Metatarsalgia / Morton’s Neuroma and cycling shoe choice

[Patrick Moore]

I’m trying to self- diagnose a sharp pain in the ball of my left foot that has occurred occasionally in the past, noticed most while standing or walking in thin slippers on a tile floor, but recently — this started back in late April, I think, after I’d ridden ~100 miles in clips and straps. It was undoubtedly exacerbated by early May’s 54 mile ride with a great deal of climbing, and in Shimano SPD shoes with narrow toe box that I now realize might have added to the problem.

On a 20-mile sandy ditchbank ride 10 days ago, wearing the narrow Shimanos, where I torqued hard in deepish sand for longish periods, by the end of the ride the pain almost stopped me from pedaling. So I ditched those formerly comfortable favorite shoes and have been riding since in shoes with a much wider toe box. I also moved my cleats rearward by about 1 cm. Both of these help. On yesterday’s 20 mile ride (72” fixed, about 1 mile total of steepish climbing, much slow-cadence torquing against sou’easterly at gusts to 17+) the pain never rose to the sharp ache + burning in the ball of the foot, radiating thence to the tip of the second toe — this last had me thinking for a minute it might be gout -- but the ball of the foot started becoming numb and aching slightly after the first couple of miles, after which it came and went.

Someone somewhere sometime said that he’d solved a similar problem by buying top-of-the-line cycling shoes with sufficiently wide toe box and, he emphasized this, a very stiff sole. I forget if he mentioned Sidis; Dominators? I’d like to consider this remedy. My question therefore is: what SPD-compatible cycling shoes do you find to be the most comfortable long-term, and why do you think they are comfortable?

Sorry, ain’t gonna use flat pedals. Tried that and disliked it.

Thanks.

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Patrick Moore

Alburquerque, Nuevo Mexico, Etats Unis d'Amerique, Orbis Terrarum

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[Mr. Ray]

Sidi Dominators (even their wide offering) are narrow and don't have a wide toe box.  This Spanish brand (John Luck) makes wide and extra wide toe box/barefoot cycling shoes for cleats and no cleats.  The website is in Spanish but your web browser should be able to translate:

https://johnluck.pro/zapatillas-horma-ancha/

[Tyler Johnson]

I second the super stiff sole; that really distributes the pedaling force across your foot. Road shoes are stiffer than MTB typically. 

ctj

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[Tyler Johnson]

Oh, oops. Recommendations. 

I would ask what the roadies are using since they hammer constantly. I normally opt for a reasonable gear. 

ctj

[Joseph Farruggia]

I would recommend Birkenstocks when your not riding to protect your high pressure points on your feet

https://www.birkenstock.com/us/birko-sport-blue-eva/birkosport-repair-eva-0-0-u_7.html

I put these in my non Birks shoes as well as my riding shoes

I use to be an orthotist and cobbler. I have recommend these for decades!

I always say we are buildings and we need to have a solid foundation to hold us up

So i would say arch supports and stretching is key especially for us cyclists

I am currently modding a pair of Birkenstock London shoes to have clipless soles, 

they will still function as regular shoes when off the bike. (they look a lot like Ronnies shoes)

 Once i have them done i will try to post a picture of them

Cheers!

Joseph 

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[Patrick Moore]

I’d probably have less pain if I twiddled small gears, but I do love mashing and have 30 years into the habit. We’ll see what cleat repositioning, better shoes, and Joseph’s (thank you) Birkenstock insoles, but Ouch! $72! Will first try the new shoes that have been sitting on my shelf for almost a year.

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[Sally Bidleman]

Another voice for Birkenstocks! My campus clinic's MD recommended them to me in college after I injured my arch from running. I swam and wore Birkenstocks and healed. I bought my second pair from a long-time store owner in Laguna Beach who said that a lot of his customers were referred by their cardiologist because Birkenstocks helped with circulation (I guess by the way your feet work in them/grip with toes, etc.). I've worn them for years now...always look forward to coming home to family, food and a favorite pair of Birks....!

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[Garth]

Bont and Lake cycling shoes are about the most anatomically correct foot shaped off the shelf cycling specific shoes available in the US. All the Bonts are, and with Lake it's the MX series. Do you Lakes "find your fit" in red letters, upper right hand of the pages. 

https://www.lakecycling.com/pages/fit-matrix

https://bontcycling.com/approach/

The Bont insoles are moldable to your foot, and the Riot G is probabaly your most suitable mtb/walkable style shoe. 

[DJC]

Hi Patrick,

Sorry to hear you're struggling with foot pain. Generally, these issues can be resolved through equipment changes and set-up in addition to off-the-bike foot exercises / treatment. I split my time between working as a functional movement coach and a bike fitter, your situation is common. Foot discomfort is typically the result of the following issues either singularly or collectively:

• Shoe fit (narrow toe box)
• Cleat position
• Foot anatomy
• Insole support
• Pedal interface
• Saddle height

Foot numbness or pain is the result of nerve compression. Some where in the chain of shoe, insole, cleat position, bike setup, and pedal interface significant pressure / load is concentrating pressure on the nerves running through the forefoot.

The first steps involve shoes and insoles. For shoes, Lake and Bont offer options with wide toe boxes. A recent addition is Strong Feet Athletics (toe box looks like Birkenstocks) and if you have particularity troublesome feet Lore Three offer 3-D printed lasts to precisely match your foot. I own a couple of pairs of Lake CX242/road and MX242/MTN or gravel, very unique design that I find extremely comfortable. I've also tried the Strong Feet Athletics, which have an enormous toe box -- a decent shoe for the money and SPD compatible. As a general rule, European shoes have narrow toe boxes / last and should be avoided. Regarding insoles, the G8 insoles are highly customizable and the best I've found; off the shelf insoles are only useful if you arch structure and placement falls within normative ranges.

Without diving to deep, your foot position is critical. As a general rule, the pedal spindle should be located between the 1st MTP and the 5th MTP favoring the 5th. This will help unload the forefoot and the Achilles tendon. If you move your cleats to the rear / foot forward remember to adjust seat height down a few millimeters.

If these measures don't solve the problem find a reputable bike fitter that really understands foot biomechanics.

I hope this helps.

Best,

Dave

On Thursday, June 4, 2026 at 11:31:52 AM UTC-4 bert...@gmail.com wrote:

[Patrick Moore]

Thank you to those who posted today. Update: I’ve (1) ditched the formerly beloved Shimano SPD shoes with the narrow toe box in favor of Specialized shoes with a wide toe box, and (2) shoved my cleats rearward by 1 cm at least. I moved the left one back another mm or 2 yesterday. On today’s 20 fixed ride the left foot twinged and ached lightly, only becoming painful enough to want to stop riding in the last few miles. So, progress. As I sat and read my email, the pain largely disappeared. This with a ~20 minute interlude between legs of this ride.

When I did another 20 mile fixed ride Wednesday, also about 20 miles, the pain was worse, so perhaps I’ve made some progress. On that bike, after shoving the cleats back ~1 cm, I did lower the saddle by ~ 1/4”.  That bike was the Matthews IGH fixed gear. Today’s ride was on the 1999 Joe Riv Road fixed custom; the saddle felt OK after the cleat migration; might also lower the saddle on this one. I like full leg extension, have for 35 years.

The next step is the new pair of Shimano SPD shoes with very roomy toe box and, one hopes, an ever stiffer sole than the Specializeds. They’re sitting on my counter waiting me to do something with them.

After that, insoles, including those with bumps under the metatarals; and thence to Bonts or Lakes.

Thanks again, all.

On Thu, Jun 4, 2026 at 9:31 AM Patrick Moore <bert...@gmail.com> wrote:

[michael stallman]

Glad things are improving. Perhaps I missed it, but did you happen to try flat pedals with street shoes, just as an experiment? 

I rode clipless for a long time, but the thing I like most about flat pedals is I can reposition my feet depending on cadence, intensity, or variety.

Michael

[Ted Durant]

On Friday, June 5, 2026 at 4:45:25 PM UTC-5 bert...@gmail.com wrote:

The next step is the new pair of Shimano SPD shoes with very roomy toe box and, one hopes, an ever stiffer sole than the Specializeds. They’re sitting on my counter waiting me to do something with them.

After that, insoles, including those with bumps under the metatarals; and thence to Bonts or Lakes.

I feel your pain, sort of - my foot issue is different from yours. Mine is tailor's bunions (bunionettes) on both feet, a bit worse on my left.

I went from Dromarti to Shimano to Lake over the course of 2 years, and that's when I gave up on cleated shoes and went to Lems and Clem Smith pedals. I still have the Lake MX-1 shoes in wide and still use them with my Rivendell Road/Eggbeater pedals. (I also still have the Dromarti and Shimano, size 42.5, still for sale...) Lake Cycling recently put on their IG a picture of various lacing styles for different types of feet. For wide forefeet, they suggest running the laces straight up a couple of eyelets before starting to cross over. I did that on mine and did a 40 mile (2 1/4 hours) ride with no issues. Typically I wouldn't have issues until more like 4 hours, so probably not a full test, but the Lakes are definitely easier on my feet than the Shimanos. 

Also, I just ordered a new pair of Lems and ordered 1/2 size bigger than before. I'd been thinking my shoes have been feeling a bit tighter and sure enough, when I stood on the insoles I found my toes are getting uncomfortably close to the front. Crazy how much my feet have lengthened and widened in the last 10 years. I'm finding socks make a big difference, too. It's hard to find socks that don't squash my toes together.

I can understand a reluctance to go with flat pedals. It's all about the mating of the pedal and the shoe, and the only way to find combos that work is to try them. I'm reminded of the setup Grant had, made by Pino Morroni, with Campy pedals and machined delrin blocks bolted to the shoe bottoms. The blocks were a very precise fit into the pedal cages, and the feeling was unlike anything else I've ever ridden. The shoes were absolutely locked to the pedals in every axis, no movement at all. I loved the sensation, but of course only tried it on a short ride. I expect that on any kind of a long ride you better have the alignment perfect. For very long rides I have found it to be a big benefit to move my feet around on the pedals, fore-aft, side-side, and rotation. With a good sole-pedal connection, I never feel like I'm giving up anything in power (I don't have much, anyway).

Ted Durant

Milwaukee, WI USA

[Chris Halasz]

Patrick

Checking in to see how you're progressing and (hopefully) improving. I

Anecdotal input: I experienced excruciating pain in the mornings, straight out of bed, strongly correlated with the introduction of clipless (SPD) pedals. Very comfy shoes, very nice SPD road pedals. 

Tried multiple placement of clip location on the sole, with no improvement. Used to race and ride clipless for decades, Grant P convinced me to try otherwise, which I did, a couple decades ago, and no noticeable performance change, so stuck with it, until about a year and a half ago, when I thought I'd try them again. I felt your pain. 

Anecdotal remedy: We went on travel, no bikes, for a couple weeks. I was apprehensive of long walks, given the state of my (one) foot, and had only brought Birkenstocks, thinking I wouldn't be walking that much. Not happening. Walked nine miles in the Birkenstocks the first day, and pretty much the same most other days. Within a couple days, the pain was completely gone. Gone. I'm now riding flat pedals again, with Birkenstocks. 

Hey, they're lighter than bike shoes (about a half pound), breath great, and somewhere out there on the internet I recall a photo of Tom Ritchey touring through Europe on Birks. 

Again, wishing you recovery and as good a solution. 

[Patrick Moore]

Thank you, Chris; I’ll file this away in my mental archive in case fiddling with SPD shoes and pedals doesn’t fix the problem.

Improving: Today is grand. I still feel a wee distant ghost of a, what, “pinch”? — in the ball of my left foot right now, but the merest memory of a sensation. When I walked 1/4 mile to Albertson’s just now, in my Merrill walking shoes with aftermarket inserts (bought for cycling, in fact, but not used for that) with “metatarsal button” in large letters (I could not identify a bump, but perhaps there is something there), I was very pleased that I felt no pain. +/< 1/2 mile, but before even a few yards in these shoes with these inserts would bring it on, and I had already planned to remove the inserts for some other undefined alternative.

Yesterday, in the new to me Euro 46 Shimanos, my left foot hurt badly after just a mile or so; I persisted riding until about the 7 mile point where there was a convenient bench, where I moved my left cleat back a few more mm. Rode another 2 m; still hurt. Rode back to bench, shoved cleat all the way back, and did same to right shoe. Rode the 7 miles home (20 total, 75” fixed, wind and some short but steep hills). Felt light residual pain but far, far better than at the outset.

I do believe that dramatically rearward cleats might be the principal remedy, and I will ride a few more dozens of miles with such cleats before I think about other remedies. 

Also, I’ll be visiting family back East for a week, and I’ll be off the bike, so perhaps R&R will also help.

I think I’ve moved my cleats back at least 1 cm from their earlier, mid foot position; but I’m glad that I haven’t noticed that this adversely affects my pedaling. It’s not that I spin madly anyway; I’m a masher and run out of breath at high r’s pm.*

*Completely aside, but interesting to me: on longer steeper climbs during group rides recently I’ve found myself dropped by other riders while climbing, as I got out of breath surprisingly fast. I was riding these hills on the Roadeo with unaccustomed low gear options. It dawned on me that ,since I’m used to mashing, twiddling in low gears might be less efficient, for me. So I switched to grinding at lower rpm in higher gears and yes, I found my speed increase (slightly) while my oxygen deficit dropped. Interesting.

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[Joseph Farruggia]

Hey Patrick

I am sorry your are still in pain! 

You can try taping your arch.  

you can get sports tape that is not flexible, found in Walmart, most pharmacy's. its similar to hockey tape just wider 

Tape your arch when not weight baring, sitting down and make sure its not a tight wrap. almost loose or like a band aid

then when you stand up it will girdle your arch and act like an arch support

IT will make your feet fit into your shoes with out taking up that real estate in cycling shoes

The rolls are like $3-7. so worth the experiment over the $75 arch supports  

Cheer!

Joseph

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[Patrick Moore]

Update: visiting family in Front Royal, VA minus bike, but am glad to say that replacing insoles in Clark’s Desert Boots with thin ones scavenged from discarded cycling shoes made for a comfortable ball of left foot during all the walking thru ABQ, O’Hare, and Dulles airports and, yesterday and this morning, on morning walks around the neighborhood of our rented house. 

So I’m even more convinced that the principal problem was feet expanding with age and crowding by now-too-small cycling shoes.

And, I’ve been walking barefoot around the hardwood floors of the rental house which seems therapeutic.

Will be glad to get back on the bike this coming Friday, God willing, and interested to monitory how the foot does in the new size 46 Shimano SPD shoes.