I am looking for a new cycling shoe and I am having a hard time finding a shoe that fits well. Ive already tried 3 pairs from Tri sports and i am getting tired of the post office trips. Problem is I am a size 37-38 and i have narrow heel and forefoot. Ive tried the shimano TR51 slightly too long and too wide in forefoot and the scott tri carbon 38, too big and this is the smallest they make. Can anyone recommend a good carbon cycling shoe that comes in small sizes that might work for me? it doesnt have to be tri specific, but it should be somewhat easy to get in and out of.
also what is the deal with the new heat molded shoes by shimano? does the shop actually do the fitting for you? So you cant buy these online? thanks for any help/advice.
You might tri Adidas/Mavic shoes if you can find them. I have slightly narrow to normal feet and found that these were too narrow for me. I wear Shimano’s with custom insoles, but have also worn the SIDIs with pretty good luck.
Try a Sidi or DMT.
The Sidi Genius 5 is available in an actual narrow width. I wear a 13B shoe and the Sidi 48N fits perfectly. Loose cycling shoes are the suxxor.
I’ve found that a footbed like Sole or Superfeet will nicely take up some of the volume in a shoe and make them fit way better, so you might spend the $30-$40 to experiment with a footbed and see if it makes a pair of shoes that are close to fitting more comfy & secure. Especially beneficial if you have much arch at all to your foot since most cycling shoes come with minimal support in the insert.
Sidi makes some high end models with an adjustable heel cup that you can crank down to make more secure. If you can get a shoe with a secure heel & upper that will support your foot well then you might be able to tolerate a slightly looser forefoot. The retention system should be supporting your foot as you push forward in the shoe anyways.
I generally hear good things about the Shimano moldable shoes but they don’t work for everyone. Not sure about mail order on those and I’m sure once you mold them they are not returnable.
If all else fails Rocket 7’s come in multiple widths!
I have narrow feet, that border on buying B width shoes, you should see how tightly laced my work boots are. Anyway, I found Shimano wasn’t too bad, but they weren’t tri shoes. I found SiDi and Adidas fit my foot the best, but ended up with Adidas for a couple of reasons. I now own a pair of AdiStar Tri Carbon’s, but have yet to race in them (don’t worry folks, I’ll break them in). They actually have a complete line of cycling shoes, I’m even considering getting a pair of mid top mtn biking shoes. Mavic had nothing to do with the shoes, they just rebadged them, save your money and buy the Adidas version (they look better too, IMHO).
Thanks. i saw Bontrager came out with a new Tri shoe and Diadora also makes a new tri shoe (caron infiinity). Does anyone know how they typically fit and if they are available yet?
Go custom, sure it’s sticker shock at first, but the overall comfort level compared to stock is like wearing a shoe with tacks in them or wearing your slippers to go riding. I spent in 5 years more $ trying to find the perfect cycling shoe then my customs shoes cost. In hindsight custom is less expensive then off the rack.
When do you get into town?
I second the search for addidas, they are narrow heeled, crazy/stupid low volume.
I second the consideration of D2 Customs…I personally own 2 pair of Rocket7 customs…which is why I recommend D2.
The Shimano HM shoes (which my store sells) are good, but while sucking down in the heel very well, they may not be your requirements in the frnt half of the shoe.
Your shimano HM results will vary with the skill and methodology of the fitter/molder…FYI
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