# Sore soles of feet using spd's



## simon62w (13 Jul 2010)

On my longer road rides 50-60miles, after about 3hrs the balls of my feet become sore and eventually painful, so much so that I end up pulling up more on my pedal stroke to avoid pushing down on my feet. I have both road and mtn bikes, and I have a pair of shimano mtn bike Spd's shoes and pedals as I use them on both bikes. I tried putting an extra insole in the shoes, but then the tops of my big toes rubbed on the underside, so any ideas would be welcome thx
simon


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## Crankarm (13 Jul 2010)

Something is not right. Whether your shoes are the correct fit for your feet or the cleats are in the best position you need to check and make adjustments if need be.


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## Threelionsbrian (14 Jul 2010)

Crankarm said:


> Something is not right. Whether your shoes are the correct fit for your feet or the cleats are in the best position you need to check and make adjustments if need be.


Get the same thing regardless of which shoes i wear. Usually starts between 55 & 65 miles and gets progressively worse mainly on left foot. Doctor suggested metatarsal pads. I saw some on the internet i might try as the ones in local chemists have a toe ring to hold it in place which looks uncomfortable? Pulling up usually makes the pain worse in my case.


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## sleekitcollie (14 Jul 2010)

So it's not just me then . I get the sane thing usually around the 50 mile mark . Burning sensation and feel like my foot is swelling . Normally I unclip give my foot a wee shake and that helps a bit . Shamano mountain bike shoes and they r correct fit


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## marzjennings (14 Jul 2010)

Ahhh the dreaded hot foot. Could be pedals, shoes, socks causing the problem...

Here's a link on the subject...

hot-foot

_
“Hot Foot” or *Metatarslgia* is caused by the compression and inflammation of nerves and joint tissue in the metarsal heads, which is the area right above a well placed pedal spindle. It is characterized by pain and a sensation of burning as well as numbness. Many cyclists believe that splashing water on the feet will help with the symptoms, but that is a symptomatic treatment that is not getting to the root of the problem, namely an inflammation in the nerve and surrounding tissues. _

I've found that after a few hundred miles my cycling shoes begin to give and weaken at the ball, where the cleat is attached, and begin to unevenly push against the sole of my foot and the chance of getting hot foot increases. New shoes have usually fix the problem for me.

Also I've heard that 'real' roadie pedals, because they provide a wider contact patch, are better than mtb spds.


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## Rezillo (14 Jul 2010)

See Shimano A520 thread in Bikes and Accessories. I had exactly the same problem and at the same distance with a pair of Specialised Tahoes. You may well need a pair of shoes with stiffer soles that prevent the shoe from flexing around the cleat and bracket. Unfortunately, this costs - swapping them for something at the same price level might not be enough.

A520s and Specialized BG shoes (sport, comp and pro) go together well because the tread and the pedal design combine to give a wide platform. I bought the pros and this solved the problem overnight. 

John


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## Threelionsbrian (14 Jul 2010)

Rezillo said:


> See Shimano A520 thread in Bikes and Accessories. I had exactly the same problem and at the same distance with a pair of Specialised Tahoes. You may well need a pair of shoes with stiffer soles that prevent the shoe from flexing around the cleat and bracket. Unfortunately, this costs - swapping them for something at the same price level might not be enough.
> 
> A520s and Specialized BG shoes (sport, comp and pro) go together well because the tread and the pedal design combine to give a wide platform. I bought the pros and this solved the problem overnight.
> 
> John




I use A520's with sidi dominators and still get it, at least numbness takes away the pain for a while.


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## Dave Davenport (14 Jul 2010)

Some Shimano mtb shoes don't have any proper hard cover over the cleat on the inside and you get pressure points comming through the soft insole. I gave up with a pair and bought some Specialized but apparently, filling the recess with silicon sealent and smoothing it over works.


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## simon62w (14 Jul 2010)

Big thanks guys for all the feedback, it's been a big help. The spd pedals I've got are m545's which have a big cage around the cleats, so I don't know if the a520's would help. The shoes are m152's, and yes there's nothing under the insole except the cleat. They seem pretty stiff to the touch, but I suppose after 3hrs of 80kgs pushing down on them it's a different story. Short term I'll try some botch job on my current shoe/pedal combo, but you've confirmed my thoughts, a new, possibly expensive combo is required
Simon


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## montage (15 Jul 2010)

Stiffer soled shoes
Wider platformed pedals (e.g. spd SL)
sorted


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## Threelionsbrian (15 Jul 2010)

montage said:


> Stiffer soled shoes
> Wider platformed pedals (e.g. spd SL)
> sorted



Nope got 2 pairs with those same problem, same with spds and sandals too


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## QuinnDexter (15 Jul 2010)

I have SPD's on my CAAD9 and after about 50 miles I get numb feet. Check your cleats, they might be too far forward.


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## Rezillo (15 Jul 2010)

Just an illustration of how the A520s and Specialized BG shoe tread can combine to give a wide platform with spds:


Tread of shoe firmly abuts pedal so it can't rock or flex around the cleat. 






Tread follows line of pedal to give good support lengthways:






Result is that the effective pedal area is greater than that of the cleat and helps to prevent the flexing/rocking that causes hotfoot.

Even the A530, which has very narrow support lengthways, provides good support widthways with these shoes:





John


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