Cycling shoes, stability and cleat fitting

Lake brand editor and cyclist, Robert Thorpe, talks with Julian Wall, from CycleFit UK

Julian Wall – cycling shoes and foot stability

Bike fitters the world over will do their utmost to ensure that the bike you choose to ride fits you – in every way possible. However, unless they look at – or indeed start with your feet –then a critical aspect of your cycling comfort and performance will be left wanting, leading to pain, discomfort, a failure to maximise performance and potentially other health-related problems in time.

Talking with Julian Wall from CycleFit U.K., he tells me that too frequently, cyclists are being sold bikes that simply do not fit them. The fact is that just about every ‘off-the-peg’ bike needs adjustment in some way yet rarely gets this. As we talk, Julian says that cyclists will usually leave the buying of shoes to the last thing, often seeking an online bargain, and not getting their feet and physiology properly looked at and measured. It leads to an obvious point: that most cyclists are unfortunately wearing shoes that do not adequately fit or perform, and riding bikes that likewise are not the correct fitment for the rider. The most referred issue that Julian and the team at Cycle U.K. see is foot pain.

Cleat positioning & stability of the foot

Correct cleat positioning is as rare to most cyclists as snow in the Sahara, with cyclists frequently just fitting them and pushing things back. Julian, having fitted many of the world’s top cyclists says that in general, cyclists today tend to push the cleat 10-15 mm back, causing some problems; but not as serious a problem as wearing shoes that lack stability due to the design or the poor fitting of them. Simply moving the cleat and foot backwards also limits a degree of support; whilst having the cleats fitted properly will also aid stability and performance.

Lateral movement of the foot in the shoe is however a more problematic issue to the cyclist seeking to maximise performance and comfort.

Footbeds and stability

Few cyclists realise or appreciate that the insole that comes with the shoe is simply a standard fitting. As Julain and I discuss this, based on my own experiences of custom footbeds, he conforms their benefits for me. For him, having looked at and examined thousands of cyclist’s feet – from peloton pros to the leisure rider in London – having custom footbeds is one of the most important aspects of a thorough and meaningful shoe fitting session and bike fitting. Ultimately, we all have unique feet, and that includes how they are shaped and operate on the underside as well as across the forefoot.

As well as providing enhanced fit and comfort, a custom footbed will give you personalised arch support, helping to eliminate hot spots, numbness, and creating a more natural and balanced pressure distribution. This in turn aids stability of the foot – which Julian says is critical in maximising pedalling efficiency and power transfer.

Debunking the ‘no pain, no gain’ myth

For far too long, too many people have gone along with the ridiculous myth: ‘no pain, no gain.’ From Julian’s perspective, pain is a by-product of ill-fitting shoes and likely an ill-fitting bike. Having examined thousands of cyclists with pain-related issues, the following are just a few examples that he highlights: ill-fitting cycling shoes, can cause back pain and excess knee movement that can lead to shoulder and back pain, as the whole body then moves to compensate and to stabilise the bike. This compensation can then lead to discomfort and worse – injuries.

When you’re able to listen to someone with such world-leading experience and knowledge, it all becomes apparent and clear. As Julian says:

“Ultimately, all of these points lead to a failure to maximise performance and comfort on that very expensive bike that you bought with your eyes, rather than your brain, and then setting the bike up incorrectly! Lots of pain can be caused by the wrong setup at the bottom of the bike – cranks, feet and cycling shoes.”

One interesting issue that Julian and I talk over, is the increase in inexperienced cyclists buying high-performance bikes with specific purposes – for instance, TT bikes. His response is simple and sensible:

“As these bikes – and the shoes that you need to use them to their maximum – are designed for athletes, you pretty much need a bike fitting session first, and the bike creating around the results of the analysis. The bike fitting is essential in these instances.”

Fundamentally, on a positive note for those off-road adventure seekers and mountain bikers, Julian does however say they tend to suffer less. Their body is not stuck in one position, and is frequently moving in a variety of ways, and they tend to take more breaks. They do however need to ensure that their cycling shoes are correctly fitted, to alleviate any pain and discomfort and foot stability issues.

Awareness of foot positioning and cycling shoes

“Back in the day,” Julian says, “people were not always aware of different types of cycling shoes for different feet shapes and sizes. They simply went for as tight a fit as possible.”  The increase in awareness has led to the average size of cycling shoe going up, suggesting that people were previously buying cycling shoes that were simply too small. Add to this the trend of unstable feet and a badly fitting bike that looked good on display, you begin to see how important it is to have an awareness of foot position and cycling shoes.

Julian puts it simply like this:

“The foot needs to be stable in the shoe and held comfortably, not moving in any direction, but not constrained. Some pros [and keen amateurs] want tighter shoes but need wider cycling shoes and a well-fitted footbed.”

Cycling can be more individual than walking, and yet we usually get our feet measured when buying ordinary shoes. Thankfully, here at Lake, we have one of the most extensive ranges of cycling shoes in the world. All we ask is that you take a moment to consider what your own actual cycling shoe needs are. A good starting point is always a bite fitting expert such as Julain; because cycling should always be fun and comfortable!

You can find out more about bike fitting from Julian and his team at CycleFit UK by clicking here.