tddfleming

I commute to work via bike a few days a week. I use flat pedals and here within the last several months, the balls of my feet are very sore. I usually wear a running shoe as my commuting shoe. I use the stock pedals on my hybrid bike. I am trying to figure out if changing out my pedal and/or getting a different type of shoe would help solve this issue. Wondering if I could use a Shimano MBX type show without using cleats. My ride is just shy of 9 miles each way. I live in South Florida and do not let the rain stop me, so I would want something and drys easy and not hold in heat. Any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I went to my local bike shop and they were not very helpful.

Thanks,

BobbyG

I was you. I commute with flat pedals and toe clips. I also would use my old sneakers which usually have flexible soles for walking comfort, and were even more flexible, since they were worn out. I, too started to notice pain in the balls of my feet. Two years ago I went to Wal-Mart and bought skateboard shoes for $15. They have a flat, thick, stiff sole. My foot discomfort faded away. I have found that the stiff sole makes them a little uncomfortable to do much walking in. Unfortunately they are black suede (or faux suede) so they are not really waterproof, and can get a little warm in the summer. Perhaps there is some sort of stiffening insert out there, or maybe even shape a thin piece of wood or some layers of laminate.

spare_wheel

The stiff sole of a bike specific shoe could help. Obtaining more comfortable shoes and mashing less might also help. I had this kind of host-spot foot pain and it was only eliminated by going clipless.

Rehab

Check your saddle height. If too high can cause cramping in this area because you are pointing toes and not flattening at bottom of pedal stroke.

gregjones

You are at the distance where some would wear bike specific shoes. They do exist for a reason, although millions of miles were ridden before their development. One question is what did riders do and what are you willing to endure to be able to add to those millions of miles in general use shoes.

I would imagine that given time you will be fine and will forget that your feet ever hurt. But bike specific shoes might help you reach that bliss earlier than your running shoes. Maybe they won't. We don't know. We do know one thing---right now your running shoes are not working.

It's your call. Depending on what you're willing to put up with----ride until your feet adapt to new stuff or get help from technology.

baron von trail 

Never had this problem and I bike a lot, albeit with clipless pedals a d MTB shoes. My guess is your not spinning high enough rpm and pushing down on pedals with too much force.

JohnJ80

Problem is almost certainly your soft soled shoes. You can solve this problem in two ways:

1. Get a biking specific show with a stiff sole.

2. Increase your cadence but ride in a lower gear that has you pushing less against the pedal with each stroke. You should do this anyhow - bike racers have a cadence near 100rpm. Most experienced cyclists strive to maintain 80-90rpm. If you are not at least at 60rpm, you are pedaling too slow with too much pressure on each stroke.

J.

baron von trail 

yep. High rpm low force is a must. Shoes with cleats help there. Though to spin 100 RPM on flat pedals without toe clips, and toe clips cause other issues, like sore toes. Best is clipless pedals and special shoes.

wolfchild

You need shoes with a harder stiffer soles...Bike specific shoes are not necessary, there are plenty of shoes out there for hiking, trail running and skateboarding which have harder stiffer soles and are perfect for riding with platform pedals.

jon c. 

I had the same problem and agree with the stiffer soles suggestion. I use platform pedals, but still wear bike shoes. Started riding with sneakers and couldn't keep my feet flat enough, but when I switched shoes my problems went away.

WarrenR

Are your pedals wide enough to support your whole foot? That can make a big difference.

willhenry

Upgrading to clipless pedals would be my suggestion. You can even get a pair with recessed cleats that you can normally walk in.

The consistent position seems to reduce stress, and most step-in shoes are built with a stiff enough construction to reduce foot fatigue. They're also more efficient.

I published a piece on going clipless on my blog a while back, hopefully the info will be useful.

TransitBiker

Don't use running shoes to ride a bike. You need a shoe with a hard flexible sole, like a chuck taylor. Your feet have pain because the shoe is too spongy and its pushing everything out of whack in your foot. When you walk around barefoot (as nature intended), your feet are on a hard surface, and have evolved to deal with that.

Also, a harder sole will translate more power to the pedal instead of absorbing the force.

I have two pairs of crocs, a bistro & an off-road. The bistro is my cycling shoe because its sole is far more stiff. the few times i have to ride with my off-roads on, it feels like i'm riding on a slice of fresh bread covered in honey.

- Andy

spare_wheel

This thread has good advice and general agreement with no sniping. Is this some sort of omen?

tddfleming

What type of bike shoes are you using. I have looked at some, but have stayed away since it had a place for the cleats.

tddfleming

I have been commuting for over two years now and while it gets sore, yesterday it was more bothersom since I had just run a 5k. I also notice it more as the end of the week approaches since I have been riding through the week. I have stayed away from the clipless pedals due to the fear of falling in front of a car. Thanks to all suggestions. Some have mentioned bike shoes, can these be used with flat pedals?

baron von trail 

Clipless with the pedal set loose lets you slip out fast and easy while still allowing high rpm spins without foot coming off the pedals. I'm saying is foot fatigue should not ever occur. I can ride 150 miles and pretty much be sore all over: arms, legs, ass, even my brain will hurt; but never end up with sore feet.

tddfleming

This is the reason I usually avoid fourms. But everyone has been helpful. Thanks to all.

fietsbob

My Ergon pedals, as an example , were made to ride in the regular shoes one would want when working standing on a Hard Floor all day Long.

Special bike shoes, I would not want to be wearing to stand on a concrete floor for 8 hours , then another pair of shoes would need to be brought along.

tddfleming

I keep my work shoes at work.

LesterOfPuppets

I love running shoes for bike riding, personally, unless you're talking about minimalist running shoes, then no way.

What kinda flat pedals are we talking about?

If it's something like this, there are much better platform pedals.



I love Odyssey Twisted PC pedals. Nice, big, concave surface, pins are good at keeping shoes in place. Nice price, too. Can't guarantee they'll help the sore balls of feets problem, though.

LesterOfPuppets

Oops, forgot the best part. There's a rainbow of colors if you shop around.

debit

While most of my bikes have clipless pedals, I do have a couple with platform pedals. If I'm going to ride for more than a couple miles, I really like my (horseback) riding sneakers. They're stiff in the sole and super comfortable. Ariat has a quality product (link to men's version); I haven't had horses for ten years and my shoes are still going strong.

gsa103

I can ride comfortable in running shoes, but it requires one of those massive platform pedals. The older style platforms like you'd use with toe clips are far too small to support a flexible shoe. You either need new shoes or pedals, either should solve your problem.

Sullalto

I cycle in running shoes, lots of rides of 10+ miles. Some are better than others. Hoka Clifton's are super soft and great to run in, but couldn't cycle in them. Other shoes(Brooks) don't make my feet don't hurt. I do have issues with the balls of my feet getting super-calloused if I don't apply lotion 2x a day.

I'm thinking about trying cycling specific shoes, and trying a stiff insole in my running shoes.

I'm going to try the larger style pedals lester mentioned as well. I think the LBS stocks the fyxation version with retention straps.