NOS88

I had a similar problem with the right foot, even with cycling shoes. (No doubt, however, that the heel will be thinner than running shoes.) I tried all manner of fixes until I found something that worked. I tried KneeSavers, but then I started having problems with my hips. The additional width they created didn't match the way my hips wanted to naturally move. I tried cleats with no float, but they were tough on my knees. It wasn't until after I had a Retul professional fitting that the solution was found. I don't know the technical term for it, but here's what was going on. When I walk I tend to wear out my shoe on the outer edge first, and this is even greater on the right leg/foot. I tend to be ever so slightly bowleged.... not so much that you can really notice it unless you're really looking hard to see it. In any event I now have a small wedge under the inside (toward the crank) of my cleat. While this seems counter intuitive, it actually allows my foot to put more equal pressure across it's width on the bottom of the shoe. My leg tracks in a straighter line (as evidenced by the Retul computer graphics), my heel no longer touches the crank arm, my output in watts has gone up, and knee, leg, and hip pain are gone.

The lesson I learned was that there are many dynamics going into a pedal stroke and it may be hard to track down what is causing it. I found that after years of trial and error, going to a very good professional fitter using a very good fitting system helped solve this perplexing problem with remarkable ease.