Shoes
Shoes should be comfortable, supportive, with sole stiffness specific to the application.
Specialized shoes are corrected varus 1.5 degrees at the forefoot . The company claims approximately 80% of all cyclists need this correction. I disagree, but still love the shoes.
Expect a supportive last, moderate to wide toe box (in the standard width), and remarkable weight. BG insoles are available in three-models, specific to arch height..
Bontrager shoes are a few years behind Specialized in the design-department, but much better than previous years. Bontrager insoles (Superfeet) are also available in different arch heights.
I prefer Specialized to Bontrager insoles.
Lake shoes are extremely supportive, and incorporate a thin sheet of secondary carbon to the base (undetectable) for road damping. Uppers are Kangaroo leather, and the closures, Boa. This brand receives the hightest regard from my clients and other fitters.
D2-Shoes rock. Fully custom.
Shimano shoes available in a variety of lasts — many with the option of standard and wide sizing. The top-end S-Phyre road and mountain shoes are on par with S-Works, but silghtly more narrow. Not a fan of the “custom” insole, which does little in the way of support/conformability.
Sidi shoes are still very good, but the arch-support is now built directly into the last. This tends to require a step-lower Specialized or “other” insole for support equal to other brands.
DMT Shoes are really nice. Loads of instep support in the outer. Wish someone in MN carried this brand;(.
Giro and Mavic are light and beautiful for a narrow-forefoot, but the last is typically non-conforming (flat) which has a negative impact on corrections at the foot/pedal interface.
Fizik shoes are recently improved with a reduction in stack-height. Toe-box is moderate and the stock “Sidas” insoles are amazing.
Rocket 7 make great custom shoes, but really expensive. Custom carbon sole/insole and outer.
Bont shoes incorporate a heat-modified last and carbon surround for the entire foot. Not sure all the lasts I’ve seen are consistant fore-foot to heel, so be careful when molding. I suggest sighting the soles from heel-to-forefoot before molding to check for twisting. Also check integrity at the pedal/cleat interface. Some of the forefoot sections are flatter than cleat arc. This will make for a wobbly shoe when clipped-in.
Tips:
When trying-on shoe at your local shop, be sure to sample all models possible. Every shoe is slightly different from the next, and models are updated/changed every few years. Don’t expect that your 2007 model will fit like the 2011 version of the same thing.
If you find a pair that fits properly, show some gratitude for the salesperson’s time and buy them instead of purchasing online. Don’t be surprised if the shop will not accept an exchange for something bought online that does not fit, even if it is the same size.
Don’t buy the idea that they will “break-in”. A shoe should be comfortable right from the box. There is a shoe for every foot. Try a variety of shoes from different manufacturers, and get custom if necessary.
Mountain bike pedals are for mountain biking; Road bike pedals are for road biking.
MTB allow for more shoe/pedal movement with less surface-contact; Road, less movement and more surface-contact. The former is for handling obstacles; the latter, to maintain structural integrity in static positioning.
Common causes for foot pain and/or numbness:
Improper size – too narrow (common) or short (less common). Compresses bones and nerves between the distal 1st and 5th MCP bones (widest part of the forefoot).
High/hard unsupported arch, which reduces foot/last surface area, localizing pressure and reducing blood-flow.
MTB pedals used for road application — where the cleat has a small impression on the last.
Medication side effects
Improper fore/aft cleat position.
A good fit technician will modify shoes/foot beds/posting to achieve proper foot/shoe/pedal interface. I recommend caution when more than 3mm shims and/or 3-varus wedges are used without custom or quality OTC footbeds. Non-prescriptive insolves should be comfortable and conforming, and sadly most prescriptive insoles don’t work properly for cycling. Footbalance and Sidas are good options for cycling-specific conformable insoles, but I usually suggest trying a pair of $30 Specialized if trying to save money.