Stretching SIDI shoes?

http://www.sidiusa.com/
--
DTW .../\.../\.../\...

Paul A. Steckler said:

My feet are of normal width, except in the toes, which are pretty wide. I
have a pair
of SIDI Genius 5 Mega's, which are actually pretty loose, except in the toe
box.
In fact, even the Mega's are too snug in the toes. On long rides on hot
days, my feet
swell and my big toes get numb and painful. I'd like to stretch the toe
box, which
I believe would alleviate the problem.

The Lorica material used in the SIDI uppers is advertised as not stretching.
OK,
but can I have the material stretched intentionally by a cobbler? I seen a
post on
the Web that heating the Lorica allows it to be stretched. Can anyone
confirm that
this method, or any other method, can be used to stretch Lorica?

-- Paul

they stetch when they get wet-perhaps dip the toebox in some water
before you go out for a ride

"D T W .../\..." <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:IvrWg.1970$WD1.1352@trndny04...

Quoted message said:

http://www.sidiusa.com/

Ummm, the information on this site just says that Lorica "will not stretch",
which I take to mean that it won't do so under ordinary conditions. My
question was whether there is extraordinary means, like heating, that will
allow the material to stretch.

-- Paul

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

they stetch when they get wet-perhaps dip the toebox in some water
before you go out for a ride

I've done lots of rides in the rain, and the shoes don't seem to have
changed
their fit.

-- Paul

Quoted message said:

they stetch when they get wet-perhaps dip the toebox in some water
before you go out for a ride

I've been caught in the rain on multiple occassions and never had the
Lorica stretch. They
always dry back to the same size.
------------------
Alex

Alex said:

[email hidden] wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

they stetch when they get wet-perhaps dip the toebox in some water
before you go out for a ride

Quoted message said:

I've been caught in the rain on multiple occassions and never had the
Lorica stretch. They
always dry back to the same size.

That's the main attraction of Lorica vs. real leather -- it holds its
shape almost forever. Dries fast too. Good stuff.

Matt O.

Paul A. Steckler said:

My feet are of normal width, except in the toes, which are pretty wide. I
have a pair
of SIDI Genius 5 Mega's, which are actually pretty loose, except in the toe
box.
In fact, even the Mega's are too snug in the toes. On long rides on hot
days, my feet
swell and my big toes get numb and painful. I'd like to stretch the toe
box, which
I believe would alleviate the problem.

The Lorica material used in the SIDI uppers is advertised as not stretching.
OK,
but can I have the material stretched intentionally by a cobbler? I seen a
post on
the Web that heating the Lorica allows it to be stretched. Can anyone
confirm that
this method, or any other method, can be used to stretch Lorica?

I don't think there's any practical way to stretch Sidi shoes. Carnac was
always known for a wide toe box, at least with their MTB shoes, so you
might try those. Or custom, which is expensive, but worth it if you can't
get a good fit otherwise. People spend $500 on much stupider things.

Matt O.

Paul A. Steckler said:

My feet are of normal width, except in the toes, which are pretty wide. I
have a pair
of SIDI Genius 5 Mega's, which are actually pretty loose, except in the toe
box.
In fact, even the Mega's are too snug in the toes. On long rides on hot
days, my feet
swell and my big toes get numb and painful. I'd like to stretch the toe
box, which
I believe would alleviate the problem.

Hmm, I've noticed my Sidi's seeming to get loose during rides,
requiring a few clicks on the strap ratchet to stay snug as when I put
them on before the ride. Some info, including from Sidi IMS, indicates
that Lorica stretches slightly when warm. No advisement on
melting/burning temp.

Sidi shoes in half sizes are wider in the toe area than the next lower
full size. If you're not already there, maybe that would be a way to be
able to use these shoes. --D-y

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Sidi shoes in half sizes are wider in the toe area than the next lower
full size. If you're not already there, maybe that would be a way to be
able to use these shoes. --D-y

Golly, I'm already at size 49. These are already a bit too long, and
there's no size 49.5. The size 50's might be OK in the toebox, but I'd be
afraid the shoes'd fall off!

-- Paul

ask Sidi whether there is extraordinary means, like heating, that will
allow the material to stretch.
--
DTW .../\.../\.../\...

"Paul A. Steckler" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"D T W .../\..." <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:IvrWg.1970$WD1.1352@trndny04...

Quoted message said:

http://www.sidiusa.com/

Ummm, the information on this site just says that Lorica "will not
stretch",
which I take to mean that it won't do so under ordinary conditions. My
question was whether there is extraordinary means, like heating, that will
allow the material to stretch.

-- Paul

"Paul A. Steckler" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

<[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Sidi shoes in half sizes are wider in the toe area than the next lower
full size. If you're not already there, maybe that would be a way to be
able to use these shoes. --D-y

Golly, I'm already at size 49. These are already a bit too long, and
there's no size 49.5. The size 50's might be OK in the toebox, but I'd be
afraid the shoes'd fall off!

-- Paul

Did you buy the wide version the mega blacks come in or the normal width
ones??

"vintage" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Did you buy the wide version the mega blacks come in or the normal width
ones??

As my original post said, I have Genius 5 Megas, size 49.

-- Paul

Paul A. Steckler said:

"vintage" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Did you buy the wide version the mega blacks come in or the normal width
ones??

As my original post said, I have Genius 5 Megas, size 49.

I think you may be a candidate for custom shoes. I thought I'd need to
go that route, but the megas did work for me.

As I understand it, the customs will pay you back in great comfort and
long life. It may be worth it in the long run even if the short is
painfully expensive.

-paul

Paul A. Steckler wrote:
\\\

Quoted message said:

Golly, I'm already at size 49. These are already a bit too long, and
there's no size 49.5. The size 50's might be OK in the toebox, but I'd be
afraid the shoes'd fall off!

I have found that if I snug my too-long but wide-enough Mega 44s using
the ratchet it fits me like a hockey skate- tight around the ankle, and
snuggish around the midfoot, and not tight at all at the toebox. So,
maybe just find the width you need and length be damned.

Rob

Quoted message said:

I've noticed my Sidi's seeming to get loose during rides,
requiring a few clicks on the strap ratchet to stay snug as when I put
them on before the ride. Some info, including from Sidi IMS, indicates
that Lorica stretches slightly when warm.

It's possible the shoes are getting looser as they get warm, but it's
also possible that your feet change as you warm up. How are you sure
it's the shoes and not your feet?
--
JT
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John Forrest Tomlinson said:

Quoted message said:

I've noticed my Sidi's seeming to get loose during rides,
requiring a few clicks on the strap ratchet to stay snug as when I put
them on before the ride. Some info, including from Sidi IMS, indicates
that Lorica stretches slightly when warm.

It's possible the shoes are getting looser as they get warm, but it's
also possible that your feet change as you warm up. How are you sure
it's the shoes and not your feet?

I have the same experience as dustoyevsky - I sometimes have to cinch up
the strap a click or two later in a long ride. Definitely not due to
moisture, since I've taken them out in the rain many times with no
deformation - the loosening seems to be more on warm/hot days. Maybe
it's just the Lorica becoming *more flexible* when hot.

The fit isn't changing over time, though - so if they are stretching out
when hot, they shrink back later (I've had these shoes for 5 years of
abuse; if the stretch wasn't reversing, they'd look like Bozo the clown
shoes by now.)

John could be right about the change being in the foot, but I wouldn't
have guessed that - rather, I'd expect that my feet swell (rather than
shrink) after a long day of pushing on them - but I could be wrong.

Mark J.

John Forrest Tomlinson said:

It's possible the shoes are getting looser as they get warm, but it's
also possible that your feet change as you warm up. How are you sure
it's the shoes and not your feet?

I'm not sure of anything, in general. Well, there's a post-coffee
bathroom trip coming up here shortly, but you know what I mean.

Back in the day, especially for the 140-mile dirt road Sunday
Extravaganzas, I had to start out with the laces on the old leather
Sidi Ti's or Maressi's a certain amount loose, or get dropped when I
had to stop and adjust <g>. That was a persistent occurrence.

Who knows? We're in a different century now. I have read something
about this loosening on some website which may even have been "official
Sidi". I looked for a few minutes just now, didn't find it again.

Whatever, the Sidi buckle on my Gen III's (almost gone) and IV's works
great for that quick snugging so I can't use that excuse for
shortcomings in forward progress. --D-y

Paul Cassel said:

As I understand it, the customs will pay you back in great comfort and
long life. It may be worth it in the long run even if the short is
painfully expensive.

I think it's well worth it if you can't get the fit you need otherwise.
IIRC they cost about $500, but probably last 10 years. How many riders
spend that much on useless stuff like fancy wheels anyway?

Matt O.

"Paul A. Steckler" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

The Lorica material used in the SIDI uppers is advertised as not
stretching. OK, but can I have the material stretched intentionally by a
cobbler? I seen a post on > the Web that heating the Lorica allows it to
be stretched. Can anyone confirm that this method, or any other method,
can be used to stretch Lorica?

Two more data points:

- Veltec, the US SIDI distributor, wrote me to say that there's no method
they can recommend for stretching the shoe. Probably they're more concerned
with warranty/liability issues than with the comfort of my feet here, so
their response isn't very informative.
- I brought the shoes to a cobbler today, who was happy to try stretching
the shoes. I'll report back when I've got the shoes again.

-- Paul