Specialised S Works shoe problem

[wilwil]

I have SWorks shoes 2016. They fit like a glove but cause my toes to tingle and go slightly numb when cycling. Although less, this happens even if I completely loosen them off. In fact I can ride in them almost undone the fit is so good. I'm wondering if they are too small or if there is a problem with the design. The certainly aren't too small in the length and that is usually the problem I have; buying the right length usually means the shoe feels too big.

[norcimmus]

I have the same issue even with the wide version, the problem doesn't go away when I loosen the shoes up during the ride.
Perhaps you can look into other shoe options, I don't believe any amount of insoles (Specialized insoles are already thin enough) or shims will address a tight fitting shoe.

It's a shame the RC9's aren't offered with half sizes on the wide option, I would've bought those instead. The consensus around the internet is that they run fairly roomier than other competitors.

[sungod]

if there's no wiggle room then they may be too small

not familiar with the current s-works, but have you checked to be sure cleat screws are not poking through?

numb toes can have other causes, the spesh footbeds are usually among the better, but it doesn't mean they will suit you

my old esoles have a much more pronounced metatarsal 'button', i find if i do long rides using insoles without this i get numb/tingling toes, the spesh ones do have a button but it's much less pronounced, might be worth experimenting

this may help with ideas...

http://www.cptips.com/footsyn.htm

[Illuminate]

Try pulling out the inner soles and rubbing your fingers over the area where the 3 bolts are threaded into the shoe. Bolts that are sticking through too far can protrude into the foot and can cause numbness (I've had this problem). Solution: purchase shorter bolts or trim the bolts down with a file such it's flat inside the shoe (no raised points).

Hope this helps.
Cheers,
I

[rossjm11]

Make sure you are running the cleat bolts that came with the shoe. They are shorter than those that come with cleats and can make the shoes more comfy.

[Mr.Gib]

As others have mentioned tingling toes could be a sign of insufficient transverse arch support - hence the need for a more pronounced metatarsal "button". Specialized makes three levels of insoles - red (same as the one that comes with the shoe), blue (more arch and metatarsal button), and green (most arch support and biggest metatarsal button). Experiment with the blue and green before trying other things or giving up on the shoe.

Another factor to consider is that the ankle collar of the shoe is extremely rigid. Depending on your foot, this part of the shoe may interfere with blood flow and nerve function. I have a high instep and bony, rigid feet so I have to be careful not to over-tighten the shoe or it can result in too much pressure on the top of the instep. I have also used my hands to break down and work in the ankle collar area. I just bend it around and fold back and forth the soften the material a bit.

[boots2000]

Does it make your feet tingle because it is too narrow?
The wide Specialized may to help.
In my experience it is not really wider, just higher volume.

I have been chasing foot comfort for 5 years and 3 foot surgeries.
Lots of shoes and custom insoles, even custom shoes.

None of them completely cured my foot until I moved to the newest Bont Vaypor.
For some reason it is the perfect combo of width without being volumous.
Also holds my insole perfectly.

[TheDarkInstall]

I have been chasing foot comfort for 5 years and 3 foot surgeries.
Lots of shoes and custom insoles, even custom shoes.

None of them completely cured my foot until I moved to the newest Bont Vaypor.
For some reason it is the perfect combo of width without being volumous.
Also holds my insole perfectly.

Care to expand on this? I am currently really not enjoying at all, the lovely phenomenon of the outer 3 toes on my left foot going numb whenever I go over about 300watts, and nothing I can do seems to fix it. I had tried extensive stretching, wearing shoes 2 sizes too big to see if it still happens (it does), tried BG red, blue, and modified them with layers of gaffer tape to build up the arch, metatarsal buttons, etc. Nothing helps. Clearly this is a motor / nerve issue I am having, so wonder if anyone else has experienced this and has remedied it. I can't bum around endlessly at Fred wattage; I need to get back into the hammer, but am trapped in my own body #woeisme

[TheKaiser]

I have been chasing foot comfort for 5 years and 3 foot surgeries.
Lots of shoes and custom insoles, even custom shoes.

None of them completely cured my foot until I moved to the newest Bont Vaypor.
For some reason it is the perfect combo of width without being volumous.
Also holds my insole perfectly.

Care to expand on this? I am currently really not enjoying at all, the lovely phenomenon of the outer 3 toes on my left foot going numb whenever I go over about 300watts, and nothing I can do seems to fix it. I had tried extensive stretching, wearing shoes 2 sizes too big to see if it still happens (it does), tried BG red, blue, and modified them with layers of gaffer tape to build up the arch, metatarsal buttons, etc. Nothing helps. Clearly this is a motor / nerve issue I am having, so wonder if anyone else has experienced this and has remedied it. I can't bum around endlessly at Fred wattage; I need to get back into the hammer, but am trapped in my own body #woeisme

You've tried a lot of good stuff, but I don't see any mention of midfoot cleat placement. Have you tried that? That will move the center of pressure away from the ball of the foot, which seems to help a wide range of foot problems. It may reduce your peak power, but compared to "Fred wattage" it will be a he11 of a lot better, and it may actually increase your endurance and 20min + power.

[mpulsiv]

I have been chasing foot comfort for 5 years and 3 foot surgeries.
Lots of shoes and custom insoles, even custom shoes.

None of them completely cured my foot until I moved to the newest Bont Vaypor.
For some reason it is the perfect combo of width without being volumous.
Also holds my insole perfectly.

Care to expand on this? I am currently really not enjoying at all, the lovely phenomenon of the outer 3 toes on my left foot going numb whenever I go over about 300watts, and nothing I can do seems to fix it. I had tried extensive stretching, wearing shoes 2 sizes too big to see if it still happens (it does), tried BG red, blue, and modified them with layers of gaffer tape to build up the arch, metatarsal buttons, etc. Nothing helps. Clearly this is a motor / nerve issue I am having, so wonder if anyone else has experienced this and has remedied it. I can't bum around endlessly at Fred wattage; I need to get back into the hammer, but am trapped in my own body #woeisme

You've tried a lot of good stuff, but I don't see any mention of midfoot cleat placement. Have you tried that? That will move the center of pressure away from the ball of the foot, which seems to help a wide range of foot problems. It may reduce your peak power, but compared to "Fred wattage" it will be a he11 of a lot better, and it may actually increase your endurance and 20min + power.

In case you haven't heard of Steve Hogg method http://www.stevehoggbikefitting.com/bik ... t-position

[Ronin416]

Get rid of them and go buy a pair of Bont's which is designed for natural foot position inside the shoe.
Then find a specialist who can build you proper orthotics for cycling and put them in your shoes.

The orthodics should have proper foot correction, minimal heel build-up while maintain a low stack height.

Even some pro are going the direction of semi-custom insoles. Such as Sole Stars. But I'd advise against with your complications.

[TheDarkInstall]

I have been chasing foot comfort for 5 years and 3 foot surgeries.
Lots of shoes and custom insoles, even custom shoes.

None of them completely cured my foot until I moved to the newest Bont Vaypor.
For some reason it is the perfect combo of width without being volumous.
Also holds my insole perfectly.

Care to expand on this? I am currently really not enjoying at all, the lovely phenomenon of the outer 3 toes on my left foot going numb whenever I go over about 300watts, and nothing I can do seems to fix it. I had tried extensive stretching, wearing shoes 2 sizes too big to see if it still happens (it does), tried BG red, blue, and modified them with layers of gaffer tape to build up the arch, metatarsal buttons, etc. Nothing helps. Clearly this is a motor / nerve issue I am having, so wonder if anyone else has experienced this and has remedied it. I can't bum around endlessly at Fred wattage; I need to get back into the hammer, but am trapped in my own body #woeisme

You've tried a lot of good stuff, but I don't see any mention of midfoot cleat placement. Have you tried that? That will move the center of pressure away from the ball of the foot, which seems to help a wide range of foot problems. It may reduce your peak power, but compared to "Fred wattage" it will be a he11 of a lot better, and it may actually increase your endurance and 20min + power.

(Sorry for thread hijack)

I have been doing a load of research and testing / videoing myself riding, and have also been to a proper physio. Still haven't come to an absolute conclusion about the cause, but I have found the following... If anyone has any experience with any of this, please do comment with what happened.

-Internal rotation of left hip joint is tight. I have been working on loosening this off, and it has got slightly better, but the problem with my toes going numb remains.

-Motion of left leg is a bit weird... At the top of the stroke, my knee opens out slightly. I think this is connected to the tight internal rotation. As my foot goes down from 12 to 3 the knee closes to normal, but the foot seems to be suppinating ever so slightly (when I compare it to the right which has no issues). This would make sense as a possible cause as the suppination puts a lot more force on to the outside smaller toes, than an evenly distributed load across all 5 toes.

-As an experiment I stopped trying to control my pedal stroke entirely, when riding and just let my body do exactly what it wanted. This was a bit trippy and hard to achieve at first, as I had to completely disengage my consciousness from my body, but I did it in the end. Rode along like this then looked down at my feet... huge amounts of toe dipping and comedy bow leggedness on both sides, with the left being worse than the right. Not sure what this proves, but the fact that the left was angled out a lot more than the right tells me there is an issue there.

-I took my insoles out and rode on the hard bottom of my shoes. Doing this allowed me to feel with great accuracy, every point of pressure being exerted on the soles of my feet. I felt the outside edge of the bottom of the left was being pressed a lot harder than the equivalent right.

Now, I don't know at this point if I have done any permanent damage to the nerves in my foot and given myself endless Mortons Neuroma, but my current method of attach is to get some wedges and see if I can balance off the pressure distribution in my left foot, and then see if that actually solves the issue. I will also keep working on my left internal rotation to see if that changes anything.

So yeah, if anyone has any similar experiences, it would be good to hear how you dealt with it.

Cheers.

[sun]

Here's another suggestion. This worked for me. I have an issue with my 2 middle toes going numb on both feet. It's also easy to test. I use a spacer I got on eBay, but they also sell them on Amazon. It spaces the big toe from the rest. You can just get some foam and tape into in between your big toe and second toe and see if it helps. Try it for a ride or two. I've tried everything from wide shoes to custom orthotics and this solved my issue.