Today my new shoes arrived. But let me back up.
Since I started riding again at the end of April, I've had numb toes, pain in the feet, burning sensation, etc. I've tried on over a dozen different brands of shoe and nothing fit even close to right. I went to all the local shops too. I finally gave up and called D2.
http://www.d2customfootwear.com/
They seemed confident that they could make shoes to fit. So ok, here we go. Fill out the form and give them a credit card number (this was Monday morning). The fit kit arrived on Thursday. That was quick. I went to see my bike fitter to do the fit kit and make a few adjustments to my bike. Using the supplied stuff, he made a tracing of each foot and took some key measurements. Then pressed each foot into it's own crush box to make an imprint of the bottom of my feet. I boxed it up and sent it back.
A week later I get a phone call from D2. Turns out my feet are a full metric size apart, I'm slightly bow-legged, and one foot is rather oddly shaped. This explains my trouble finding shoes that fit. They tell me that they can use 2 of their regular lasts as they are really good matches for my feet. So we go over other details like riding style, bike, etc. He says I could have them in hand in as little as two weeks. Here's hoping!
2 weeks from that call is tomorrow. Today the shoes arrived! Less than 4 weeks from when I initiated the process. I immediately mounted my cleats and went out for a ride. It's hot out, 107 today. Anyway, 28 miles later my feet still feel pretty good. There are a couple of spots that are off a bit and I think they'll settle out as the orthotic breaks in. If not, D2 said to send 'em back and they'll fix it.
All in all, I'm really happy with the new shoes. The carbon sole is nice and thick. Power transfer was much better than with the Sidi's. Support is fantastic. I don't have to fight the shoes any more to get my feet sort of comfortable. And best of all, they actually fit!
I certainly recommend them if you have trouble finding shoes that fit. IMO, well worth the cost and the results are outstanding. Here's a pic of my new shoes:
