Man, my arches hurt...

I am training for a womens metric century in June and am up to 32 miles. It is my first year cycling. My arches are the only thing that KILL me. I have stiff soled clip in shoes and have added special arches from superfeet.com that are designed specifically for cyclist. The arches have helped, but my feet still hurt. Both hurt equally bad, so it isn't a matter of cycling position or so I'd assume. Has anyone else had this trouble and what did you do about it? Thanks!!

 

Yes your arches can hurt with stiff sole shoes. Try some footbeds moulded to your feet rather than an off the shelf 'one shape fits all' insole.

These work for me:

http://www2.yoursole.com/home?id=zF6HH6gT

Or you could get a gait analysis from a qualified podiatrist.

Poorly supported arches can cause a lot of pain beyond your feet if left untreated (hips, knees, even in-growing toe nails). The good news is the problem is easy to treat.

 

I vaguely recall a similar experience the first time I went Alpine skiing and I wore socks which were too thick ... that is, I suffered from a self-inflicted (thankfully, episodic) circulatory problem.

So, YOUR solution may simply be to EITHER wear thinner/no socks OR try not to cinch your shoes quite as tightly.

IF there is any reduction in the pain (if available, try this on a stationary trainer so you aren't in the middle of nowhere), then also try it with the regular footbed liner (sans the "special arches").

ALSO, consider moving the cleat as far forward on the shoe as it can go ... and, possibly/concurrently elevate your saddle by about 1 centimeter. Again, test this on a stationary trainer, if possible.

 

The insoles are on their way !! Thanks for that advice. I also moved my cleats back (toward the heel) a bit which seemed to help. Thanks for taking the time to reply -

 

Thanks for your help - I will be moving my seat up a bit as soon as the kiddos in the neighborhood quit bringing their bikes with flats for me to fix - little do they know, but they are coming to be taught - I'm not doing it for them