JasonC

Hello...
Just a probably easy question. How snug should road shoes fit? I just got some Sidi shoes from REI (online order) and there is probably a half-centimeter of space at the tip. I used the Sidi site's sizing chart, but still seems like I am a size too big.

I am guessing my shoes should fit more glove-like, but wanted to see what the consensus is. I'm a little worried about width, but one size shouldn't make a huge difference there, I hope.

Thanks,
Jason

TCR

Snug and tight is good.

botto 

JasonC

Thanks... gotta love image replies

Its kind of a stupid question, I just don't want to get something that feels just right, only to have problems when I do a long ride.

johnny99

Your feet will swell a little on long rides, so you don't want the shoes to be super tight in the morning, especially in the toe box.

How does the rest of the shoe fit? Is your heel snug?

unterhausen

someone asked me this recently, and it's a hard question to answer. If anything pinches in the store, it's going to kill you on the road.

powpow

+1

My feet swell on long rides, and I'm glad I have a bit of extra room in my shoes. I normally wear a 9.5 shoe, and wear a 10 for the road.

Bob Dopolina 

+1.

Nothing sucks more than having your heel float around in the heel cup. This is actually a real concern when fitting/selling shoes in Asia, that and the flatter top of the forefoot and a lower arch. Sorry, just an interesting side note.

I don't think (IMHO) your foot is going to swell all that much lengthwise, but it will overall. This more affects the straps that close across the arch and the toes. Luckily Sidis have excellent closures so there is quite a bit of adjustability here.

The only way to truly know is to ride them.

Good luck. Shoe fit can be a tough one.

leakysieve

Room at the toe box is the least important part of road shoe fit, that is if there is extra. Any part of your foot and shoe that are in front of the pedal axle don't contribute to pedaling. As said before, the heel cup must fit snug and you need to be able to tighten the straps enough so that your foot doesn't slide around inside the shoe.

Busta Quad

Toes should not touch the tip of the shoe.

RacerOne

My preference is for the shoe to be a little loose but still be able to make it very snug with the straps if I want too. If the shoe is already too small you can't make it bigger when your feet start to swell.

ieandro

+1 on a roomy toe box .. feet will swell up with constant mashing.
glove like on the heel yes, but if it's uncomfortable on the full range of motion from the first couple of revolutions, just think of how bad it'll be a couple of miles later.

subframe

True, but then if there isn't enough, it very quickly becomes the only important part of fit. I have a pair of Sidis that were a bit snug in the toe but I bought them anyway. After about 50mi, the entire front part of my foot part goes numb, except when I feel spikes of extreme pain.

So yeah - snug is good, especially for the heel, but don't squish your toes or you'll suffer, imo.

JasonC

Overall the shoe fits a bit more snug.... its just the toebox with the most space.

However, it is still just a touch loose overall... I can take it off without undoing the velcro (not too easily). I'm thinking a half or full size smaller is the way to go.

flaco

Always leave some room in the toe if you can. Your feet will swell on a long ride, and it is a truly terrible feeling when your toes run out of room.

DataJunkie

I sized my current pair of road shoes to my normal shoe size. The end result of my feet swelling on long rides was a loss of several toe nails. Size up a tad.
Loosing toe nails sucks. I will be purchasing new shoes shortly. Stupid me.

vanbiker

I just switched to a larger shoe, and all my toe numbness problems disappeared, as did my cold feet problems. I went up two sizes and also went with a wider width, best thing I ever did for my biking. I have a lot room in front of my toes, but the rest of the shoe fits fine, and I have enough room for two pair of socks on cold days. My other pair (Sidis) were great shoes, and fit in the shop, but simply too small on the ride.

Quijibo187

weird,
I must be all backwards, but I like my cycling shoes tighter than other shoes, especially because I find my feet shrink a touch during a ride.
my cold weather shoes are bigger to allow for a thicker sock, but only 1/2 size (44.5 instead of 44)

calyth

What shoes?

My experience with hiking shoes - I've gotten tendonitis from a pair of hiking boots because it was too tight around the joints where my toes meet my foot. I needed crutches for a week because my toe couldn't take the pressure walking.

My understanding seems to be the sole should be as stiff as it can, to maximize force transfer. Toebox shouldn't matter that much, and you might need orthotics if you have any foot problems. I'm flatfooted with Plantar Fasciitis, so eventually I'll get some nice shoes, and get insoles that would fit in them made.

I_Like_Bike

This pic is being over used, ever heard of something being funny the first time.