Like many bike riders, I find that things work really well for a long time and then suddenly they don't. A brief history of my bike shoes over the last 12 years.
1. Neutral shoes with superfeet insoles and a bit of cleat wedging plus a shim under one leg--worked for a while but MTB was hard to replicate so I ditched the shims.
2. Bont cycling shoes with a heat-moldable insole--achilles irritation.
3. Specialized road and MTB shoes with the built-in varus tilt and Specialized insoles for high arches.
4. Steve Hogg fitment with heel and cleat insert plus high arch support plus cleat wedging. Was a fiasco.
4. S-works 6 and Cobra 9 custom orthotics and one extra varus insert under left forefoot.
5. S-works 7 road and MTB shoes with above in-shoe stuff--experiencing significant numbness in toes.
6. Shimano Sphyre with Cobra 9 inserts and left forefoot varus insert. Just started but a bit of ITB grief that I pout down to lack of Varus tilt. Still gets a bit numb and the Shimano shoes are wider.
I'm wondering if the aggressive arch support and stiffness of the Cobra 9 insoles is causing foot numbness. So no I'm wondering if I should ditch the idea of varus tilt and custom orthotics and simply try an off-the-shelf solution. I've done that with running and been fine. I can definitely feel my knees tracking closer to the top-tube when I don't use Specialized shoes, but wondering if this can be remedied by working on glute medius strength.
Sorry of the long-winded question, but wondering if anyone else has a similar story.
p.s. I remember rroof mnetioning years ago that the subtalar joint can compensate for cleat wedging.
p.p.s. When I read on the indoor trainer (kickr bike) my knees tracking much straighter than on the road bike--no matter what shoes I'm wearing.
1. Neutral shoes with superfeet insoles and a bit of cleat wedging plus a shim under one leg--worked for a while but MTB was hard to replicate so I ditched the shims.
2. Bont cycling shoes with a heat-moldable insole--achilles irritation.
3. Specialized road and MTB shoes with the built-in varus tilt and Specialized insoles for high arches.
4. Steve Hogg fitment with heel and cleat insert plus high arch support plus cleat wedging. Was a fiasco.
4. S-works 6 and Cobra 9 custom orthotics and one extra varus insert under left forefoot.
5. S-works 7 road and MTB shoes with above in-shoe stuff--experiencing significant numbness in toes.
6. Shimano Sphyre with Cobra 9 inserts and left forefoot varus insert. Just started but a bit of ITB grief that I pout down to lack of Varus tilt. Still gets a bit numb and the Shimano shoes are wider.
I'm wondering if the aggressive arch support and stiffness of the Cobra 9 insoles is causing foot numbness. So no I'm wondering if I should ditch the idea of varus tilt and custom orthotics and simply try an off-the-shelf solution. I've done that with running and been fine. I can definitely feel my knees tracking closer to the top-tube when I don't use Specialized shoes, but wondering if this can be remedied by working on glute medius strength.
Sorry of the long-winded question, but wondering if anyone else has a similar story.
p.s. I remember rroof mnetioning years ago that the subtalar joint can compensate for cleat wedging.
p.p.s. When I read on the indoor trainer (kickr bike) my knees tracking much straighter than on the road bike--no matter what shoes I'm wearing.