Carbon Road Cycling Shoes

Miles813 said:

That might be feasible for someone who wears a size 9 but I wear a 13 and besides the fact that most bike stores keep a limited choice of bike shoes especially in the high end range, almost none of them keep them stocked in 47 or higher. So given most companies return policy I really don’t see an issue measuring, buying what you think is right, and returning if they don’t fit. REI will let you bring them back up to a year later after heavy use. My only choices in ALL of Tampa for shoes in my size were Shimao R1 or R3 (boa vs no boa) and the lowest level specialized. Neither was comfortable. I called every store. Did you expect me to drive to Miami or Orlando? I ordered the Fizik Stabilitas after consulting their charts and reading their reviews. Guess what? The shoes are incredibly comfortable after multiple 30+ mile rides. I just do not think a blanket statement like "The ONLY way to pick shoes is to try on what's availaI ble to you to try on and make your choice on that basis" is accurate or fair.

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I absolutely don't disagree with what you've done and the way I worded the comment you quoted is, like you pointed out wrong. THe shoes you try on don't have to be locally available. It's easier, of course. But, I've done the same - mail order several pair (i.e. two or three different brands and/or a couple different sizes). I used companies with good return policies so the extra cost returning them was zero or low. I did that because, like you, I had little or no local source. I found back then that Sidi in 43 fit perfectly. THis time I was able to try on several other brands in cities I visited and found I still liked the Sidi sizing so I will feel confident moving forward with that brand buying online.

But the point is you (and I) actually tried on the shoes and returned the ones that didn't fit. I still think it's a mistake to think a person can just take some measurements and be totally confident what they order will work. It certainly might, but best to actually try them on.

Now, if a person is ordering a fully custom shoe (which might have been a misunderstanding on my part), I do believe that those makers use measurements and tracings to build the shoe. I've never done that.

velodog said:

The OP was looking at carbon fiber soled cycling shoes, no matter the heading. to change that into a list of full custom full carbon fiber shoes is a bit misleading.

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I lost that bit somehow. I’d like to try soft shoes some time. Does your foot move around much like in a street shoe? That might be a benefit on the knees even? On my current shoes, while I like the convenience of the boa closure, I kind of miss laces. You can really snatch things down and adjust in places, looser/tighter to help get an even more comfortable fit. I know trackies use laces. Like a skate shoe, where you want things really tight with no movement inside the shoe.

In case anyone stumbles on past and is interested in custom CF shoes, be pre-advised that they are less heat moldable than off the rack shoes. You can still work with them to make small adjustments on hot spots and the like, but they require some persistence and some creativity with home made tools. Most shoe makers will gladly have you mark out hotspots and send them the shoes and they will make adjustments for you at no charge. A custom shoe is like a custom bike frame. You are in touch with the manufacturer and working with them closely. Marchese requires 2 trips to Albany,NY. One for molding and fitting and the second, when your shoes are made, for 4 or 5 days to get them perfect before you leave. Albeit, you can’t just buy his shoes, it’s more like by invitation...


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