Bill

I am getting severe hot spots on the bottom of my feet where my cleats connect to the pedals. I have tried putting in an insert, have moved the cleats some, work on pulling up on the pedals on the upswing, and try to use the bigger gears so that I am not pushing so hard on the feet. Nothing seems to work. Any suggestions? It happens, generally, between 30 and 50 miles.

Germanrazor

Well if you don’t mind seeing a specialist, I would see a sports doctor (podiatrist) if it is truly affecting your cycling and you cannot do without cycling? Some people just quit the sport if its that unbearable.....but if like me, you will fork out a few bucks to cure the problem.

Iride01 

Might it be your feet swelling slightly? Socks are one of the few clothing items I want to compress me somewhat while riding to control any foot swelling. Also I want them to be thin and not cushioned so that my feet have a little room in the toe box of the shoes without being too loose on the arches and heel.

If you've had your shoes for quite a few years, then might be the sole is just becoming more flexible. My shoes are old and that seems to be the issue when I get to mile 40 or 50. However pushing through to 60 and drinking a ton of fluids, it goes away. Or maybe my feet just get numb! <grin>

canklecat

Which insert did you use? I've tried several and the best I've found is the inexpensive and very lightweight ProFoot Miracle. Costs $8-$10 at Walgreen's. It's the only insole I've tried that eliminated my metatarsal hotspots.

My Fizik and Scott shoes came with insoles, and the Scott even has detachable, movable pieces for the arch, metatarsals, etc. But I'd still get hotspots after about 20 miles on hard group or solo rides with little or no coasting. The ProFoot Miracle did the trick. Pretty durable too, so far I've needed to replace them only about once a year.

Experimenting with socks helped too. My feet are bony, hard to fit and prone to losing circulation if the fit isn't perfect. I tried thicker socks hoping the cushioning would help but it made it worse. Now I mostly wear thin ankle socks -- Hanes, whatever they have at Walgreen's or CVS -- and have no problems.

Fiery

What helped me, in the order of importance:

1. Wide enough shoes. I don't have particularly wide feet, but they don't tolerate pressure from the sides. Even with correct shoes I have to make sure the lowest strap is set fairly loose. I've found regular Shimano shoes to work quite well for my feet.
2. Insoles. I have fairly high arches and even though I do just fine with minimal to no support in regular shoes, for cycling I need them fully supported. Metatarsal pads are also a must. Specialized green insoles have been OK but I could do with more arch support for the left foot.
3. Cleat position. I find that having them as far back as possible helps with both foot numbness and foot stabilisation. Having them directly under the ball of the foot is a sure way to cause hot spots and numbness even if points 1. and 2. have been fulfilled.

Things like wedges, stiffer soles or cleat/pedal platform size have not made a noticeable difference regarding hot spots and numbness for me. If anything, extremely stiff soles seemed to exacerbate the issues.

fried bake

Insoles and wedges are the most likely cures. Bike fit wedges and a proper set of cycling insoles like Specialized are what I’d invest in first.

Carbonfiberboy 

Google metatarsalgia.