fender1

So I posted here about going clipless and got a lot of feedback(Thanks!) and took the plunge! I bought a pair of Shimano/SPD platform pedals and a pair of Shimano shoes. Not really road or mountain shoe, all lace up, no velcro and I can walk in them.

I really like using them and have found them not that difficult to use. My question pertains to my feet & the shoes. I normally wear an 11 shoe/sneaker and bought a 45 which is supposed to be 10.5-11. But now by the end of my commute (16mi each way) my feet are falling asleep! Off the bike the shoes feel snug I can walk and they feel ok, on the bike they feel to small, like my toes are getting scrunched.

I have the cleats all the way forward, closest to the toe. Anyone else experinece this? Is this a breaking in thing,an adustment thing or the shoes are to small? Any help would be appreciated. BTW, I rode in a couple of rainstorms, sweated a bunch and threw the box away so returning them to the LBS is probably not an option. My thought initially was that the shoes that were a wee bit smaller would keep your feet from sliding around (inside the shoe). Am I off base ?

LóFarkas

Probably too small. I gather that it's not unusual for clipless shoes to seem comfortable when you try them on but prove too small when you're actually riding.

BTW, pushing the cleat all the way forward doesn't soud like a good idea. Normally, the pedal spindle should be right under the balls of your feet, so probably further back.

cyccommute 

I agree. There's lots of size variability in shoes but I wear size 10 to 10.5 and often a size 45 is too small for my feet. In bike shoes you should probably go a little larger than a little smaller since your feet (at least my feet) tend to swell a little as they get hot.

GTcommuter

I'm in the exact same situation. I wear an 11 running shoe and got the 45s. They're really nice Sidis made of synthetic leather. My toes were falling asleep on 20 mile rides and my arches were aching after about 10. They have gotten slightly better once I got the cleat and straps adjusted properly, but I haven't put a really long ride on them yet. I may have to search for some 46s, but I just got such a good deal on these.

DataJunkie

The do seem to run a bit small.
I usually wear 10.5-11. The shimano spd MTB shoe I have equates to a 11.5
I do appreciate the extra space when my feet start to swell on long rides.

ohjim

I have a pair of walkable, lace up Shimano's also. I initially had foot discomfort because I was lacing them too tightly. Your feet will swell up a little as you ride. As long as you have a little room in the toe area, just try lacing them up a little more loosely. If your toes feel crammed in them, you'll need to go up a size. I wear a size 12 shoe, my Shimanos are size 47. Also, as mentioned before, adjust the cleats to get the ball of your foot over the pedal spindle.

Oh, one last thing, tuck in those laces.

RonH

I usually wear a 10.5 and my shoes are all size 45. https://www.nashbar.com/sizesearch.cfm
Looks to me like you need a size 45.5 or 46, and if your feet are wide like mine (10.5 EEE) you may need wider shoes.
My commuter shoes are wider than many other mtn shoes I've tried. I have Exustar SM600 and Shimano M120G.

BitterCoconut

Shoes could be too small, but try moving the cleats to where they are positioned right under the ball of your feet. If the cleats are moved all the way forward you are putting too much stress on your toes.

oboeguy

Yes, don't blame the shoes yet, though they may ultimately be at fault. Cleat position can make a surprisingly big difference in comfort. Also, your position on the bike becomes more important because your feet are locked in and can't adjust for poor position on the bike.

jyossarian

And make sure your cleats are adjusted properly. Sit on a ledge and let your feet dangle taking notice of whether they point straight ahead, or to the side and adjust your cleat accordingly so you don't mess up you knees.

newbojeff

Also, if you are going to use these shoes through the winter, you might want them a bit large to accomodate bigger socks.

DataJunkie

One additional note to cleat position.
The smallest change can make the biggest difference. I have tweaked one cleat a few degrees in one direction and that helped a heck of a lot. An even bigger change occured when I moved a cleat forward about an 1/8th of an inch.
Tweak...ride...tweak...ride...etc

robtown

I got size 46 Shimano SPD shoes and they were too small! My feet were getting numb and hurting. I just got size 47 off the same shoe off craigs list and they are much better. During a 50 mile ride this weekend a veteran had me move the cleats further back & it was much better.

tadley62

I use a custom footbed in my road shoes that made a huge difference in comfort on 4+ hour rides. When I got my shimano lace-ups I took the inner footbed out and I put my custom footbed in it's place.

You might find a low cost replacement footbed at a local drug store that may help free up a little volume in your existing shoes and maybe even improve comfort. Just a thought.

riedelmeister

I've got the same exact set-up. My shoe size is a twelve though. I've got the cleats pushed all the way back. The ball of my foot is slightly past the spindle, but works for me.

superted

ya, mine seem slightly too big when I am walking and then just perfect on the bike (I have Specialized, MTB Sport shoes) It also depends on the socks. I have some specialized coolmax socks which work very well but with thicker socks (ie normal sports socks) it can be slightly less comfy. Fortunately I bought my shoes slightly big as I am still growing

Jessica

so, does that make you a tweaker?

but, really, thanks for the info, I am considering clipless, and i know NOTHING.....

DataJunkie

Only as a blue collared tweaker <--primus reference