoe size. A foot can change almost an entire size if the floor of the shoe is too flat relative to the arch of your foot. Do you have high arches? Does your shoe insole arch match your foot arch?

Sounds as though your foot is 'submarining' within the shoe causing your toe pressure issue. This can be due to a shoe in fact that is too big. Or...your foot isn't restricted properly by its arch. An unsupported foot will be longer. The orthotic you have in the shoe isn't isolating the foot. Proper arch support prevents submarining of the foot within the shoe even with loosened enclosure.

Hope that makes sense.

Lars Halstrom

I have Lake MX237 shoes size 44. It has 2 boas. One on the forefoot and one on the midfoot. I use Ice Bug insoles with the medium arch and metatarsal pad. My big toe is 1 cm from the end of the shoe. Pearl Izumi also has Boa adjusters on their toe box Project Pro shoes as quoted in this review, "Having 2 BOA adjusters is not overkill as I originally thought. The upper BOA adjusts the back of the shoe around to the heel cup. The lower one works as a toe box adjustment. "

Campag4life

No manufacturer has Boa adjusters on the toe box. None. Many manufacturers use Boa adjusters on the forefoot. Not on the toe box. Toes within the shoe should be completely unrestrained. Boa adjusters are there to restrain the foot. Many cyclists needless have their toes restrain their foot in the shoe. Of course this is uncomfortable and hence your post. The foot upstream of the toes...from the 1st metatarsal rearward should be isolated...constrained mostly due to the 'floor of the shoe' to not move fore and aft. This is done with proper insole and pedaling technique.

A well sized shoe in both length and width is meant to isolate the foot. The more arch you have to the foot, the more critical it is that this gap under the foot is matched by equally high arch insole. If a foot is properly restrained 'by arch' then you should be able to run your Boa's loose and the foot stays put within the floor of the shoe. This applies to me. It isn't easy to arrive at this point just like it isn't easy to be a good cyclist. It takes a lot of hard work and examination of the variables at play.

Your pedaling technique and even saddle height can affect your condition. An ideal pedal stroke is performed with the foot at the bottom 'scraping the mud off the bottom of the shoe' aka a level foot presentation at the bottom of the pedal stroke. Of course many even good cyclists don't pedal this way. A common mistake is riding with a saddle too high. In cycling there is synergy between everything. How can saddle height affect toes crashing into the toe box of the shoe? Because a saddle too high especially with common tight hamstrings has to cause the toes to point down to reach the pedals and lengthen the leg at the bottom of the pedal stroke where you are applying your power...or at say 4-5 o'clock. Of course where you apply pressure to the pedals known as the power zone exacerbates toe crash into the toe box within the shoe. This dynamic is exaggerated if the foot isn't isolated...either wrong foot bed or even shoes too big or too small.

So your condition is actually an elaborate puzzle as is all of cycling. Its an equation with a lot of variables you are trying to optimize to avoid pain for example and yet go fast and ride efficiently. That is some of the cause and effect and hope it helps you solve your riddle.

Good luck

canklecat

Check with Lake. They might offer service to fit it to your preference. Or contact a boot maker. They'll already have the adjustable stretchers needed and the expertise. It's usually at least an overnight job.

I had a shoe stretcher years ago, probably left over from my granddad's house. It was helpful for some boots. I have very narrow feet and high arches but prefer more room in the toe box to prevent cutting off the circulation to my toes. Didn't help with one very tight fitting pair of Larry Mahan kangaroo boots -- that stuff is ultra-thin and didn't stretch. But it wouldn't be worth buying another. I'd take the shoes or boots to a cobbler.

Yendor72

At first I thought I was reading an old post of mine, then realized it was not. I too use Lake MX237 shoes and Ice Bug insoles. I only tighten the forefoot boa so that no extra wire is hanging out. I have lots of foot pain in tight shoes.

One advantage of the Lake shoes is that the foot bed is flat, it does not curve up on the sides. I find that constricts my feet more than anything and causes me great pain even if the forefoot strap is completely undone.

fietsbob

Another service of your friendly local shoe repair shop....

burnthesheep

Shove an old but working tube into the toe box, tape over the hole your ankle comes out......inflate, win?

Campag4life

Yes, and really if you listen to Grant Peterson...I rode platform today, pure road shoes aren't really necessary and not for everybody.
In fact what you describe is the basis for Air Jordan's which are pretty comfortable to ride in. And of course, many are more inclined to cut open the toe box on tennis shoes and ride open toe...a form of hybrid sandal but with more ankle support for spirited riding.