High-tech Shoe “Systems”

For cyclists, skiers, skaters, and those requiring more than just a plain shoe, much of the discussions above still apply, especially the importance of comfort. In the past twenty years, these bike shoes, boots, and other footwear, some with attached mechanical components, have become more specialized. The many different kinds of mechanisms make finding the optimal one more difficult. For example, there are several different pedaling systems available for cyclists, with different ones for road or mountain bikers, triathletes, etc. The different pedal systems provide increased efficiency during pedaling, but the shoe still must fit or foot stress will follow. Finding the shoe and system that best matches your need, like a running shoe, is a matter of trying them on; but this can’t be done as easily as trying a few running shoes in the store—it’s a more difficult feat since you need to try the whole system on your bike. Once again, comfort is key. Unfortunately, comfort in a shoe can change after thirty minutes of easy riding. Pay particular attention to comfort in the front of the foot, where most wear and tear occurs.

One problem with cycling shoes, boots, and other specialized shoes is that the tighter they are, the more efficient they may be, because there’s less energy lost in foot movement. This makes the need for a “perfect fit” even more important. Just don’t sacrifice comfort for the notion that a bit more efficiency will make a dramatic difference in performance—it won’t. One option over off-the-shelf shoes is to get them custom made, it might be well worth the effort and cost. Just have both feet measured at the end of the day when they may be slightly larger.

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Remember, the manufacturer makes new shoes based on trends of style, color, and fancy gimmicks to market the shoe. That’s why shoe styles come and go. If you find the shoe that fits perfectly, buy more than one pair. Just be sure to try them all on, since the same shoe may also vary in size.

Some patients I have seen bought larger shoes after discovering their initial problem of a tight fit, only to find that their feet kept getting larger. At some point in time, they ended up with an increase of a whole size or more. I have even seen increases of 2.5 U.S. sizes over a two-year period in adults!