Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - 'stiff' or rigid inserts for a shoe?

so far i have turned up nothing while searching online ...

does anyone know of a company that makes stiff inserts to put in a shoe? ... or would i just be better off cutting and forming a peice of plastic for the forward part to put under a normal insert? ...

my shoes are 'fairly' stiff ... stiffer then a normal sneaker .. but still have a bit to much flex .. esp when the pedal only has 3 to 5 contact points with them, so looking for something to spread out the contact area ...

Idea 1: You might try hiking insoles - http://www.allegromedical.com/gift-ideas-c573/superfeet-performance-green-insoles-p190698.html

Idea 2: Go to a podiatrist and get custom orthotics. The kind my wife got (for plantar fasciitis) are rigid graphite with padding, and she swears by them.

One of the things we use with some of our athletes is a "turf toe plate" This is a stiff piece of metal, which is very thin, and goes under the foot-bed or insole of a shoe to prevent the over extending of the toes, often associated with playing football on Astroturf. You could drop a pair in your cycling shoes to stiffen them up. Just another option for you.

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Is there a reason you don't want to just wear cycling shoes? They are already stiff.

One of the things we use with some of our athletes is a "turf toe plate" This is a stiff piece of metal, which is very thin, and goes under the foot-bed or insole of a shoe to prevent the over extending of the toes, often associated with playing football on Astroturf. You could drop a pair in your cycling shoes to stiffen them up. Just another option for you.

D

thanks, i just picked up something similar from a sports shop in town, it is plastic tho, but they mentioned the metal ones but were out so gave me a set of these to try and see if they will work.


Is there a reason you don't want to just wear cycling shoes? They are already stiff.

yeah, i run flats, not clipless, and the shoes i am using are already cycling shoes .. just oriented twards a more off-road type of bike riding ...

You cycling shoes aren't stiff enough? Mine are stiff as a board.

You cycling shoes aren't stiff enough? Mine are stiff as a board.

ones that are not for a clipless pedal have a bit more flex in it ... i am making the forward half of mine stiffer though.

http://www.myfootshop.com/detail.asp?ProductID=882

found a full foot one ... called a spring plate ... covers a bit more then the turf toe plate .. but going to give it a try first and see if it works, before i consider getting something for the full shoe...

You could try making some from either the thermoplastic or other rigid stuff on this engineering supply site

http://www.mcmaster.com/

...alternatively, you can buy stiff soled cycling specific shoes for USD30 or less so...

all of the 'cycling specific' shoes i have tried on and seen in person other then the clipless ones have just as much flex and give as the shoes i currently have ... which are for cycling as well .. just not clipless options ...

and the clipless ones i have found, do not offer enough contact to get a grip on a set of platform pedals ... which is what i use.

all of the 'cycling specific' shoes i have tried on and seen in person other then the clipless ones have just as much flex and give as the shoes i currently have ... which are for cycling as well .. just not clipless options ...

and the clipless ones i have found, do not offer enough contact to get a grip on a set of platform pedals ... which is what i use.
RE clipless shoes:
Are you shopping MTB cycling specific shoes or roadie cycling specific shoes? And is there any reason you can't or won't go to a spd pedal and MTB shoes.(walkable and stiff)

yeah, i run flats, not clipless, and the shoes i am using are already cycling shoes .. just oriented twards a more off-road type of bike riding ...

What kind of pedals do you have? A bigger platform will give you more area to spread the force out, which means you need a less stiff shoe.

RE clipless shoes:
Are you shopping MTB cycling specific shoes or roadie cycling specific shoes? And is there any reason you can't or won't go to a spd pedal and MTB shoes.(walkable and stiff)

yes i have looked through and tried on several MTB cycling shoes .. all of them are not what i would consider walkable ... the heal area of it is to narrow and no ankle support (what i prefer) ...

and yes there is a reason that i can't or won't go to a spd pedal, thanks for asking .. because i am not interested in being attached to my bike at this point in time.


What kind of pedals do you have? A bigger platform will give you more area to spread the force out, which means you need a less stiff shoe.
http://www.wellgo.com.tw/p-image/M-20.jpg

thats the kind of pedal i have, i have thought about larger ones ... but the bike i have has close quarters when it comes to its front wheel and toe overlap ... and i can't find dimensions from the centerline of the pedal for most of the bigger ones .. i already know a couple that come to close for comfort (less then 5mm clearence)

the insert i got earlier ... tried it on 10 mile ride ... feet didnt start getting the numb feeling till almost 10 miles but wasn't as bad as before even then. so it needs to either be a little bit wider, or thicker ... or maybe i can luck out eventually on a larger pedal that wont come to close to the wheel.

Go visit a Specialized dealer. They have a semi-custom footbed that are suppose to be real nice.