I have some D2's, they are on their 3rd president; and quite possibly their worst president but my shoes and I digress.

I've got 2 different length and width feet. My forefoot is wide, my heels are narrow and my arches are tall. 2E running shoes are locked to my forefeet but my heels slide around in them. I need to do a heel lock lacing in my 2E running shoes. In D widths (standard running shoe width) my heels are fine but my pinkie toes are over the frame. Just wanted to point out the disparity.

Love the shoes. No more numb toes or feet. Maybe 2 hot spots per year, maybe. They are stiff.

Really all I can say is that ride after ride after ride after ride no matter far, if I'm climbing or riding flats, rain or hot/humid or hot/dry conditions, cruising along or going hard, I never give my feet a second thought.

They were the best $650 I've spent for anything cycling. Period. Power meters, discs, helmets, wind tunnel time. Those shoes are my best cycling investment.

Measuring your feet, at least the way they used to do it requires 2 people.

---

Brian Stover USAT LII
Accelerate3 Coaching
Insta

I have had a pair since 2004 and decided to try some because my feet are narrow, one big toe makes my left foot half a size larger than the right and I also have a very high arch. I wanted a pair of cycling shoes that fit snug on both feet equally. Unfortunately, they took me at my word and my shoes fit very tight, uncomfortably so, even. At the time I thought that was what I wanted and I will say that since tri was the main goal, they have actually been a great racing shoe when they are wet and it is humid near water. They stretch out just enough with the moisture to feel better and the strap material they use locks your foot in very well.
When I am not racing, though, I live in the hot dry desert and when the shoe material is dry they are just way too tight for comfort in the toe box. I finally took a razor to the right shoe to open up the toe box. With a toe warmer and a little Duck Tape they now fit pretty comfortably in the toe area while the arch and heal are as locked in as ever. I don’t use them day to day, but there is a bit of a silver lining. The custom insole they provide with the shoe can be worn in other cycling shoes and it definitely turns a very average-fitting shoe into a good one.
Brian’s story is a blissful one because he made sure they (D2) built him the perfect shoe. He told me that when he received his, one did not fit so well, so he sent it back. I guess I never really realized that was an option or I might have done the same. If I was to do it over, I would probably have splayed my toes more and asked for a bit more room in the toes box.
Make sure that you get what you want and be very clear about it. The construction is first-rate though, and I anticipate I will never buy another pair of tri racing shoes.
Chad

Thanks for taking the time, great info. I'll give him a call and go from there, I was thinking/hoping I'd hear more of these types of reports on their product to help me justify the cost/benefit equation.

I'm on my second pair of D2 shoes after wearing out the first over tens of thousands of miles. I have high arches and the custom fit made a HUGE difference in my foot comfort over any other shoes I ever tried. When I wore out the first pair and saw how much prices had jumped for new D2s, I tried cheaper off-the-shelf shoes from Specialized and Sidi and others. Nope. Finally broke down and had new D2s made which I've now had for just over a year. The second pair has been just as good as the first. I did the self-fitting and did NOT require anyone to help. And when I got the second set, I just had them build to the specs they had on file from the first pair.

I've now had D2 shoes for about 8 years with just a short break in there where I messed with the others. I'd forgotten about the discomfort of foot pain until I tried those others. And now I can forget about it again.

I wear them for every ride. They're light and stiff and hold up well. I had to replace the first set when the velcro straps finally lost their ability to grip anymore. Velcro does that over time with repeated uses. But it was over a long time and a lot of rides.

I think they're very much worth their price!

---

Stay aero my friends.

I have two pair and my wife also has a pair. Don is great to work with, and makes sure you are happy with your fit. I've had my first pair (almost 8 years old) in for a refresh and they came back good as new! I have wide feet, and unbeknown to me (until Don told me) also have slightly different size feet. The shoes are top quality, they stand behind and take great pride in their workmanship. Are they expensive...not really when you consider what you get and how long they last. Besides, its hard to put a price on happy feet! Buy a pair.

I have thought of doing something because my forefoot is wider than most shoes. I bought a pair of Bont Tri shoes and the size was way smaller than what they said they were. I measured the inside heel-to-toe and it was a good 5mm shorter than what they stated, and they were going to force me to pay insane shipping fees to ship back to them and for shipping a new size to me, so I luckily found somebody I know that they fit perfectly for.

I just have not been able to bring myself to pay ~$1000 for a pair of shoes. Just way too much money, although probably would be nice on the feet. You said bite the bullet, and I would say yeah, since those shoes are more then 2x the cost of your stated $300-400.

Don Lamson Leaves D2 Shoe to Start New Premium Cycling Footwear Company.

Santa Paula, California – March 19, 2018. D2Shoe founder and renown cycling shoe designer Don Lamson has left D2Shoe to start a new premium cycling shoe company. Don has been designing and building custom cycling shoes for more than 35 years. His premium cycling shoes have been worn by professional cyclists, olympians and national champions. After being unable to reach agreement with his business partner about the direction D2Shoe would take going forward, Don sold his interest in the company to his partner, who will attempt to operate D2 without Don. Don will continue to build premium custom cycling shoes and his new company, Lamson Cycling Shoes, will become operational over the upcoming months. The website for Lamson Cycling Shoes is at https://donlamson.com, and will be updated regularly with information about the new company and its new cycling footwear designs. Don can be contacted through the website with any questions.