Tri bike shoes - for NARROW feet

Triathlon Forum
1

After Tom D’s recent thread about leaving the bike shoes on the pedals for T1 & T2, any my missing 3rd place in my AG yesterday (which could be in resposne to the “why are there AG’s anyway?” thread) by a lousy :19, I’ve decided that I need to become more of a REAL triathlete, and start leaving my shoes clipped to the pedals for transitions. But since I only have Sidi micro-buckle, 3 strap road shoes, I need to get a proper pair of Tri shoes to do this. So here are my main questions:

First, I have very narrow feet - width B. So, many very good bikes shoes (Shimano and Carnac come to mind) are just too wide for me, so they are out of consideration for my petite piggies.

Second, do you need to size down slightly, since you don’t wear socks? Or, do the manufacturers know this, and size accordingly?

My short list of options for Tri shoes is:

Sidi T1 - I already use and love Sidi mtb and road shoes.

Carnac & Shimano - too wide (and Carnac is too spendy)

Louis Garneau Tri Air - heard good things, but do they run wide, or narrow?

Pearl Izumi SLR Tri - a contender, dunno about the width, etc.

Specialized - I’ve heard good things here about their Tri shoes, don’t even know where to find them. Dunno about the sizing.

Lake - have heard very mixed reviews of their Tri shoes

Other???

I thank you for your input in advance!

-M

2

The Sidi’s and the Specialized Trivent are pretty narrow and should do the trick for you.

3

I have 13 B feet and do pretty well in Shimano TR-01 size 47. Good luck.

4

I have narrow feet and had good success with the Sidi T1s. Just bridged to the Pearl Izumi SLRs and they fit like a glove.

5

“Louis Garneau Tri Air - heard good things, but do they run wide, or narrow?”

I would say they run wide. I love them!

Dave in VA

6

OK, so based on preliminary feedback, we have:

Sidi T1’s a good choice (naturally, they are notoriously narrow)

So are Specialized Trivents and PI SLR’s.

(Surpize was that somebody w/ narrow feet likes the Shimanos. I’ve always found their shoes a bit wide, but perhaps that’s cuz I was always trying on mtb shoes?)

Disappointed that it seems LG’s might run too wide. Oh well, one less thing.

Bryan - just curious, why did you switch to PI’s from Sidi’s? And what are the differences (pro and con) between the 2? THX!!!

Thx all! Keep 'em coming!!!

7

My Sidis are circa 2002 and were my intro tri shoe. I wanted to move to a single strap carbon shoe and found the PIs to be the best fit for me of that genre.

8

I have the Specialized and they do run a bit narrow. I don’t know where they might be on sale for cheap, but you can order them online directly from Specialized and their customer service is very good.

I love these shoes. When my feet get hot and I am coasting downhill for a minute I can feel the air coming up throught the sole vents and cooling my toes. (Not the best thing on a really cold/wet day, but that’s what you hold onto your old shoes for.)

9

The Shimanos run way, way small. I’m not sure if narrow would be correct.

Dave in VA

10

Narrow feet too. 13US & 46 in the Specialized Trivent from LBS. Dig them! Snug with or without socks.

11

Since you already have the sidi’s, I would assume this is going to be strictly a race pair? Sidi makes a one-strap tri shoe, but I would only use it for sprints.

I have the same you have now. I did something yesterday that worked well. I undid the velcro strap all the way - even pulling them out of the metal loop. Leave the ratchet on and ride like mad until the transition area. clip out, stand on your toe, and press the release button. You should be able to get our of your shoes in 3 seconds

12

I also have narrow feet. I love my Sidi Genius, in size 46 narrow. First shoe that I didn’t miss toe clips. This spring I got some Specialized Trivents, but in size 45.5. These are an excellent tri shoe. Even tried leaving them on the bike in my last tri.