Cycling Shoe Surgery

Despite changes in materials and construction techniques, not much about the shape of cycling shoes has changed over the years. Cycling shoes, like rock-climbing shoes and soccer cleats, are notoriously constricting (and uncomfortable) footwear, as they hold the big and little toes in bunion and bunionette configuration, respectively, for prolonged periods during rides. They also contribute to hot spots, ingrown toenails, plantar fascia pain, hammertoes, and other foot problems. To our knowledge, and based on our experience, there is absolutely no reason why cycling shoes need to have tapering toe boxes, toe spring, and heel elevation—three problematic design inclusions that appear in most conventional cycling (and non-cycling) footwear.

Dr. Marty and I are avid road cyclists, and we’ve long been searching for a foot-healthy cycling shoe. We believe that a cycling shoe with a sufficiently wide toe box to allow for natural toe splay (enabled by Correct Toes, ideally) would help reduce chronic lower limb injuries in cyclists and may even boost power output and improve performance (as well as dramatically improve foot comfort).

In a completely flat shoe that’s devoid of heel elevation and toe spring, the foot and ankle naturally maintain a more dorsiflexed position, which in turn “loads” the posterior lower leg muscles and tendons and enables them to participate more fully in the pedaling effort. A completely flat support platform (i.e., a flat sole) in combination with a mid-foot cleat position also allows the main foot arch (aka the medial longitudinal arch) to function as nature intended, which is crucial in recruiting maximum foot strength and power. The medial longitudinal arch is naturally stabilizing and strong when the foot is placed on a flat surface and when the toes are allowed (or encouraged) to splay.

As we see it, cyclists hoping to preserve foot health have, at this particular moment, three main choices for achieving this goal:

1. Perform surgery on their cycling shoes
2. Purchase custom-made cycling shoes
3. Adopt an alternative shoe/pedal setup

Whether you’re a Cat. 1 racer, a bike tour participant, or a weekend warrior, we hope that at least one of these three approaches will work for you and your specific cycling needs. Let’s take a closer look at each of these options.

1. Cycling Shoe Surgery

I think we can all agree that it's preferable to do surgery on shoes instead of feet. In the absence of a truly foot-healthy road cycling shoe, we’ve taken to altering our existing cycling shoes using a number of techniques taught to us by renowned sports podiatrist Dr. Ray McClanahan. The techniques we employ to improve foot health and create more room for the foot and toes inside the cycling shoe require several sharp tools and a complete willingness to butcher your prized possessions.

Note: Please exercise extreme caution when using sharp instruments to modify your cycling shoes.

If you are uncomfortable with the idea of hacking and slicing up your expensive cycling footwear, we encourage you to hold off for the moment until the ideas and methods we discuss here have had a chance to sink in. Better yet, we encourage you to practice these techniques on an older pair of cycling shoes first, to get a feel for the increased comfort these modifications can bring about. Performing surgery on your cycling shoes is best done in a calm and relaxed state, not immediately after a multi-hour ride in which your too-tight shoes provoke extreme rage. :-)

The five techniques we use to favorably modify cycling shoes are:

1. Slicing up the toe box
2. Severing the sole plate
3. Tweaking the fastening system
4. Reshaping the toe box with a hammer
5. Removing the liner and adding two (or three) unobtrusive pads

Technique #1: Slicing up the Toe Box

We use a surgical scalpel to create vertical slits around the entire toe box of our cycling shoes, though in most cases, a sturdy utility knife can work just fine. These slits, which should penetrate through the shoe’s upper, allow the toe box to expand more easily when your foot and toes are inside your cycling shoe (the slits also create an additional ventilation source!). The extra room in the toe box that this technique creates is significant, though your toes may still feel a little cramped (most cycling shoes are fiercely tapering in the toe box). Slicing the toe box of your cycling shoes is arguably the most important surgical technique you can employ to improve foot health and comfort when cycling.

Update: Since this article was first published, I've actually removed (with a scalpel) entire rectangular sections on the medial and lateral sides of my cycling shoes' toe boxes to make more room for my first and fifth toes, respectively.

Update: Another technique to help open up more space for your big and little toes in your cycling shoes is to use the FootFitter Ball & Ring Shoe Stretcher. This is a great tool for improving roominess within your cycling shoes and can be used on almost any shoe to great effect.

Technique #2: Severing the Sole Plate

Severing the sole plate of your cycling shoes is a definitive statement to the world about your dedication to natural foot health principles. We used a hacksaw to saw through the sole plates of our cycling shoes in two key locations: Just behind and just in front of the cleat. Severing the sole plate just behind the cleat (i.e., on the heel side of the cleat) helps minimize any heel elevation present in the shoe, while severing the sole plate just in front of the cleat (i.e., on the toe side of the cleat) helps reduce any toe spring that may be present. These two surgical strikes on your cycling shoes have the cumulative effect of creating an almost zero drop situation, which puts your entire foot on a level plane and may allow you to better recruit your lower leg muscles with each pedal stroke.

Technique #3: Tweaking the Fastening System

A few simple tweaks to the way you fasten your cycling shoes can favorably affect the health of your feet and toes. Many cyclists choose to tighten their laces, straps, or buckles to a severe degree thinking that a tighter shoe translates into increased power transfer and performance. A healthier (and no less advantageous) approach to fastening cycling shoes involves tightening only the topmost strap or closure to ensure your ankle is firmly secured. Consider leaving slack the other straps or fastening devices lower down on your foot (i.e., the straps or closures closer to your toes), as this creates more room for your forefoot and toes. Because the topmost strap is firmly secured, your foot should not shift around within your shoe.

Technique #4: Reshaping the Toe Box With a Hammer

This technique was suggested to us by a reader named Kat, who says the following:

I recommend adding a new technique to your list: Crushing the hard toe box tip with a hammer (you can use a hammer to soften other parts of the upper as well). Crushing the hard insert in the toe box can add lateral room to a shoe that may have enough toe box volume, but may be too narrow or too tall. This can create a more “flat” but “wide” toe box.

Indeed! This technique brings a whole new meaning to the term “putting the hammer down.” As always, be careful when wielding tools that have the potential to maim.

Technique #5: Removing the Liner & Adding Two (or Three) Unobtrusive Pads

The final technique we use to modify cycling shoes for foot comfort and health involves removing the included (optional) liner and adding two (and sometimes three) unobtrusive pads.

Many cycling shoe liners have a built-up heel, which creates unwanted heel elevation and takes up valuable space within your shoe. Removing this liner helps get all parts of your foot on a more level plane and improves the roominess for your forefoot and toes (this can also be achieved by replacing the default insole with a thin, flexible, and sole-stimulating Naboso insole). Removing the shoe liner, in some cases, may cause your foot and ankle to shift within your cycling shoe, which can be annoying and detrimental to optimal performance.

SHOP NABOSO INSOLES

To solve this problem, consider adding a tongue pad to the underside of your cycling shoe’s tongue. This pad will serve as an ankle bumper, so to speak, keeping your heel fixed snugly against the back of your shoe and eliminating any foot or ankle shifting (as long as the uppermost closure on your shoe is firmly secured).

SHOP TONGUE PADS

A metatarsal pad is another important pad to place inside your cycling shoe, as it helps to spread your foot’s transverse arch, repositions your forefoot fat pad to a position that cushions the heads of your metatarsal bones, and helps reduce or eliminate hotspots by better distributing the forces placed on your foot. A metatarsal pad can also keep your foot rooted in place within your now roomier cycling shoe. Here is a video that demonstrates how to place metatarsal pads inside shoes, and this article offers a step-by-step set of instructions for ensuring proper metatarsal pad placement.

2. Custom Cycling Shoes

The second major option for those seeking healthier cycling shoes involves purchasing a pair of custom-made cycling shoes. There are a handful of folks around the U.S. and other parts of the world who specialize in hand-building cycling shoes for unique sets of feet. In most cases, buying custom cycling shoes involves submitting a foot tracing (perform this while wearing Injinji toe socks and Correct Toes) or using a custom casting/molding kit provided by the shoe builder.

SHOP TOE SOCKS SHOP CORRECT TOES

At this time, we don’t have any recommendations for specific companies to contact, but a little online searching on your part will reveal a few options to consider. When reaching out to these companies, bear in mind that your request for a completely flat-soled and wide toe box cycling shoe may be highly unusual to them, as they are still most likely used to building more conventional-shaped cycling shoes. Be persistent in your design requests and make sure you get what you want. The cost of buying custom cycling shoes is not cheap, with most pairs costing in the range of $1,200 to $1,500 USD, so it’s extra important that everything is clear up front about the shape and design features of the shoe.

3. Alternative Shoe/Pedal Setup

For those who are not interested in modifying a pair of conventional cycling shoes or shelling out the money for a pair of custom cycling shoes, there is a viable third option that involves adopting an alternative pedal/shoe set-up. In this realm, there are a couple of good possibilities that we have come across, one of which we ourselves use on a consistent basis. Let's explore both these options here.

A) Option #1: Power Grips or Bicibands

As mentioned above, a third and final option for those seeking foot-healthy cycling footwear is to adopt an alternative shoe and pedal setup. Specifically, consider using a flat pedal with a thin and unobtrusive strap (such as Power Grips or Bicibands) that keeps your foot in place through the force of dynamic tension. This easy-in, easy-out setup provides a broad and flat support surface upon which to pedal, and perhaps most importantly, it offers you the opportunity to use the footwear of your choosing, which can mean a zero drop, wide toe box athletic shoe of the kind we feature on the Natural Footgear site.

We’ve found that the men's and women's foot-healthy athletic shoes we feature on our site work perfectly in combination with this pedal/strap setup to enhance foot comfort while preserving power transfer between the foot and the pedal. The other great benefit of using foot-shaped athletic shoes for cycling is that you can wear your Correct Toes while on the bike!

SHOP MEN'S ATHLETIC SHOES SHOP WOMEN'S ATHLETIC SHOES

Flat pedals come in a variety of styles, weights, and materials, and you can use Power Grips or Bicibands with all standard pedals. We’ve found this combination of products (i.e., men's and women's foot-healthy athletic shoes and a flat pedal/strapping system) to be a nice option when it comes to cycling and foot comfort and health. Natural Footgear co-founder Dr. Marty Hughes switched to this system a while back. Here are his thoughts on it:

After adopting this new setup, I no longer used my modified road cycling shoes; even with the surgical techniques described above, I just couldn't achieve the same level of comfort and enjoyment that I could from my flat pedal/healthy shoe arrangement.

That being said, this alternative shoe and pedal setup may take some getting used to. For those accustomed to clipless (i.e., “clip-in”) pedals, adopting this new (and in some ways, old) system may seem like a step backward, especially as it concerns power transfer between the foot and the pedal. But having personally used this system, I can tell you that any fear of this I may have had quickly dissipated once I was able to get a few rides under my belt.

Another consideration is pedal strike (i.e., the pedal striking the ground), which only rarely happens with clipless pedals. With the flat pedal system, you have to be particularly mindful on sharp corners to keep your inside foot elevated, so as to avoid scraping the pedal against the pavement and falling as a result.

All in all, for me personally and the riding that I do, the flat pedal/strap/healthy shoe combo is a solid way to achieve a balance between foot comfort, foot health, and performance on the road.

So, this can be a good option for some riders. Another, perhaps even more, effective and foot-healthy option is to use a platform pedal that accommodates more of your foot so that you can really put your foot and lower body musculature to use in pedaling your bike. More about that here:

B) Option #2 (Preferred): Catalyst Pedals

The Catalyst Pedal is a platform pedal that allows you to recruit the full power of your main foot arch and lower body with every pedal stroke. Longer than other flat pedals, Catalyst Pedals enable natural arch support by allowing you to put both ends of your main foot arch—that's the ball of your foot and your calcaneus, or heel bone—on the pedals themselves. This unique characteristic encourages more of a stairclimber-like pedaling motion and allows you to better recruit larger muscle groups, such as your glutes and hamstrings, to contribute to the pedaling action.

• Listen to a podcast interview with Drs. Marty and Robyn Hughes and Catalyst Pedals creator James Wilson that discusses many facets of foot health and cycling.

As with the Power Grips setup mentioned above, Catalyst Pedals allow you to choose your own men's or women's foot-healthy athletic footwear and incorporate the use of Correct Toes toe spacers, Injinji toe socks, Pedag metatarsal pads, and Naboso insoles for optimal foot comfort and function. This article takes a closer look at these important foot health tools for cyclists.

The three primary benefits of Catalyst Pedals are the following:

1. They build a more powerful foot and pedal stroke
2. They improve foot comfort and stability on the bike
3. They recruit the powerful hip extensor muscles more efficiently

Catalyst Pedals also:

• Have a sleek, low-profile, and aerodynamic design
• Possess removable/adjustable traction pins for excellent grip
• Reduce pressure on sensitive ball of foot nerves and blood vessels
• Can be used for road cycling, mountain biking, and bike commuting
• Can be combined with men's and women's foot-healthy athletic shoes
• Possess a simple pedal/shoe interface that makes mounting and dismounting quick, easy, and safe
• Eliminate the frequent need to tighten and reposition cycling shoe cleats and adjust clipless pedal tension
• Completely eliminate the likelihood that a cycling shoe cleat malfunction (e.g., debris in the cleat) will derail your ride

Catalyst Pedals are also extremely fun to use! These pedals liberate your foot and offer a versatility that is unmatched by any other pedal on the market.

SHOP CATALYST PEDALS

Since we updated this article a while back to include mention of Power Grips and Bicibands, Dr. Marty has adopted Catalyst Pedals as his full-time pedal and has this to say about them:

I thought the Power Grips setup was where it was at ... until I tried Catalyst Pedals. I still do appreciate the pedal/strap combo of Power Grips, but for me personally, the extended-length Catalyst Pedal is by far the best pedal I have ever tried. At this point, I wouldn't use anything but Catalyst Pedals for my road rides. I've really come to appreciate all the aspects of this pedal that make it so great, from the adjustable traction pins to the sleek design to the fact that I can really mash my pedals like never before.

When I use my Catalyst Pedals, I am using my feet and lower body in a way that is more biomechanically sound and in a way that generates more power with each pedal stroke. Anecdotally, I'm faster on the bike, too, recording personal best times on many of the local mountain climbs. The idea behind this pedal just makes so much intuitive sense to me, and it's perfectly in line with the natural foot health concepts we champion at Natural Footgear.

Like Dr. Marty, I'm also a big fan of Catalyst Pedals. In my opinion, at this time, Catalyst Pedals represent the best option for maximizing the cycling experience while preserving natural foot health. To learn more about this unique product for cyclists, please check out our comprehensive Catalyst Pedals Review. You can also watch this review video that discusses Catalyst Pedals from a foot health perspective:

To view a Catalyst Pedals review video from a cyclist's perspective, please click here.

Final Thoughts

So there you have it! You now know the three major options (and five modification techniques) for improving foot health and comfort while cycling. Note that, even after performing the shoe surgery techniques described above, your cycling shoes should last almost as long as they would have if left untouched. I used my modified cycling shoes for over 8 years, and I couldn’t possibly have been happier with their durability.

You should also note that, even with the modifications, the toe boxes of most cycling shoes still aren't wide enough to accommodate natural human toe splay, and in most cases, trying to use Correct Toes in conjunction with these shoes will usually not be possible or constructive. I was able to use Correct Toes in combination with my modified cycling shoes, but it required considerable alterations to both the shoes and the toe spacers.

Here’s wishing you many miles of happy, pain-free pedaling!