Questions about road shoes.(noob)(Sidi)

[TrekonMavics]

Probably been beat to death on here but i figure i would give it a shot.

I started off riding with Shimano R087 with Look Keo (greys). These felt great for a while but i wanted something stiffer/better.
Got a pair of Sidi genius 5 Pro carbons with Look Keo (reds). i just cannot seem to get comfortable in these shoes. Did i mess up and upgrade too quickly? My feet hurt constantly. Is there another option that i can try? I love the look/stiffness of the Sidi's but, man, i shouldnt feel this uncomfortable on a short ride. I have tried thick socks and thin socks. I just cant seem to find anything that works.
both shoes are size 49 btw.

appreciate any helpful responses.

 

[alienator]

Probably been beat to death on here but i figure i would give it a shot.  I started off riding with Shimano R087 with Look Keo (greys).  These felt great for a while but i wanted something stiffer/better. Got a pair of Sidi genius 5 Pro carbons with Look Keo (reds).  i just cannot seem to get comfortable in these shoes.  Did i mess up and upgrade too quickly? My feet hurt constantly.  Is there another option that i can try?  I love the look/stiffness of the Sidi's but, man, i shouldnt feel this uncomfortable on a short ride. I have tried thick socks and thin socks.  I just cant seem to find anything that works. both shoes are size 49 btw. appreciate any helpful responses.  

It's likely you didn't mess anything up. What you're experiencing likely the result of the shoe just not working with your feet. Cycling shoes are one of those things that a lot of people need to try one before buying. I'll note that lower level Shimano shoes tend to be wider in the toe box and forefoot than Sidis. Sidi does have a wide version, the "Mega" for a fair number of its shoes. I've never been able to get Sidis to work on my feet, no matter whether I used Megas or not. Shimano's upper level shoes used to work for me, but they switched those shoes to a narrower last, and as such, they no longer work for me. All is not lost. Sidis command a good price on eBay. Also, if you've had the Sidis for a short enough time, the dealer might be willing to take them back. You can try the Genius 5 Mega version to see if that makes a difference. I'd suggest however, the slightly tougher road, which is to visit local dealers and try on as many different brands as you can. As you've already noticed, the wrong shoes can make a ride suck. It's better to put in the effort to find the right shoe before purchase. Good luck.

 

[CAMPYBOB]

Sidi Genius were the least comfortable shoes I tried. On and off, I spent a couple of years in two pairs. Too narrow in the toe box for me.

 

[alfeng]

Originally Posted by TrekonMavics .

Probably been beat to death on here but i figure i would give it a shot.

I started off riding with Shimano R087 with Look Keo (greys). These felt great for a while but i wanted something stiffer/better.
Got a pair of Sidi genius 5 Pro carbons with Look Keo (reds). i just cannot seem to get comfortable in these shoes. Did i mess up and upgrade too quickly? My feet hurt constantly. Is there another option that i can try? I love the look/stiffness of the Sidi's but, man, i shouldnt feel this uncomfortable on a short ride. I have tried thick socks and thin socks. I just cant seem to find anything that works.
both shoes are size 49 btw.

FWIW. I have both SHIMANO & SIDI shoes ...

• my Shimano are 44 & my SIDI are 45 ... more than one pair of each brand in the fore mentioned brands ...

[*] those two disparate sizes are essentially the same actual size despite having different nominal sizes ...
[*] which is to say that it is highly probable that you should have bought your SIDIs as size 49.5 (if available) or 50 if you truly wanted to achieve the same fit

Where are you experiencing the discomfort in your feet?

• although 'I' have a sense that your SIDIs are the wrong size, if you can wear the shoes with either thicker socks or thinner socks, then it could be that you are simply cinching them up too tightly ... that is, if the discomfort is mid-foot (but, not necessarily the arch), then loosen the middle and/or upper strap ...
• put another way, I think that there is a tendency by some people to treat Cycling shoes like (competitive) Running shoes ...

• if the discomfort is in area of the ball of your feet, then consider a different liner (e.g., a "generic" Dr. Scholl's type of quasi-orthotic liner)

BTW. ONE other thing to compare is the cleat placement on the soles of the two shoes ...

• a small difference could be affecting your dis-/comfort

 

[jhuskey]

SIdIis tend to be more narrow than Shimano. I have also had both but the Sidis work great for me. It is always best to try them on at a bike shop before the purchase.

 

[531Aussie]

Yep......s has been suggested, some shoes just don't work for some people, and it's farkin voodoo trying to work out why.

I love Sidis, and have had a few pairs since I went clipless a long time ago. Before that, I had Adidas Eddy Merckx shoes (in the toe-clip days), and I also loved those. A few years ago, i bought some cheap Shimanos (RO"something"), with the intention of using them on wet days, but they killed me. They felt like a torture device! After the first 20km, I had what felt like blisters developing in 3 different spots on each foot. I didn't bother trying to make them work for me, so I gave them to the local club for the kids to use.

Another example of personal preference: a friend of mine is a 'Diadora guy', and has 2 pairs over the last *many* years. He bought some Sidis a while ago and hated them, so he sold them to me for a song.

If I were you, I be thinking I was a Shimano guy, and start looking for a fancier model.

However, having said all that -- where to the Sidis hurt you? They can stretch quite a bit, so if your toes are cramped, that may improve