My current set of road shoes are getting towards the end of their useful life so I’m looking for recommendations for a new pair.
Currently I’ve got Giro Factor ACC kicks, which are great shoes but not really a perfect fit.
I’ve got weird feet - they’re a bit duck shaped. Short with narrow heels and wide toes. Also very high arches. I’ve been really struggling to find shoes that work for both the narrow heel and wide toe section in any of my local shops.
I have my cleats set really far back (towards my mid-foot / away from my toes) so the ability to position the cleats further rearwards is also important.
Any suggestions greatly appreciated
Maby S Works 7 in a wide?
In my experience they have a big toe box, and a slim heel cup.
Have you tried any of the specific Asian fit shoes? I think they are designed with a wider tow area. Try Bont shoes for those options
Thanks - I’ve not tried any specialized shoes for years. I’ll have to find a shop that stocks them to try them on
Make sure you really try shoes on for a longer time. I have switched from Shimano to Specialized and am struggling… They felt good initially when trying them but I get numb feet and hotspots after 30-45min. I am now fiddling with wedges and shoe stretchers. Therefore invest in the selection process so that you can avoid all the fiddling afterwards…
I’ve got wide feet and use:
Shimano SH-XC9B (not wide but still comfortable)
Specialized Defroster (MTB are normal and road are classified as Wide)
Bont Riot (they are wide normally)
Did use Shimano cheaper MTB-shoes in wide but as I lost weight that probably affected my feet and swelling of them so no need to go wide anymore. But Bont are supposed to be wider and Specialized have their special insoles that accommodate a lot of different feet.
EDIT: Sidi-shoes come in mega for wider toe-box and they usually have an adjustable heel-cup.
First shoe that went through my mind was the S-Works. The old S-works 6 has a wide toe and narrow, snug heel. It’s also pretty high round the back of the ankle. I think the S-Works 7 is slightly lower. Definately worth trying a pair on.
I have used a bunch of different Sidi shoes in the regular width and wide and they never really worked out.
I know use Sworks 7 shoes and they are magical. I seem to have the same issue as you. I have narrow heal and ankle and wide front of the foot. I did get the wides and they are actually to wide. I just get the regular version now (I have 3 pairs). They are the most comfortable riding shoe I have used.
I have a high instep and wideish feet and Northwave shoes fit me quite well
I have a high arch and wide feet: after trying 10 brands I went for Lake.
my 2c … wide shoes = Northwave
new specialized are not as large as the old ones
I have a similar issue and have very wide feet. I am currently half way through a custom shoe option with D2shoe.com. They are pretty expensive though.
I’ve thought about going down the custom route. I’d actually love to try making my own (making the carbon soles is the really easy bit - it’s just everything else that’s hard), but I don’t really have the time to do a properly good job
Hands down the S-works are my favorite. Im still rocking the 2013 version, which is still great. However, with my Specialized wearing out, I tried S-phyres and absolutely hated them. I ended up with a pair of Velokicks. They’re made by an Australian pediatrist and have been awesome. They have several colors (I got the Ridge Supply) and sizes and ship worldwide. Best part… 1/2 the price of the S-works.
I’ve got a similar problem. I purchased some bonts last year and I love them. I did change the insoles to specalized. Although i highly considering switching them to solestar. Just because I’ve heard amazing reviews for them.
One thing to consider is that there are few shoes that offer a ‘Wide’ that has a wider mold. Most companies offer a wide, but it has the same sole and just more volume in the forefoot area. 2 companies that I know of offer the wider sole are Bont and Lake. There may be other companies that offer this type of shoe… I have a set of Bont Riot Road+ shoes and a set of Lake MX237 Supercross shoes in regular width. One advantage of the Bonts are that most are fully heat moldable, if you need it. Not many do… One thing that both have in common is a way to measure your foot to come up with a length and width that you need.
I had a pair of S-Works shoes from 2013 that i really liked and still throw on from time to time. I’ve also always been a 43 across virtually all brands.
I’ve recently moved from a Bontrager Classique to an S-Works Sub6 (I like laces) and I can’t begin to describe how much narrower the S-Works Sub6 is. I have very high arches, and relatively wide front of foot. The shoes fit perfectly, lengthwise, but it’s been a process to get the shoes to stretch a little bit and get used the narrowness.
Another shout for specialized but i would add Shimano to the list too
I also have a pair of Velokicks with Boa dials. I really like the shoes however, I find them very ‘bulky’ in the instep/arch area of the shoe. As far as accommodating wider feet, I can attest that Velokicks would do that no issue.
+1 on the 2013 S-Works shoes. They have one of the best Boa dials ever and are super comfy.
Also, Velokicks can be a fun project - my daughter painted mine this year as a Christmas present. Now how can I not wear them!
I have the S Works 7s. They are phenomenal! However, I have a relatively narrow foot (B width). It fits very much like the Giro Trans (mid-range shoe) that I had previously, just much higher quality. Thus, I doubt the 7s would work for you based on your foot description.
Conversely, prior to the 7s and Giro’s, I had the SiDis. It took me years to realize how wide the toe box really was and was elated when I finally switched the Giros. I don’t know about Giro’s performance line, but I think they would be worth checking out.