lately i’ve been getting hot spots in my shoes–on the outsides of my feet and over my toes. why does this happen? how can i eliminate it?
these are my shoes…
Kitty…
The only time the outside of my feet have hurt is when I overtighten the straps. Maybe try backing off how tight you have those suckers battened down…
Spot
ok, i’ll try it. 
let me know what you’ve got in mind for next Sunday–if it’s not so early! glad you had such a stellar ride today!
When riders I am positioning have this issue, I have pretty good success by using the fit wedges. I would start by putting one wedge with the thick part toward the inside of your shoe. Cleat alignment can cause your toes to get hot, it sounds like you need to rotate the cleat so you are just a little more “toes out” than they are currently set. Brand of pedal certainly can come into play, if you’re using Speedplay, check you foot Q factor and be sure you are set narrow. If you are using some kind of SPD,two bolt pedal, go buy new pedals.
ok, this is a brand new thing, it happened right after smokies 1/2 at the end of may.
I had the same problem with the same shoe last year. Had the cleat as far back as possible and realized I had unusually long toes. I even drilled 3 holes in the front of the sole to create some air circulation. After many other adjustments, it was looking bleak. Needless to say, it was out with the $200 Sidi shoes and in with $70 Shimano shoes. I also switched to a wool sock, which seems to wick perspiration better than other materials. REI sells a SmartWool brand that works very well for me in the biking shoe and for running. Good luck.
Kittycat,
i’ve had ongoing problems with my feet for years. Pins and needles first, then burning and finally complete numbness. I have a short foot but a wide foot (E) and when I bought those shoes that you’ve shown above my problems have dramatically decreased. My toes and feet have room to move now, or naturally spread when I push down on the pedals. This was never the case before, with shimano’s, they would cause me alot of problems even though they are considered a wide shoe.
I would say you shoe is doing something to stop your feet from what they should naturally be doing. This creates a compression, which could lead to a number of issues. In your case with the hot spots it could possibly be nerve compression, impingement.
It takes time to find the right shoes and what might be good for some people may not be good for you. I also find insoles are good for cycling too, especially if you have foot issues. But, be careful if you have things like orthotics for running, don’t think they’ll be okay for cycling. Completely different dynamics and they could contribute to your problems.
Paul
well, this is not encouraging!
it is strange that this developed within the last month; it is a real nuissance.
thanks for the information everyone. for now i will try to body glide the area, and evaluate the sock seams, etc, and continue researching shoe options. hopefully i’ll find a a solution quickly.
how about ice in the shoe ??
it is quick and easy,cheep
just a thought Dirt
Have you checked to make sure nothing has moved around in your setup? Loose cleats or something to alter where the pedal sits on your foot? Is it both feet? Might be any number of things from how you’re pedal stroke flows to how you’re seated. If these aren’t new shows, and nothing has changed mechanically (moved pedals or cleats or something) then it kind of has to be something you are doing differently physically I would think.
don’t listen to these “experts”. the answer is too obvious. your shoes are black. get yourself some white shoes. all the cool kids wear white shoes.
thank you for mentioning these things.
i did get a new crank…it’s a compact crank, and is the same arm length as the former set up (however the gearing is different). because it is the same length, i’ve not considered this could be the problem; but it very well could be!
this is the only change; so that is the best starting point.
as for white shoes; i’m ahead of the curve, black is in for next year.
I’d bet the crank is your issue. If it sits out at a different angle or is slightly different in length or something like that, it would change how your shoe sits on the pedal slightly as well.
Good luck.
thanks!
on the first ride with the crank i was convinced my LBS lowered my seat! but they said they didn’t and told me to leave everything alone, as i was headed to a race.
it seems that even the smallest of adjustments can make a big difference. as an example, recently i tried clip on aerobars…which never felt “great”; they just made my awesome road fit become awkward and painful in my lower back. so i took off the clip ons. since my saddle was shoved forward as possible, i now have stabbing back pain! unfortunately i don’t remember the previous position of the saddle.
looks like i have to go get yet another fit adjustment; man i wish i was better at fitting myself!