bbattle

I'm still trying to figure out how to keep my feet from going numb and need info. on the usefulness of carbon soled shoes. I weigh 155 or less and the LBS said my shoes should be stiff enough. Podiatrist says there's nothing wrong with my feet and he suggested carbon soles because that's what he wears. I've been slowly improving my situation by readjusting the cleats back and forth; I've got the right foot the best it's ever been but the left still needs help. I've tried everything else so now I'm considering carbon soled shoes. Or new pedals like the Time RXS. I've already spent enough money on this that another $300 is no big deal unless they work in which case it would be the best money I've ever spent.

So, should I get the shoes or just live with what I've got? Or would different pedals be a better use of my money?

Grasschopper

What insoles do you have? Are you sure the shoes fit? I am trying to switch shoes (come on Specialized get your 2007 shoes in stock) at the moment and the main reasons for the switch is that the toe box of my Sidis is just a bit snug...plus I want to try the varus wedge thing Specialized says they incorperate in their insoles. I will be getting CF soles as part of the switch but that wasn't REALLY the goal.

You can buy the Specialized insoles and they even have a new foot fitting system to fit you into one of their 3 different insoles. https://www.specialized.com/bc/SBCEqP...jsp?spid=16275

merlinextraligh

www.Rocket7.com

Personally, I don't think carbon soles are going to do much for your numbness. Custom fitted, molded to your foot carbon soles may well help.

Custom Rocket 7's are extremely light, extremely comfortable, and also extremely expensive.

DrPete 

Carbon soles won't do jack for foot numbness. The shape of the shoe might be different, but there's nothing about carbon itself that will help.

My most comfortable shoes are Sidis, and they have the low-tech plastic outsole.

Where are your feet going numb? Toes? Heels? A couple options are floating in my head...

johnny99

What shoes are you wearing now? How many hours per day do you ride? What is your average speed? What part of your feet are going numb? You didn't give us enough information to really help you.

sverrefehn

Better insoles is the place to start. I have two pairs of Sidis and with the stock insoles I suffer from metatarsal pain proceeding to numbness. I tried Superfeet insoles and all problems were solved. Any kind of insole with arch support or metatarsal support might be helpful. Also, if the strap over the ball of the foot is too tight your foot starts out pre-compressed which can also cause the problems.

bdcheung

Do regular running insoles work ok for cycling shoes? Or are there cycling-specific insoles?

GuitarWizard

I used to get numb toes as well, but then I got a bike fitting done (among other fit issues, the cleats were too far forward), and a custom set of insoles, and I have no more numbness. At all. Totally gone. The custom insoles made the biggest difference.

johnny99

There is a very wide range of price and function for insoles. Perscription orthotics can cost hundreds of dollars and are designed by a doctor to solve specific problems. Drug store foam insoles can cost a couple of dollars (and still give some people a signficant boost in comfort). In between, there are all kinds of products. Running insoles generally provide padding and support for the ankle and heel. Cycling-specific insoles (like the ones from Specialized) are often designed to provide arch support and change the tilt of the ball of your foot.

BrianJ1888

running ones will probably be too thick. most running-specific insoles are very padded, and won't work well in low-volume cycling shoes.

try these:
https://www.yoursole.com/cgi-bin/edge...ory=SLIM_SPORT

mayukawa

Have you tried loosening your shoe straps a bit?

flythebike

I'm sure Rockets are nice, but most people aren't willing to spend $400+ on shoes.

I really like all the Specialized Body Geometry stuff, rocking their shoes and saddle, gloves too.

A carbon sole is stiffer and might actually be less comfortable, depending on which pedals you use. I went from a minimalist pedal (the defunct Coombe) to Speedplay and my foot numbness went away. Also if you tried to spin more and mash less that might help. Also realize that you might need to loosen your shoes as the ride progresses, because your feet will slowly swell up, especially if you're older.

bbattle

My big toes start and then it'll spread across the ball of the foot. I could feel it at 6-7 miles, then by 11 miles I'd have to pull over and massage my feet to wake them up. I am correctly fitted on my bike. I have tried othotics but they created a different and much worse pain along the outside edge of my feet. I had bought size 44 Nike shoes to accomodate the orthotics. I replaced those orthotics with a slightly thinner insole from Fleet Feet, supposedly for cycling. I believe they are made by Superfeet. I can ride many miles with some discomfort, no pain, just the toes going numb. I have enough room in the toe box to wiggle them, straps aren't too tight.

I measure a 43.5 and can't really tell the difference between normal Sidis and their wide ones. I think that after a certain number of miles my feet spread across the ball of the foot. I walked around the shop with the wide Sidis on and they felt pretty good.

An average ride is 25 miles at ~17mph. I climb hills, do intervals, etc. Climbing makes the feet feel worse. I try to spin instead of mash but don't really have that option when climbing Green Mt. or Monte Sano. If I spend enough time on the flats taking it easy and scrunch the toes up and down a lot, they'll feel better but the numbness returns if I start hammering or climbing.

I've gotten the LeWedges and had the LBS put them on per their measurements. They set my bike up on the trainer at the shop and I rode at a 90-100rpm clip for 15 miles and had no problems when they first put the wedges on the shoes but out on the road, the problem persisted. Later, I took one off the left foot and flipped the other one around as I adjusted my cleats to improve my feet.

Cleats have been all the way forward, all the way back, various places in between. They are in the middle pretty much now. I've shifted the cleats to the inside, then all the way to the outside; now back towards the middle a bit. Cleats are Shimanon SPD-SL ultegra. yellow ones with the float.

Vitamin_J

I had the same problem and it was indeed the straps. I know put them on almost to the point where I shouldn't bother. I am sure that this a function of the Nike ACG shoes being lower end quality.

Just a thought. I have been there and numbness is the worst.

GuitarWizard

Yeah, but were they custom insoles made for your feet?

merlinextraligh

I realize over $500 is a lot for a pair of shoes. But with all you've tried, I think custom shoes might be worth it for you, particularly if you ride a lot. You indicated $300 wouldn't be a big deal for you. Personally, with your history, I'd rather spend $500 for a custom mold, than $300 for off the rack. I'm thinking there's no real reason to believe a high end CF shoe is going to fix anything, but a custom fitted shoe, whether its CF or not, may well make a difference. I'd at least to talk to the people at Rocket7 or another custom shoe maker.

Last thought, If you go through the prescription podiatrist route, it might be possible to pay with pre tax dollars from your flexible spending account at work.

slowandsteady

I was messing with my cleat position for months and like you only got the one foot to have no numbness or pain. I tried a bunch of insoles and they didn't help much. Then.....I bought a new bike and got fitted. They moved my cleats as part of the fitting and guess what...no pain or numbness in either foot regardless of how long I am riding. And, I still have the cheap Nashbar $20 MTB pedals and got to toss those insoles.

Contra Fixie

I battled numbness for months, finally went with the Shimano carbon fiber soles in the "wide" size, made a world of difference. Make sure not to set the top strap too tight either.

DocRay

There are several insoles now on the market, like SOLES. But some may need custom orthotics.
Cleat postition, cleat design, and Qfactor matter as well.
My shoes are plastic soled Pearl Izumis, they do not flex at all. They also have a very open toe box.
CF shoes may be lighter, but no stiffer.

bbattle

I walked across some mat on the floor and a week later paid $378 for some blue insoles supposedly made for my feet. They didn't help so I went to the Podiatrist. He looked at my feet, poked at them and said they look like normal feet. Asked if I pointed my toes down(no). Speculated that I was bending the foot at the toes. I said that isn't really possible with my shoes/cleats. He had no other suggestions than maybe carbon soles and wedges.

I've heard about these boxes of foam that you step in to make an impression and they use that to make insoles but they are primarily for people like diabetics or that have neuromas or really messed up feet. I may check around to see what the podiatrists around here say but the last one wasn't really helpful.

I'll shoot Rocket shoes an e-mail, see what they have to say.

I really appreciate everyone's responses and I'll post an update later.

GuitarWizard

I had my feet scanned by the folks from ESoles....you put your foot on this machine thing that conforms to your foot and scans a 3-D imagine of the footbed. Afterwards, they upload the file to their CNC machine and create the insole. It's literally cut to the shape of your foot - it was a worthwhile investment for me.

DocRay

The foam thing won't be for you.
$378 for orthotics? you got scammed. Did they check your gait after putting the insoles in?
What cleat do you use? Maybe you just pronate too much and need wider shoes.

josephvman

To me it seems like you've got more of a fit and foot position issue than anything a carbon sole is going to resolve. I'd second the recommendation of the Specialized insoles as a good place to start, and I've had good luck sorting out my Plantars Fasciitis problem with the Spenco Polysorb insoles that I wear in all of my shoes. You also might want to have your LBS evaluate your entire fit and cleat position. I switched to Specialized Carbon Pros, and though I love the fit, power transfer, and overall comfort, I do feel more of a "buzz" in my feet than I felt with plastic soles. I'm sure the stiffness of the carbon is transmitting more of the drivetrain vibrations to my feet, and though it's not something that's painful, it did take some getting used to and I have to be particular about which socks I wear. If anything, the buzzing from a carbon sole would probably only exaggerate your numbness issue. I find it kind of annoying when guys at the LBS's recommend what they use without regard to what might work best for an individual customer, but I see that a lot.

DrPete 

Another thing that comes to mind is technique. Some folks, myself included when I started out, sort of unconsciously keep a lot of pressure on the soles of their feet while riding, even when pedaling a circle.

If you haven't already, try consciously taking a break every few minutes and emphasize pulling up on the pedals and relieving that pressure. If you have even a halfway-decent fitting shoe and a good pedal stroke you should be able to pedal without feeling like you're applying tons of pressure.

Another easy/cheap fix is the Specialized BG footbeds. They're $45 a pair, come with shims, and are shaped to help with numbness/pressure issues.

waterrockets 

I rode for 15 years on plastic-soled Sidis. I've never had any comfort issues.

This year I got a coaching job that required me to change to a gratis pair of Nike carbons. I rolled my eyes, thinking I'd only wear them when coaching. I do not like the uppers -- really ******** design for cycling -- but not actually uncomfortable. Just inconvenient.

The big surprise was the carbon sole. Man, it really makes a difference. I rode with these Nikes for two months, then put on my Sidis for a ride, and I felt like I was pedaling on socks! I couldn't believe how much the sole flexed around the cleat. I never had noticed it before in 15 years.

I'm now fearing that I won't be able to go back. I'll have to wear these goofy Nikes until I wear them out, then drop $300 on a pair of carbon Sidis. My road shoes tend to last around 10 years, so I'm stuck with the Nikes for a while... great soles though.