Feet problem and SPD pedals

[grandamn]

After the 30 mile mark my feet start to swell up and throb. On the century I knew better and kept loosening my shoes. I searched and am a little confused. I have read multiple replies to this problem.

Are my shoes to tight? They fit comfortable and are even a little loose when I first put them on.

Am I supposed to be pedaling differently with SPD pedals? I read somewhere that your not supposed to push down when pedaling but act more like your scraping the floor applying more pressure in the heel.

I also read about the cleat position but I already but them towards the arch as much as possible because I'm not a sprinter.

 

[grandamn]

I've been reading and I think it's called hot foot. Any ideas?

 

[64Paramount]

Are you using the SPD pedals that use the 2-bolt cleats or are you using the SPD-SL pedals that use the big triangular 3-bolt cleats?

 

[grandamn]

SPD-SL pedals that use the big triangular 3-bolt cleats

 

[64Paramount]

Hmmm, I've been using the SPD-SL pedals and cleats for several years now and haven't had any issues, comfort or performance. That's a nice big contact patch to spread out the weight of your push against the pedal.

Are you feeling pain in a particular spot on your foot/feet? Are the shoes well ventilated?

 

[grandamn]

They seem to have some vents in them. My right foot swells up a lot. I keep loosening my shoe and it keeps filling it up. The pain is mostly around between my toes and the arch. Could this be because I'm using normal cotton socks?

 

[64Paramount]

I just wear regular Hanes cotton socks myself and they're fine for me.

Since you are experiencing pain along with the swelling, I'm wondering if you might need some different insoles in your shoes. There used to be a thread on that subject, but I haven't found it yet.

Usually, it's just a few things to check that cause that type of trouble, assuming you don't have some underlying medical problem; good shoes that fit you properly, cleats properly adjusted, and overall bike fit.

Also I'm wondering if the problem might be with your saddle. I may be reaching a bit, but it's possible that pressure in the wrong area of your seat bones may restricting blood flow to your legs and feet. (ie the blood is flowing to your feet, but having trouble coming back so it causes swelling. The trouble is probably something to do with your shoes or cleat positioning, but I did want to mention the saddle.

You might want to have someone at your LBS eyeball you riding around their parking lot and see what they think about your shoe setup...

 

[ls01]

1st. stop wearing cotton socks. Get some cycling specific socks, thin ones. try that. If the problem persists try a different pair of shoes. Get some with a stiff sole . and make sure that they are wide enough for your foot when it is swelled up. Keep them loose.
The pain is caused by compresing the nerves in the foot. extreem cases can lead to mortons neroma. The sheath that the nerve runs in can become compressed and put presure on the nerve, so even removing the shoe wont remove the presureor the pain.
Also learn to move your toes around while pedaling, this keeps the blood flowing and helps lessen the pain somewhat.

 

[grandamn]

Thanks for the reply. I just purchased these socks from bike wagon.

http://www.bikewagon.com/Clothing-Shoes-Helmets/Socks/Shorts/Bikewagon-Cycling-Socks-p9412843.html

If that doesn't help I'll try the shoes.