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Home > Forum > Triathlon Forum > How snug should my shoes be?

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How snug should my shoes be?
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M90
Jul 2, 23 14:28
Post #1 of 6 (1183 views)
Trying to decide between the S Works Torch and Bontrager XXX.

Length wise they're both good.

The XXX are a narrower snugger fit. I notice it by my little toe. Doesn't feel scrunched or anything but the shape of the shoe lends itself to me feeling it more in that area. Went for a quick 45 minute ride, it didn't cause any pain in that area and the rest of my foot felt fine as well.

The S Works Torch has a wider fit to them. Not loose or anything like that. The material seems more supple and I could every so slightly rotate my foot side to side more in these. In the XXX, the material feels thicker, and it's just more snug up against my foot so not as much movement there.

The toe box in the XXX also feels narrower/the material is closer to my toes. I can feel the shop on my little toe and I guess the top of my foot in general, the Torch, I don't feel it up against my feet really at all.

So not sure if I should want something with a snugger fit (like a ski boot, snug but comfortable) or the best fit is something I don't really feel?
Anything else I should be looking/feeling for in terms of fit and performance?
Last edited by: M90: Jul 2, 23 14:47
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Re: How snug should my shoes be? [M90] [ In reply to ]
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imswimmer328
Jul 2, 23 14:45
Post #2 of 6 (1168 views)
Feet tend to swell as you ride. I find if my shoes are too snug, 90 min to 2 hours into the ride my feet hurt
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Re: How snug should my shoes be? [imswimmer328] [ In reply to ]
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M90
Jul 2, 23 15:10
Post #3 of 6 (1140 views)
imswimmer328 wrote:
Feet tend to swell as you ride. I find if my shoes are too snug, 90 min to 2 hours into the ride my feet hurt

Yea I went for this ride late in the day after a good amount of walking around and what not so my feet felt like they were at my usual swollen point.

Guess I could give them each another couple of rides to see if one feels better or not.

Just not sure if they're supposed to be snug like ski boots in a way or should fit more like a running/regular sneaker type feel.

I feel like snug makes sense so it's basically one with my foot/leg/no moving around, but gives me some comfort concerns on really long rides.

The other one isn't loose necessarily but there's just a slight slight amount of room and give to the material, I didn't feel like my foot was swimming around by any means either.

The footbeds are EXACTLY the same, so it's just how edges of the top meet the sole
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Re: How snug should my shoes be? [imswimmer328] [ In reply to ]
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Fleck
Jul 4, 23 7:23
Post #4 of 6 (893 views)
Feet tend to swell as you ride. I find if my shoes are too snug, 90 min to 2 hours into the ride my feet hurt


This is the frustrating thing about cycling shoes. How they feel in the shop when trying them on is one thing, the real question is - How do they feel 2 - 3 hrs into a ride?

One thing I have learned and others have mentioned it here - ANY sort of tightness or pinching, will lead to REAL problems later in a ride. Thus, you need to accommodate for that - when trying on shoes. But it is a bit of guess-work. You also don't want the shoe to be sloppy in any way!

Shoes are a VERY individual-fit thing. However, you can do a good amount of modification via using different insoles as well as wedging - either inside the shoe (Specialized offers these) or on the cleats.
Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog
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Re: How snug should my shoes be? [M90] [ In reply to ]
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thin_concrete
Jul 4, 23 14:17
Post #5 of 6 (831 views)
I like a little room in my cycling shoes. Not ski boot snug, but not running shoes room either. Somewhere in the middle. Fractional sizes have been good for me, so I start there. I would pass on any shoes where I feel rubbing. Even if the ride was later in the day, I’d consider the weather’s variability where I live.
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Re: How snug should my shoes be? [thin_concrete] [ In reply to ]
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Titanflexr
Jul 4, 23 16:01
Post #6 of 6 (794 views)
thin_concrete wrote:
I like a little room in my cycling shoes. Not ski boot snug, but not running shoes room either. Somewhere in the middle. Fractional sizes have been good for me, so I start there. I would pass on any shoes where I feel rubbing. Even if the ride was later in the day, I’d consider the weather’s variability where I live.

^^^^This.

Back when shoes were leather we would buy them small and let them stretch to fit (spraying them with water from our bottles during the early rides). Modern shoes don't stretch, so buy them snug, but not to the point where long or hot rides will be painful.
ECMGN Therapy Silicon Valley:
Depression, Neurocognitive problems, Dementias (Testing and Evaluation), Trauma and PTSD, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
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