This is a question we get every week at The Pedaler. With an increase in online information reporting the benefits of wider shoes for feet, we thought we’d inject a little industry driven information on the subject.
At The Pedaler, we have been looking after the feet of cyclists for over 10 years. We also have been working with cyclists as Podiatrists for around 20 years. In that time, cycling shoes have changed enormously. The shoe options are far more varied than previously and there are styles and brands that are much newer to the industry.
With all these extra shoes on the market, you’d think that the days of wearing tight shoes would be over. Think again!! As a sporting cohort, cyclists also fall victim to the aesthetics over function dilemma (regularly). So what actually happens when we wear shoes that are too tight?
Tight fitting shoes can cause a few problems. As with the use of a tourniquet, consistent foot compression can lend itself to some numbness. This may manifest with comprehensive foot numbness, patchy toe numbness or in some cases only mild symptoms. Each case is incredibly individual and some riders wearing shoes that look far too tight escape with zero symptoms. Others who wear far more appropriate shoes can end up with severe numbness. As usual, applying a generalist approach to any condition is entirely inappropriate and fraught with danger.
Prolonged use of tight-fitting shoes can also lead to more prolonged neural change and numbness. In this instance, symptoms may remain for hours or even days after the shoes come off. In very rare cases, there will be underlying change that remains hard to reverse.
Apart from numbness, tight fitting shoes are also more prone to causing pressure points and soft tissue lumps to develop. These soft tissue lumps can appear on toes and on other boney prominences on the feet. If left unchecked, these lumps can become very difficult to solve even when more appropriate shoes are used. This is a significant problem and not to be underestimated. Once a protuberance develops, even well fitting shoes can become uncomfortable. This is because the shoe will always ‘touch’ the widest more prominent part of the foot first.
Apart from these two issues that are consistently and accurately related to tight fitting shoes, the dreaded ‘neuroma’ emergence is often linked to this scenario as well. Now this outcome is not as linear as general information would suggest. Neuroma/bursal complexes are not purely caused by compression. There are a range of underlying soft tissue challenges and disease processes that create this outcome. Certainly, tight fitting shoes can often amplify the symptoms, but it’s overly simplistic to believe that they are the causative factor. We often see neuroma/bursal pathologies in narrow feet as well. We certainly see them in those who have never ridden a bike in their lives.
There certainly is an increased risk of flaring neuroma/bursal problems whilst cycling as this activity generates repeated plantar pressures on the foot for extended periods of time. The location of the soft tissue inflammation in neuroma type conditions extends from between the metatarsal heads and inferiorly towards the sole of the foot (adjacent to the plantar ligaments). Purely going to a wide fitting shoe will routinely not solve the pain. Some direct pressure relief (and occasionally a well directed cortisone shot) will usually be more helpful in sorting out these issues. It’s certainly a lot more complex than just going into wider shoes and we will cover this territory in a more comprehensive fashion at a later date.
So to sum it up, don’t risk wearing tight shoes! Eveyone responds differently, and you might get away with it but it’s certainly more rational to wear shoes that fit appropriately. If you have wide feet, look to Lake, Nimbl and Bont as some safer options. That said, don’t wear shoes that are too long to get the width, or shoes that are plain just too wide. This too can create fitment issues that generate problems as well.
Who figured cycling would be so tricky!
If any of these problems sound like you and your cycling shoes? You might benefit from seeing one of our cycling Podiatrists for a shoe fitting assessment. These appointments can help work out if your current cycling shoes are the problem and which shoes you might find more comfortable. You can book these appointments online or by giving us a call on 0731296331.
