Originally posted by lokstah
Well, I agree, partly. When you say that the stiffest shoes imaginable can still lead to hotspots, I think you're right, but I don't think we agree as to why. There's an aspect of ArtL's argument that remains sound: if you are wearing the stiffest shoes imaginable (such as ones fitted with 1/4" steel sheeting on the soles), it couldn't matter less what your pedal interface looks like -- big platform, small platform; it's connecting that rigid sheet to a spindle and that's all your foot can determine.
If a given shoe is theoretically, perfectly stiff, you simply can't blame hotspots on platform size. The issue has to lie elsewhere -- fit, anatomy, the rest of the shoe housing; who knows.
Of course, in the real world, there aren't perfect soles, perfect fits, and perfect pedal interfaces. Platform size, shoe rigidity, and shoe fit work together to prevent discomfort. You've both made the arguments that support the various facets of this fact.