WorldIRC

Hey Guys,

Been experiencing some foot pain on my left foot, lateral plantar half way up, up to my toes (green area on the attached image).

I'm riding on Sidi shoes (carbon sole), Ultegra pedals. They fit fairly tight (like a skate), but they are not overly tight. Perhaps its my cleat positioning.

Thoughts?

Corbin

Same thing here. LG shoes. Left foot only right at start of toe. I am waiting on new socks to see if it is the seam. It typically will only bother me around the 40 mile mark. Only once was it my right foot and that was a while ago. I started with Look keo classics and switched to speed play. Foot problem unchanged through pedal switch. I've had this 4500 miles

WorldIRC

I guess I should add:

My shoes are carbon, so the sole is stiff.
My pedals are Ultegra SPD-SL.

Campag4life

Most important advice I can provide is stop what you are doing and change. Even if you need to place platform pedals on your bike and ride in tennis shoes. I have such a drop bar bike and honestly, my times for a given route only slightly vary from clipping in. You need to change the load path onto your foot.
If you continue to do what you are doing, recovering from a repetition injury becomes more difficult. Pain is a reminder something is wrong and you have to change. Different orthotic...different shoes....even your position on the bike...technique...you may need cleat shims etc.
Stop and change.

Corbin

I actually measured my foot just a few days back thinking my left may be wider. Turns out the right is a little wider. Maybe too much free space mixed with my 100 cadence is a repeated blow. It's weird as it doesn't bother me at all other than after a couple hour out and after I get back it goes away quickly. On the ride it gets to the point where I loosen my shoe than pull my sock up (which didn't move). Sometimes I have to stop riding and take off my shoe for a minute. It's become a big nasuance on those rides. I'm trying to build up to 1000 miles monthly by way of 5x50 or so but my foot may make that difficult once my legs strengthen up.

Lazyass

Good chance you have a natural foot tilt (like me). It can be fixed with a wedge. Sliding your cleats as far back as they'll go can help as well. There's probably many, many people who have blown money on multiple shoes, pedals, ect that do not help when all they needed was a wedge.

ypsetihw

I would also say cleat position, have you tried moving to a more mid-foot cleat position? I have cleats on both my shoes as far back as they'll go and I have been happy with the change.

Corbin

I'm looking at these wedges: 8-Pack Speedplay Cleat Wedges® They come with 8 so 4 sizes per side I suppose. Should I move cleat back as far as possible first or save my self the odd feeling of re positioning my cleat and just buy the wedges?

Lazyass

Moving your cleat back is free and reversible.

WorldIRC

For those riding with a more mid-foot cleat position, you don't find this inefficient?

Lazyass

No. It takes one ride to get used to it. Better than freaking hot spots.

Carbonfiberboy 

I have a similar pain in my left foot, same area. IIRC it's from a running injury almost 50 years ago, when I used to land on my toes. RSI, I think, but could have been a minor fracture or tendinitis - I don't know, never had it looked at. Anyway, it's come back this year. Hammering hard aggravates it, duh. Also hiking, bounding intervals on hills, that sort of thing. I just took a 5-day vacation. Didn't help.

Corbin

There is a popular youtuber who did mid for a long time and switched to road bike shoes. He reported no change.

I've already ordered them. So I was reading most people tilt there foot in and up. So for both me and the OP with outer pain what direction do I angle the shoe? I see that it is 4 wedges to be compiled if need be. I guess I should only start with one seeing to it that my pain isn't intense.

Secret Squirrel

I moved my speedplay cleats back to the 14 mm position referenced in the Steve Hogg bike fitting article and relieved pressure on my metatarsal arch. After about a year, I have noticed that a greater use of my quads vs calves. I don't have a power meter, but I haven't noticed any degradation in pedaling efficiency.

dmanthree

Agreed. I always start with the cleats back, foot forward, and make adjustments from there. Normally, only minor adjustments are required, as well. I know there's a formula, and the LBS can help with positioning, but I've never known that to be necessary. Go with how it feels.

Lazyass

Look at the picture I posted earlier. The wedge needs to angle down to the outside for you. My foot tilts in the opposite direction and I actually made my own and put it underneath my insole.

Corbin

Thank you. I've ordered the wedges but also moved my cleats back already so will see if that fixes it first.
I'm happy to know this is a common problem with a easy fix.

Campag4life

+1
I am an inveterate experimenter. I like to test the margins of fit and all gradations in between. I ride Speedplays with Extender plates that allow for 14mm aft of all the way back with std. Speedplay mtg plates that come with their cleats.
Because I recently bought some new cycling shoes, I wanted to see if I was deceiving myself and could ride Speedplays with std cleats all the way back...or if my mechanics were helped with the Extender plates. No question after further testing and riding Extender plates for ten's of thousands of miles, my mechanics and reduced stress on ankle and foot is much better with the Extender plates. I am not riding anywhere near to mid foot.
Long toes alone can create a need for more aft location to prevent neuromas and get the spindle just behind the ball of the foot.

I implore all interested in their best cleat position to experiment and find the best position for them.

Lazyass

Yeah, some have them ALL the way back




I went from the hotspots coming on about mile 25, and by mile 45 I could hardly push the pedal down. Now I can be in the saddle for 5-6 hours and not even think about my feet.

dstrong 

I had a fit last year...the first 45 minutes were spent on my shoes. The fitter ended up putting a footbed insert in one of my shoes and then, I think, cants under each cleat. The goal was to get my knees tracking properly and my feet completely supported. Prior to the fit, I'd have soreness in the area the OP describes, mostly on the right foot...and i'd get "hot foot" on the left. haven't had a problem since. He also adjusted the cleat position.

Campag4life

Wow! you've gone for the Hail Mary position.

By contrast, as mentioned I go for 14mm rearward of the most rearward position offered with stock Speedplay mtg. plates.

Below shows where the cleats end up. Not my shoes, but my set up is similar:

cave12man

Check to see how your feet pronate along with your degree of arch. I have a super high arch along with pretty bad underpronation (feet tilt outward while walking or running). Had been getting hot spots in the front of my feet followed by numbness from my toes to about halfway back, and, while there's really nothing you can do about underpronation, you can get high arched footbeds to help support the arches of your feet while taking some of the load off your toes. I have Superfeet right now in the green variety and love them.

popeye

Forget the inserts and get wedges like others have suggested. I have been on wedges for < 10 yrs now pain free.

cave12man

I wonder if you can do both? Or is that overkill ?

popeye

Experiment! You never know until you try.