cleon

Anyone have an opinion on Superfeet vs Specialized's BG Footbeds? A physical therapist I spoke to felt strongly that the former's hard plastic arch support was much more meaningful than BG's foam only support.

bermanfb28

i am flat fotted and i have prescription orthordicts for my shoes and i had some pain in my feet with the regular bg footbeds so i went to super feet but if your not flat footed anyways then im not sure if it will help

ultraman6970

I have used the superfeet and sucked IMO, dont even have metatarsal buttons. The BGs have 3 types of insoles.

The one that is way better than the superfeet is the Sole insoles, those are heat moldable but doesnt have metatarsal button, the support on this ones is way better than in superfeet, totally different monster.

Actually i have a BG in one foot and a Sole insole in the other because I need more support and have a leg a tiny longer than the other.

Personally the BGs are way better than the superfeet IMO. Metatarsal button, u can select the arch support u need, really well made product, super feet is for shoes not for cycling, even with the plastic insert u mentioned I did not get half of the support the BGs gave me and I needed a lot of support.

hope this helps.

bbattle

I have fairly flat feet and the Superfeet black inserts work well for me. My arch is back further than the arch support found in many shoes(particularly running shoes) and I find the Superfeet ones match my foot nicely.

Menel

Same, Superfeet Black in Specialized shoes no less.

MrTuner1970

My question is does the PT have experience with cycling? Is he a cyclist? Or trained in the needs of cyclists?

I have custom orthotics for my regular shoes. I absolutely hate them for cycling, so I use BG footbeds, which have worked just fine.

billydonn

BG with metatarsal button has worked great or me. I have no experience with the others.

STP

I have a high arch and I use the Specialized BG's in all my shoes, with the appropriate shims, of course. I haven't tried superfeet, but have been thinking of them for my everyday dress shoes. I guess this post isn't very helpful, is it? Carry on.

Lexi01

I've currently got a problem with what I think would be described as a hotspot on the outside of my right foot...it appears generally after about 20kms.

I went to see a physio the other day who recommended 2 main actions:

1. change from SPD to SPD-SL for more surface area under the foot (I just bought a road bike and thought Id use the same shoes/pedals on both)
2. go to a podiatrist for some custom orthodics (my ankle collapses in when standing normally (not sure if thats under or over pronating))

Seeing the podiatrist on friday...see how we go.

I asked him about the off the shelf kits like superfeet, etc. Basically, he said there's a lot of damage to be done by using them. If you adjust your foot angle incorrectly it flows up through your ankles, knees and hips...can cause more trouble than they fix.

Just be aware...

If I remember I'll post back when the orthodics are made and tested...

pbd

I'm intrigued by eSoles, they make eFit modular footbeds designed for stiff-soled applications like cycling shoes. They're not fully custom, but modular. With 1 set you get the insoles, 5 interchangeable arch support sizes, and 2 interchangeable metatarsal button sizes.

ultraman6970

Those ones are nice but are expensive.

cleon

This is what triggered my original post. Those podiatrists I think will never say 'aftermarket beds for $50 are just as good as my $300 custom beds', on the other hand there is probably a bit of truth to it. But then there are thousands of buyers of the stock beds that are quite content. He (my pod) did seem to think that stock was ok, as long as they had real support, which he felt the Superfeet brand had because of the hard plastic shell vs just the foam on the BG bed. He basically picked it up (the BG bed), stuck his finger through it, and said, 'these are no better than what came with the shoe..if my finger can take out the support, think what my foot would do'. It was an interesting conversation and he wasn't really advocating custom, but was just not a fan of the BGs.

Anyway, I personally don't know one way or the other which is best, but thought I'd share that tidbit and see if anyone had tried both and had an opinion. I currently have blue BGs in my cycling shoes but have been a long time user of green and black Superfeet in both my running and dress shoes. They do now have a wider selection of designs (blue and yellow), that I haven't tried yet but might soon just to compare.

chipcom 

The blue BGs work much better for me than the black Superfeet.

topflightpro

I have not tried Superfeet but have been very happy with the blue Specialized insoles.

I am curious though, how the hard plastic of Superfeet would matter in a cycling shoe. Most cycling shoes have such a stiff sole - mine are carbon - that I don't see how the insole backing would factor in much. In something like a running shoe, which has a flexible sole, the stiffer Superfeet insole might make a difference.

cleon

I don't know off hand. I think he was pointing out the actual arch support in the green Superfeet vs the BG. On the Superfeet, it's supported by a hard plastic curve that can't be easily pressed out, whereas on the BG it just collapses when you put any pressure on it. That was his point anyway..I wouldn't know how valid it is.

grimslade

I love superfeet. Sometimes more than my custom othotics.
EDIT: I mean the black, hard-plastic superfeet.

curtwally

not sure why you need insoles for your road bike shoes. Decent road bike shoes are really stiff. But...... I can attest to blue Superfeet insoles being great for all of my non cycling shoes as I have experienced Plantar faciitis (sp?) and the plastic under the insole forces the foot bend to be at the ball rather than crushing at mid foot. But for cycling shoes what problem are you trying to correct?

curtwally

Is the problem you are having is a hot spot on the right side of your foot? What has changed with your cycling? more miles? new shoes? new pedals? new fit on the bike? curt wally

redvespablur

I got some Pearl Izumi insoles with 3 arch and 3 metatarsal choices. Like them lots.

Lexi01

I'm assuming this is directed at me? If not, sorry.

Since I've gone from platform pedals and 20km rides to clipless and 80km rides I've had this problem. It seems to be alleviated by rocking my foot inwards so that I'm pedalling more on the ball under my big toe rather than on the outside. I guess not everones foot is perfectly aligned (horozontally), but pedals are. So in some cases (and I guess I'm one) people need some support on the the inside (or outside) of their foot to match their particular alignment. Makes sense I reckon.

I had a PM the other day from someone with the same issue who fixed it by putting a piece of cardboard under the ball of his toe to alter the angle of his foot inside his shoe and consequently on his pedals...it fixed his issue.

I'm gonna try that on Sunday and see how it goes on a long ride. I've just bought some $15 insoles from the supermarket and I plan on cutting those up so I can place them under my existing insoles in an effort to wedge my foot in the right direction.

Either way I'll still see the pod but if it works I'll be letting him know.

ultraman6970

Wants to try this ones.

Menel

Has nothing to do with stiffness.

Everyones feet has different biomechanics. Overpronation, underpeonation, neutral, and all sorts of variations that can play out to be issues in repetitive motion endurance sport.

back4more

I use the orange superfeet in my running shoes and am pleased. Not sure if I would want them in my bike shoes - adding padding to the sole seems counterproductive to a carbon sole designed to transfer the most of your energy to the pedal. Seems like padding would absorb some of that energy.

Menel

you would be correct.

Orange in my runners
Black in my cycling

Yellow also supposed to be good for cycling

billyymc

My own experience was just the opposite. I got some $400 custom orthotics. They totally suck and I feel ripped off whenever I think about it. Subsequently I tried SOLE brand inserts (www.yoursole.com) -- I've tried several of their models, and for me they work great and completley blow away the customs I have. So now I have SOLE inserts in all the shoes I wear regularly, my bike shoes, rollerblades, ski boots, hiking boots. There was a time when i couldn't rollerblade more than a few miles without severe pain -- now I can skate 20 miles without issue.

Just my own experience. BTW, if you have a good ski boot fitter who is also a cyclist near you, stop and talk with him.

Oh, I have pretty high instep / arch btw. A little pronation, but not significant.