Why no wide toe boxes?

[jamesbondshoes]

Why are there no cycling shoes with wide toe boxes? I had a pair of Giro Terraduros, but had to replace them with new ones. While the old ones had toe boxes that were too narrow for my taste (and this is the wide HV version), the new ones are even narrower, hut the middle of the shoe is too wide. It is as though sick and deranged people have been hired to designed all cycling shoes.

I am seriously thinking of going back to platform pedals. They will look ok on my current bike, but crappy if I go road. Do any of you know of any mountain clipless shoes that have a wide toe box similar to the Birkenstock Hancock and A640?

 

[dabac]

Specialized tend to be quite Square up front.
Then there's the Sidi Dominator Mega.

 

[CAMPYBOB]

Yup. Spesh offers some wider toe boxes and so does shimaNO. Sidi, Diadora, Gaerne, Northwave, Bont and others cater to wider feet and less rounded toe boxes. For difficult to fit feet I think it's imperative to try the shoes on in-person and sometimes it takes visits to several stores before I get a shoe that's a good fit for my feet. Patience is a virtue when it comes to selecting cycling shoes.

When you finally score a brand, model and size that works...BUY TWO SPARE PAIRS immediately, before they go out of production.

 

[OkiePhlyer]

I have a wide foot and wear the Keen Commuter sandals. Mine are the Commuter III. Plenty of room in the toe box and nice and cool during the summer. I don't ride fast enough to worry about their aerodynamics. They've been really great for me.

 

[e.Mark]

Just ending my quest to buy a cycling shoe with a wide toe box. Here are my observations:
- IF Lucky to find a great LBS, and a good selection, try a shoe on BOTH feet before buying. LBS is a great asset.
-realize that your foot flattens as you put pressure on it and swells as it warms up. Use that to help with sizing.
-if buying online, read the return policy, so if you choose return, you can and not force yourself to accept an ill fit.
-Measure both length and width of BOTH feet using the table by the manufacturer of your shoes, This is Key.
-accept that one foot may be slightly different in measurement than the other.
-Manufacturers use different names to describe shoes that are more accommodating for wider, anatomically challenged feet. I.e. high volume, mega, wide, genius.
-many posts on any forum, may be only mildly helpful on the foot size issue.
-do not feel bad if your feet are not what some may term as normal-i.e. shoes that fit a manufactures idea of what a size really is. Just look at the shoe size charts or read about some bad experiences online with bike shoes.
-realize what is good for a one rider that seems like you may not be the same for you.
-Notice I am not pushing any one manufacturer, and I say all this 'cause I darn near ruined my feet and love of riding with ill fitting bike shoes.
So many choices out there, you will find one that suits you.

 

[e.Mark]

Look at Lake MX176-X. I got some and so far so good. Used the Lake sizing chart as there is not a Lake dealer nearby.

 

[Methodical]

I've found Northwave suits my feet with the wider toe box. The Bontrager I had put my feet to sleep and that was not good thing during a winter ride years ago.

 

[Froze]

There are quite a few manufactures that make wide toe box shoes, but I recommend going down to your LBS and try on what they have in the way of wide toe box shoes. There is more to shoes then just the toe box, you also have to have the right width, length, and heel area because some have narrow and some have wide heels, not to mention the correct insole. Trek dealers usually carry a wide selection as does Specialized dealers who even have a foot pad you can stand on to find out more about the design of your foot so they get a special insole for your foot; shoes that include Bontrager, Sidi, Specialized, Shimano, while some shoes like Lake, and Northwave are more difficult to find in LBS's. But trying to get shoes online is a very risky hit and miss and you'll be sending shoes back like crazy.

 

[maander`]

I have wide feet and tried Shimano wide shoes. They were not wide enough for my feet.
I have some Louis Garneau Monte that are ok.

 

[joahnna mae ma-amo bello]

It is very important that you are comfortable when you go out for a ride.I think you can go check out shimano they offer wide cycling shoes that may fit for you.

 

[ambal]

There are plenty, just try a few brands and see which one fits best. You could also try losing some weight on your toes by doing toe exercises

 

[andrewgoh]

Try the Sidi MEGAS. The Mega is the wide feet version for their shoe models.

 

[CranknSprockets]

Always good idea to visit LBS to try them on BUT if your retailer doesn't have a wide selection, try LickBike.com in Oak Park, IL. Amazing inventory of shoes. Large variety of Sidi Mega models. Go to their 'sale' department for best deals. AND their staff is well trained and have decades of experience selling over the phone and online. Have never returned an online order.

 

[doctorold]

Keep in mind, the "mega" or "high volume" shoes are just that....for high volume feet, not necessarily so much wider. Yes, they are somewhat wider but not very much. I went through a major shoe testing several years ago and I ended up buying the specialized in wide. Very pricey but they were the closest thing to a wide shoe I could find. They are still not super wide and the toe box is not very roomy but it's adequate. There's a couple of companies who make custom but they have a price tag to match.

 

[Bob Ross]

Keep in mind, the "mega" or "high volume" shoes are just that....for high volume feet, not necessarily so much wider. Yes, they are somewhat wider but not very much.

Don't quote me on this, I just got this tidbit from another internet cycling forum, but it was suggested that if you're looking at SIDI and decide their regular models aren't wide enough, don't just switch to the "Mega" version, but also go up one size.

So iow if you normally wear a size 44 cydling shoe but the SIDI 44 feels too tight, try a SIDI Mega 45 or 46.