BiggSlic

The problem has been getting worse and worse, foot pain only in the right foot. It is located on the outside of the foot, opposite from the arch and behind the ball area. I am puzzled. I have had professional fits (2). The pain has started after about 9 months of cycling. Didn't have any pain at all until about 3 months ago.

I've tried adjusting the cleat position slightly but nothing I have done seems to work. Do I just need to go buy a new pair of shoes?

Anyone else ever have this problem?

AngryScientist 

hmm, this could be serious. my first thoughts are morton's neuroma (or another form of it) or a stress fracture, but i could definitely be wrong.

my experience with problems like this is that they will only get worse until you get to the bottom of the problem, and they are nothing to fool around with. if i were you i'd see a sports medicine type podiatrist and get a full screening.

BiggSlic

Thanks Angry, I wasn't really considering it being something that serious but you could be right. I'm not sure what I am going to do, I don't have health insurance and really don't have the money to be seeing doctors right now. Double crap.

BiggSlic

Oh and one more thing which makes me believe it might just be something with my shoes...I never feel the pain except when I ride. Never in any other shoes, lifting, jogging, etc.

Tress94

I have a similar pain (thought on the left foot only) - dull ache after long rides, outside middle, behind the ball, and sometimes top of foot...I did go to a podiatrist to have x-rays, etc. no fracture, no damage, told me it is more than likely a frequency of use injury (tendinitis perhaps) and prescribed some anti-inflammatory meds....I also drop that foot in a bucket of ice after long-ish rides (this helps a ton)...I know I need to take like a month or two off and just let it heal...but I'm right in the middle of my race season (and the doc told me I can't 'do anything worse to it'), so I'm just trying to make it through...good luck, these are hard ones to diagnose/treat.

Btw - what shoes do you use? I am wearing the Specialized S-Works road shoe with the dials, I've often wondered if they are the culprit in this, but really, I've had them for over a year and this pain is rather recent (since maybe April)...so I have a hard time blaming any of my equipment, you would expect a crappy fit to hurt you immediately....

AngryScientist 

can you wiggle your toes freely in the cycling shoes when you're clipped in? thats key.

given your situation, i would recommend (if your shoes are sufficiently large) trying a number of quality shoe insoles to see if any of them alleviate the pain.

lynch.cr

I have been having similar pains in both of my feet. I just switched to the Specialized Pro road shoe this past winter from the Specialized Sport road shoe. They have been bothering me most of the season. I think I am about to give up and go back to the older cheaper shoes.

AngryScientist 

i think i disagree with that, the body can take a lot of abuse, i think most overuse typed injuries are the result of prolonged exposure to improper fit. i'm not an expert though...

BiggSlic

Angry, I can wiggle my toes freely. I was thinking maybe too freely. When I first started riding I remember having a tough time finding shoes that fit right. I wear a size 12-13 depending on mfg. I'm in size 48's right now and I think I could go smaller. I have been using the Specialized "Elite Road" shoe. I was kind of hoping that maybe upgrading to the S-Works model would help. I do know that the Specialized shoes fit me better than other brands. Their sizes all seem small compared to what they should be.

DScott

The timing of the problem makes me wonder if it's a wear issue. Sometimes these symptoms get worse as your cleat/pedals wear. They start to loosen up, and allowing more inversion of the foot. This adds to the pressure on the outside of the foot, causing more numbness and pain.

It could also be lack of support in general, as you suspect, and would be better with better shoes. Riding more just might also be making this problem worse.

BiggSlic

Good call Dscott! My cleats are very worn down. In fact I just purchased some new Dura Ace pedals and haven't switched the cleats out yet because I wanted to get the extra mileage out of the current ones. I'll head to the bike shop tomorrow as well to try on some new shoes.

ultraman6970

BiggSlic the pain at the other side of the foot is because the internal part of the foot aka forefoot varus if i recall ok. The issue is that your big toe is not touching the shoe as the external part of the foot. Basically you are putting more power with the external part of the foot instead with the hole surface. Thats why it hurts. The problem can be the cleats that worn out unevenly, or that you had the problem since who knows wehn and now that the shoes are old is more noticeable.

Your knees wave a little bit also right?

CyciumX

I hate to admit it, but SPDs are no longer needed for my type of riding. Even with carbon soled shoes... heat spots started to form and they are a pain in the ass/foot. I'm now on the look/SPD SL platform(have both)... which is nice for a quick jaunt using regular shoes if need be. So most def... try a newer pair of shoes with stiffer support.

dafadda

I am a podiatrist. I wear the same shoes. I have a hard to fit foot. The area on the outside of your foot is most likely the base of the fifth metatarsal. It's the protrusion on the outside of the foot about midway back. Most bike shoe problems are fit related. You might be tightening them more than usual as I have done that at times. You may have done it one time and caused irritation to this area. Let me know if this is the area and if it is the same area, is the same area on the other foot the same redness or as swollen.

tuxbailey

Can you elaborate on this?

halfspeed

If the new cleats don't solve it, try two cleat wedges with the wide part towards the inside.
https://www.excelsports.com/image.asp...ge%20Shims.jpg
https://www.excelsports.com/new.asp?p...ajor=5&minor=6

BiggSlic

Thanks for dropping in dafadda! It sounds like this is the fifth metatarsal, on the right side only and it never really gets that red or swollen. I replaced my cleats and increased the tension on my clips. It seems to have helped a little bit but not entirely. Perhaps because of the prior irritation? The left foot has no symptoms at all. I don't think I'm tightening the shoes too much, I've tried before removing all tension from the highest strap with no positive results.

Also, I know my right foot is larger than my left slightly not sure if this helps at all. However, the right foot does fit comfortably in the shoe. My (our) current shoes aren't the nicest out there but I have been wondering if a full carbon sole would help instead of the carbon cleat area.

NickDavid

Try adjusting the cleat to a different location.

Try a different shoe. Sidi shoes gave me problems, so I moved to Specialized. So far, no problems. Not every shoe works for every foot.

achoo

Tailor's bunion?

I have one on my right foot, and the only way I can prevent a really nasty hot spot on the outside of my right foot when I ride is by taping up my foot to prevent it from spreading out too wide. If you're familar with athletic taping, you can probably figure out how I do it. If you're not familar with athletic taping, don't try it - you can probably cause all kinds of damage if you do it wrong then go do a long ride. See a podiatrist instead.

FWIW, my problem surfaced after a long time in the same shoes, too. I had to get a wider pair along with taping my foot.

ultraman6970

That shoe needs shims.