I've been riding on mtb shoes and spds for a couple of years. My new bike came with some decent Time pedals and my shoes were getting pretty ragged so I ordered some Sidi Zetas from Nashbar.

I've tried them on and they are very snug. They don't hurt my feet just walking around but I kinda get the feeling that they might do so on a long ride. Should I go ahead and ride them and if they don't fit hope that Nashbar will take them back or just get rid of them and go up a size? Will they stretch any over time?

I have big feet (size 48-49) so no LBS around here carries my size (yeah I know they can order them but I figure if I'm going to have to wait, I might as well save $40) and only a couple of manufacturers even make them that big. None of them make half sizes that high so I'd have to go up a full size.

I was sort of in the same boat. I bought a pair and tried them on and they were snug. I ended up taking them back and going up a size.

I had the same experience with the Sidi's- I found they tend to run a bit smaller. Northwave shoes seem to be a bit more roomy- I was able to fit in a 48 in the northwave hornet.

Shoes should not hurt. They should fit snug but not hurt. Everyone's feet does well in different shoes. I know Sidi's work for me but other shoes do not. If the shoes hurt send them back (if you can).

My feet seem to swell a good bit while riding; I'm convinced this has to be the source of my numb feet problem. Sidis didn't work for me and my Nikes seem to be too snug, too. I'll have to check out the Northwaves.

Fat Louie- What size shoes do you normally wear? I'm between a 13 and 14 but usually end up in 14s.

Synthetic cycling shoes do not stretch, though sometimes your feet break in. Sidi shoes come in both normal and wide sizes (at least in some models).

Shoes are the only thing I absolutely will not buy online unless I KNOW the exact size I need from any given manufacturer beforehand. It's hard to beat the prices online and when I was shopping around, I almost purchased online. But not being able to try them on or even take them for a spin had me worried. And I felt guilty about trying them at the LBS to find the size for a certain shoe and then buying that shoe online for less $$$. I recently bought Pearl Izumi Vortex shoes from my LBS and tried them on prior to make sure they felt good. I'm glad I did as they are very comfortablewith no hotspotsand excellent ventilation.

Thats exactly how I feel. I wear a size 13/47 Tried on lots of shoes at lbs. Sidi megas were ok, but a little snug. I ended up with Specialized Comps in a 47 ... nice roomy toe box. The balls of my feet are wide and my toes are long and squared off so a shoe that tapers off quickly to the little toe does not work.

Yeah, join the duckfeet club, wide paddles that would probably look more suited on Bigfoot or webbed and on a duck

I know exactly how it is, and am kinda in the market for shoes, but am lost on how all this new stuff works. Right now I got like a strap and a toe cage or something like that on this MTB, and just ride in normal shoes.

I tried on different models of Sidi's, Shimano, Nike, etc at my LBS and found a pair of Shimano's that felt much better than the others. I would not have found them by reading reviews and buying online. IMHO this is a purchase that should be made retail after trying on lots of shoes. I also decided to purchase Shimano pedals and my LBS installed them right away for free.