wirelessness

I was able to search and find like one post of a guy saying he had his Sidi's stretched at REI. My Specialized BG S-Works Road shoe as feeling pretty tight around the mid portion of my foot after about 1.5 hrs on the bike. I really like this shoe for most part and am wondering if others have had any luck getting their shoes stretched by a shoe repair shop?

fauxto nick

If it's not leather it's not going to stretch. You might get a slight bit of loosening in a synthetic shoe but don't expect it to make the difference between it fitting or not.

I used to rock climb and I bought synthetic rock climbing shoes a couple of times praying they'd stretch enough to fit and they fit the same the day I threw em' out after I burned through 6 months later as they did the day I bought em'.

You probably frankly need a wider shoe, you could try wearing a thinner sock.

Keepfiring

I'm probably as close to your situation as you're going to find - I have very wide feet at the front, and bought a pair of specialized comps (leather uppers) that were nearly wide enough. Brought them to a cobbler to be stretched and picked them up a few days later, no hitches at all, cost me $10 for the service. Looks like your BG S-works have a 'micromatrix' upper, which I assume means synthetic? Not sure if that will fly. Anyhow, for $10 it couldn't hurt too much to try.

fauxto nick

Maybe I'm wrong but I would imagine trying to stretch (a process I don't know about to be fair) a synthetic material could cause damage to the material and/or the stitching.

1fluffhead

After riding for 1.5 hours it may be your feet swelling and that is why your shoes feel tight. Do they feel tight when you put them on at the start of the ride?

fauxto nick

So so so true, in climbing, especially bouldering we'd down size our shoes to the point where our toes would curl and after an hour they'd swell up and you'd have to take them off in between climbs. Your body is sending a ton of blood to your legs when you ride swelling is inevitable.

MONGO!

The whole point of using synthetic material is that it doesn't stretch.

GeoLes

I experience the opposite. Lately my shoes feel loose when I start biking and tend to "snug up" as I warn into the ride. I tend ro ride with thicker socks as a result.

fauxto nick

That's exactly what we're saying... not opposite.

Keepfiring

Heh, ok I suppose I retract my 'couldn't hurt' statement.

yak

I've got one fat foot, so I bought a shoe stretcher at a local cobbler's. It worked on my Sidi, and it ain't leather.

MIN 

I have the s-works too. It's pretty new but I expect it to stretch slightly but not a large amount. My Sidis stretched a bit after a year of use.

Shoe stretcher idea is interesting...

531Aussie

Sidis stretch a LOT over time. I've had 3 pairs, and they've all stretched quite a bit. The first pair (Genius 5s) stretched so much they were eventually unusable after about 3 years -- i was wearing 3 pairs of socks and using 3 insoles, even though they were slightly snug when I first bought them. I'm not kidding.

For the next pair (Genius 5.5s), I obviously bought the size down, and they were initially so tight around the toes that I could only wear them with one thin pair of socks and no insole. I broke them in by walking around the house in them. Now, with the same shoes, about a year later, I wear 2 pairs of socks and use 2 insoles. These are my 'everyday' shoes. The straps have started to die, so I bought a pair of Genius 6.6s, which have already loosened a little in probably less than 15 rides.

So, my suggestion is to wear them around the house to stretch them, and obviously use your old shoes on the bike if you can.

I'm not sure how people can not stretch their Sidis, but I have a theory. I don't wanna sound like a big, hero, mashing bike racer, but reckon a lot of non-racer types never do their shoes up tight, and never mash hard enough off the saddle (or on the saddle, for that matter) to put stress on the tops of the shoes, so they don't get stretched.

I often tighten my shoes for hard efforts, then loosen them off for the ride home, but I seldom see other people adjust their shoes, apart from some guys in races.

I started in the '80s, when toe-straps were still used a lot, and I continued to use straps and clips right through the '90s (I know, I know; what a luddite ), so I was very used you having to do them up pretty tight, coz they're pretty much useless, otherwise. I have another theory that there's a whole generation of riders who don't understand how firm shoes should be for hard efforts, especially for off the saddle stuff, which is another reason their shoes don't stretch.

Is the same for velcro straps. I dunno how no one wears the velcro out! I reckon it's for the same reason: not many people do their shoes up tight enough for hard efforts. I've trashed a few sets of velcro straps (thank god for ratchets!!), and have had a bootmaker sew new velcro on for me.

rydaddy

Sidi's Lorica supposedly does not stretch.

Those with Specialized shoes: I'm curious if the Pros/S-Works shoes can be stretched. My shoes have a mesh upper, which is why I have doubts it can be done. But a little more room side-to-side would be huge for me.

Pharmr

wirelessness

Sorry for posting and then disappearing. I actually posted via my mobile but it did not take for some reason....oh well.

Thanks to everyone for responding. I too am wondering if the synthetic uppers can be stretched out. I don't need a lot of stretching just a few mm would probably help a lot. I've had the shoes for a long time already so I think they are about as broken in as they are going to get on their own.

My plan is to take them to a cobbler or buy my own stretching device and see if it helps. I will post back here as soon as I get a chance to try it out.

merckx_rider

try thinner socks...
those shoe stretchers and a heat gun might work on synthetics, if leather wet the leather and shoe stretchers...

wirelessness

Already wear the thinnest socks I could find....

calamarichris

I managed to get my Sidi Ergo-2's to stretch out half a Euro size, but I'll never do that again. They were on sale and I saved nearly $150, but they hurt like a mutha for the first few weeks. Even now that they fit, if my toenails aren't trimmed closely, they let me know.
Several times I wish I'd paid the extra $150, (especially after long, hot rides when the balls of my feet were swollen & sore.)

kensuf

There is always more radical options.

Dubbayoo

I had D2 loosen up my shoes recently...but that was part of their job anyway.

Grumpy McTrumpy

Ok, whether they actually stretched or not is probably something that would require precise measurement but here goes:

My SIDI Ergos were really tight when I bought them about a month ago. Racing in the rain about 7-8 times has completely eradicated that. I now wear them with a much more snug setting than I did before. I get no more numbness and they feel just fine. Draw conclusions.

Phantoj

This is my experience, too. My first pair of MTB Sidis fit well when new and are sloppy loose now. I think I went a size smaller for my other two pairs (MTB winter and road) and they have broken in nicely.

spdrcr5

My Sidi Genius 4's are so stretched out that I will be buying a new pair! Whoever says Sidi's don't stretch either has never owned a pair or didn't ride in them.

The biggest stretch came after an 8 hour ride in the rain. Couldn't tighten them anymore that day and they were still loose. Once they dried they shrunk a little, but they are still too big and I go with thicker socks. Rain just loosens them right up. Other than the stretching I love the shoes!

wirelessness

So, just to update anyone who still cares. I bought some cheapo shoe stretchers and was able to get my S-Works road shoes to stretch out quit a bit. Using the shoe stretcher and a heat gun. I had to modify the shoe stretcher to make it big enough to get a good stretch going (damn my feets are big). Anyways, it work and the shoes are much better now...hardly any numbness