Tall Toe Box
 

Having a hard time finding a shoe with a taller toe box to accommodate thicker insoles. Wore Shimano RP5 the past two years but experienced toe numbness on longer rides (70-100 miles). Purchased some Northwave Extreme GTs - they seem to provide a little bit more room but toe still rubs with aftermarket insoles. Appreciate any brand recommendations that may provide a little extra room in the toe box.

Most of the manufacturers that have "Wide" versions (Giro HV, Sidi Mega, Shimano Wide, etc) are actually the same width but with more generous uppers - it might be worth trying some out.

Specialized has a pretty roomy toe box. I have the S-Works 7 and even with 3mm of internal wedges, and increased arch support, my toes still have plenty of room.

Thanks!

I thought Sidi Mega add 4 millimeters to their Mega sole?

To the sole? No. It's spillover volume.

Quote:

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​​​​​​​MEGA shoes from Sidi cater to the high-volume crowd, as opposed to those seeking more forefoot space.

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look into lakes shoes

Yes, I have seen that, but I have seen this on more than one description of Sidi Mega shoes.

I have had several pair of the Mega in the vented, which is now discontinued, and Millennium sole. It has been so long since I had a regular pair of Sidi shoes on, I can’t remember how they fit exactly. They definitely have more volume than the standard Sidi shoes. Mega would probably be considered a standard size for other companies.

Northwave wide are wide with a nice toebox, so are Lake. I also have a Shimano EE (I think it is called, at any rate it is the Shimano wide version) and that is good too. Also, why not try just half a size up? I probably am half a size too large on mine, especially for my right foot that is smaller than the left, but even there by now I have no issue. At first tightening the BOA system so that the shoe was tight enough to make up for the fact that it is large for my foot, hurt my foot, but by now the foot is used to it and I have no issues with it.

Tried Sidi wide and it was useless. Tried one other brand wide as well and that also was useless but forgot which one.

Of all the wide options, I think Lake are the best. Lake also has a nice chart indicating how long and wide each shoe is - Lake offers two or three different lasts with different fits.

I find that Shimano and Sidi tend to just give you a bigger shoe. So, a 44 wide is more like a 45. I didn't need the extra length too, just the extra width. Specialized is hit or miss. Some are truly wider, some are just bigger.

But if you're really having problems, go custom. I have three pairs of Riivos - two semi-custom and one full-custom. They were worth every penny. (Yes, custom cycling shoes are expensive, but I ride 500 hours a year ~10 hours a week. I want my feet to be comfortable all that time.)