Can I stop my shoes hurting ?

[N111BJG]

I have pair of Northwave shoes, no idea what model, have owned them about 5 years & have used them a lot, they seem to be in good condition. I really like them but have limited experience as they are only the second pair of cleated shoes I’ve had. I started with some Specialized but decided they were too narrow.
Anyway over past few months I’ve found my feet , right mostly, hurt underneath around the cleat area after half an hour or so.
Does this mean the shoes are knackered or can have some kind of repair ?
Is there such a thing as retro fit load spreading inner sole ?
TIA

[Mars]

Are they tight?

I've a pair of NW winters. Apart from being a bit crap at actually keeping my feet warm, they're pretty comfy overall.

They do have a removable spongy foot bed thing. Maybe pull that and see what's underneath in case.youve broken them.

[MelbourneWoody]

Has the cleat moved at all on the bottom of the shoe? If it's crept forwards towards the toe this might result in pain possibly?

[N111BJG]

Mars said:

Are they tight?

I've a pair of NW winters. Apart from being a bit crap at actually keeping my feet warm, they're pretty comfy overall.

They do have a removable spongy foot bed thing. Maybe pull that and see what's underneath in case.youve broken them.

Thanks, I’ll do some investigation later

[N111BJG]

MelbourneWoody said:

Has the cleat moved at all on the bottom of the shoe? If it's crept forwards towards the toe this might result in pain possibly?

I don’t think so, everything looks secure

[outnumbered]

It’s definitely important to fix this as you can get permanent nerve damage (neuroma) from badly fitting shoes, and your symptoms might be the start of that. Things that might help are a softer insole, not doing them up as tightly, cleat wedges, new shoes, position on bike, etc.

My wife had similar problems, although more advanced, she’s much improved after a very comprehensive bike fit from an excellent fitter.

[Tabs]

I had this about 10 years ago. Felt like a hot patch under the ball of my foot above the cleat. Went to a podiatrist who looked at the way I walked and how my feet dangled from sitting on a high bench.
Long story short, but she made up some inner soles with wedges under the instep. Instant cure!

[JEA1K]

Firstly I'd inspect the shoes and see if there has been some deformation in this area ... just remove the insole and have a look. Then I'd consider some decent footbeds/insoles to see if this helps. It not then I'd suggest some new shoes I'm afraid.

Your feet must be comfortable ... 'manning up' doesn't come into it. I've ridden with shoes that have given me corns (all Giro for some reason) which made riding over the slightest bumps (impossible in the UK) really painful.

I have 4 x pairs of Bontragers and funnily enough a pair of Northwaves for winter, none of which give me any bother.

[N111BJG]

So after a few days to let pain subside, with the benefit of some helpful hints, I established that there was nothing wrong with the shoes, but the cleats were as far forward as possible. Internet research suggested that could be the problem, so I moved them back to about mid way, which I recall was their original position.
After an hours ride tonight the foot is ok ish it was a little tender anyway so probably about the same.
I won’t wear them again until weekend.
I have no idea how they worked their way forward, perhaps it just happens over time.

[MelbourneWoody]

N111BJG said:

So after a few days to let pain subside, with the benefit of some helpful hints, I established that there was nothing wrong with the shoes, but the cleats were as far forward as possible. Internet research suggested that could be the problem, so I moved them back to about mid way, which I recall was their original position.
After an hours ride tonight the foot is ok ish it was a little tender anyway so probably about the same.
I won’t wear them again until weekend.
I have no idea how they worked their way forward, perhaps it just happens over time.

Yep, I only asked this as the exact same thing happened to me. I can now where the same shoes for long time periods and no issues so hopefully the same happens for yourself.

[moonigan]

I have just bought some new gravel shoes (Adidas) in the sale and after two rides I'm getting a hot spot near the front on longer rides which is something I've only had once before. The shoes are setup the same as my others so I suspect it's the insole which appears to be a bit crap. There is also more flex than I would like so I'll demote them to pub/social rides.