New to cycling

[geckoGT]

I have the Specialized S Works shoes (bought 12 months before my saddle) and it is the best shoe I have had. I have had many brands with the most recent being Shimano although I can not remember the model, it was the full carbon sole top of the range. I was getting hot spots on the forefoot that developed into extreme pain and numbness in the toes on long rides. This had been going on for years and I tried different shoes but always continued to have the same problem. Went to see a podiatrist, sports physician, had a bone scan etc and the issue is a nerve compression through the metatarsals that only surgery will fix. I was able to get some relief with orthotics designed with a metatarsal button but orthotics are hard to fit in bike shoes.

As I got older the compression got worse and when I got back on the bike a few years ago my old Shimano shoes were intolerable, the pain at 80-100km was terrible and I used to have to pre dose with nurofen just to manage a long ride. I started to look around for new shoes looking at all brands. Sidi were expensive for what you got and felt narrow in the fore foot, not what I needed. Bontrager I did not try. Shimano felt flat with insufficient arch support and a bit tight in the forefoot, besides that it was Shimano that was currently torturing me. I continued to try a few others and then thought I would give Specialized a go.

I absolutely wanted a stiff carbon sole but I was not too concerned about the closure system as long as it was adjustable and did not cause pressure spots. I wanted light weight as it is rotational mass and more value losing weight there than some technoweanie lightweight stem.

The S works ended up meeting more of my criteria better than any other shoe. They are certainly light with a stiff full carbon sole. The closure I do not have a problem with as it closes well with no pressure points and is easy to adjust when your foot swells a bit on long rides. I also greatly prefer the understated stealth look of the all black with dark lettering S Works up the side, not bright and obnoxious like so many brands. The foot bed was good with 3 levels of arch support available, mid range is the fit for me and feels very good. They also have a metatarsal button molded into their foot bed, about time someone added this feature considering metatarsal nerve compression is such a common issue in cycling. The forefoot is quite roomy and sufficient for me to have a little wriggle room but still snug and stable. The heel counter is deep and very snug causing it to really grip the heel and make you feel locked in. The down side is these shoes are an absolute pain to put on and you virtually need a shoe horn to get them on at first. They have loosened up a bit after a few rides but they are still hard to put on. The shape of the heel counter is comfortable but grips the foot to the point you feel like you could easily ride with the closure system loose and still pull up on the pedals.

On the bike once I got the bloody things on there were immediate improvements and they increased over time. The shoe is certainly light and stiff and that is immediately noticeable, the only thing that lets down the locked in feeling you get is the interface between the pedal and cleat. The shape of the sole seems to compliment my foot position in my pedal stroke well with a good spread of pressure along the foot and I feel a lot more support in the arch area. Initially there were still some hot spots although less severe and for a bit I was a bit concerned. After a bit of a fiddle with the cleat position I managed to reduce it but it was still coming in at 3 hrs+ on the bike. This was an improvement over the Shimano's as they were giving hot spots and pain at <2hrs. I was concerned it was an issue I was always going to have and the only way to fix the nerve issue was the surgery. The strange thing is over a few months as the shoes were broken in the hot spots further decreased and the other day I only got mild hotspots after 4hrs of riding which I was easily distracted from by my sore legs. I would love to ride all day without hot spots but I think after 13 years of bashing my feet up in the army and the abuse I have given them training for Ironman Triathlon I have done enough damage that I will never have that pleasure. Lasting 4 hrs on the bike is good enough for me as I am not riding long stage races or classics. After the 4 hour mark a break at a cafe with my shoes off seems to fix it and I am then able to get back out there and rack up more miles.

End result is for my feet and my biomechanics this is the standout best shoe I have had in the last 20 years. Yes there may be a better one out there but as I am happy with this one I am not going to go looking and risk throwing money away. I just hope that Specialized don't mess too much with the design, if it is not broken then don't fix it.