Cycling Shoe Recommendations and Guide
Your feet are one of the most important contact points on a bike, so it is vital to choose your cycling shoes carefully. There is a lot of choice though, so it can be hard to know what is best. What is vitally important is you get the right fit to avoid injuries such as dreaded ‘hot foot’.
Here is a cycling footwear guide put together with the help of Cobra 9 cycling orthotics team principal and podiatrist Nathan White.
Lake:
Road and Mountain options.
Widest options of any shoe in the range across both mountain and road option (MX and CX 238 wide fit)
Most popular shoe for bike fitters as has range across normal to wides - covers all bases of shoes Wide CX and MX 238 (wide fit) Semi Wide CX332 CX 301 wide fit - extra wide fit cx332 - similar to wide fit cx238 Narrower fit CX 332 or Cx301 - comparable to shimano width CX and MX 241 has variable width for bunions (also available in wide fit)
Use quality BOA dials and leather uppers
Wide around the toe region - square toes foot types - fits well
Safe shoe for most foot types
All options have quality carbon soles - not resin
Top tier cx cx403, cx 241 and cx332 are also mouldable with heat (only heat heel region initially)
MX offerings are made from resilient helcor or treated leathers whereas the road incarnations are made with cow or kangaroo leather - needs to be treated with leather conditioner
Custom sizing is available as well by request (different shoe sizing - split sizing - for surcharge)
Simple insole inside - basic - but fits Cobra9 Semipro well
Shimano:
Widely available safe shoe offering multiple low cost options
Base models have resin soles which are cheaper and flexible
Shoe fit is typically standard width - not too narrow
Volume in the toe box is good - tends to be deeper rather wider
Toe shape is a little more pointed
Wide fit offerings provide a useful wide fit option for value
Many cheaper MTB options available - touring shoes also available (lace ups etc)
Tri shoe for triathlon are the safest and most widely used on the market TR901 and the TR501 are great easy options
The RC9 and RC7 are excellent top tier options for a medium width foot
Bont:
Bonts are renowned for being the shoe of choice for Track cyclists - stiff light and small stack (very close to the pedal interface)
Heat moldable carbon wrap around the foot to the midpoint of the shoe - great to create a firm interface - can create massive pressure points - rub spots - can cause occasional bursas to form
Available in multiple widths - toes box is quite square across the range
Very flat sole with minimal insole arch support - benefit greatly from insole use both custom or semi custom
Orthotics when made well can alleviate rub spots - greatly enhances shoe function
Vapor range is a great shoe for normal width feet looking for performance option
When moulding the shoe for pressure points, using a think felt stuck directly to the foot to emphasize the spot, then heat molding the shoe away with a heat gun works well If rider changes to Bonts from a higher stack shoe, seat height may need to be adjusted due to stack height change
Sidi:
Italian made shoes
Been in the market for a long time - one of the first shoes to go clipless
Very pointed toe box - not good for wide toes
Width across the forefoot is relatively wide
Available in a mega fit for width - better options for wide fit these in other shoe brands - fit isn't great with this option
Uses ratchets and velcro straps not boas which work well for retention but are more fiddly
Heel retention system allows targeted tightening around the heel cup with screw adjustment on some models
Be wary of using Sidi in those with haglunds and insertional achilles pathologies
Good fit for standard width feet with tapered toe shape (Mortons foot)
Heel shape also cuts under the base of calcaneus and means any insoles need to be cut closer the proximal aspect to avoid having the orthotic push too far forward in the shoe
Doesn’t handle using any standard off shelf orthotics as insoles are incredibly thin that come out the shoes - using BG fit or Shimano insoles makes the shoes fit poorly - Semipros work well
Giro:
Very narrow and low depth offering.
Not good for normal to wide feet generally
Uses combination of boas and laces and velcros straps
Commonly used for mountain biking as good value
Rectangular shaped shoe with wider heels and narrow toe box
Has multiple lace up options as well Lightweight option
Fizik:
Italian made shoes
Narrow fitting option
Well made aesthetically pleasing shoes Road and MTB options available
Size very long compared to other models (45 in Fizik - 45.5 to 46 in a lake)
Narrow toe box - tapered - not ideal for wider toes
Minimal amount of cleat adjustment available on these shoes
Cleat position is set very forward - very difficult for many feet to get cleats far enough back
Very up and down carbon last shape which can cause irritation on the lateral border of the foot as the lateral ‘arch’ will seesaw on this region in some people.
Use Boas for retention - very secure shoe
Clients often go longer to fit the width which makes cleat placement even more difficult
Specialized:
Well made high end shoes for both MTB and Road
Narrow and low depth forefoot which catches out a lot of riders
Not much stretch in the shoes - synthetic uppers - if too tight initially, will likely remain too tight and cause numbness and pain
Stiff carbon soles.
These are designed with a 2 degree medial cant on the soles (mild inversion tilt) - be wary for those with dropped or plantarflexed first rays or reduced fat pads in this region
Also be wary for those with cavoid foot types.
S - Works offering is light, stiff and very firm - depth is only concern
Good for normal width with slightly wider toes Wide fit version also available
Only available through specialized businesses
Fitted with Specialized proprietary BG Fit insoles - Low / medium / high These insoles are great inside specialised shoes as they fit to the shape as designed - however poor fit in other shoe brands as they tend to be higher volume and shunt the foot forward
