Cycling shoe footbeds and sole shapes

The footbed as the foundation of cycling shoe comfort

There’s a very simple rule of thumb that too many cyclists – and retailers – too often forget. If your foot is longer or wider than the footbed in your cycling shoes, then there’s a very good chance that you are wearing the wrong size cycling shoe. Ultimately, the footbed helps to support your foot, gives you comfort and aids performance – if it is the right footbed in the right cycling shoe for your own unique feet. As a direct interface between your feet and the bike – via the last or sole of the shoe – it helps with cushioning, stability, arch support, and reduces fatigue and foot health issues through being correctly fitted.

If you visit one of our specialist Lake shoe fitting partners, they will tell you all about this, then measuring your feet and footbeds properly and talking to you about the benefits of having custom footbeds too.

Create lasting comfort with Lake

CX333 & CX403 for speed and performance

You will know instinctively if your foot feels bigger than your cycling shoe footbeds – in terms of width or length. The wrong thing to do is to buy a bigger shoe length, to try to compensate for ill-fitting width and an overhanging footbed. Whilst minor adjustments can be made with heat moulded cycling shoes such as our Lake CX333 and CX403, you simply cannot rely on a larger volume upper to compensate for an ill-fitting footbed or cycling shoe last. Here at Lake, we use several different cycle shoes ‘lasts’ across our extensive range of the world’s most comfortable cycling shoes, so that you can always find your fit!

The issues that can arise through ill-fitting cycling shoes are numbness in the toes, toe scrunching and hot spots. And the plain and simple solution is always to get a professional shoe fitting session and to try on a selection of cycling shoes with wider fits, larger toe boxes and options with heat moldable heels to improve your foot stability, whilst enabling the wider mid and forefoot to remain comfortable.

CX239 for the ultimate in high performance comfort

Another great option for a high-performance and comfortable ride experience is our latest CX239 and MX239 for road and off-road cycling. With a profile specifically designed for very high-cadence riding & higher pressure, our Competition last features a more curved profile than the Lake Sport last. The Competition last also features a larger toe box and a tighter heel cup than our Comfort Plus last and comes with slightly more overall volume than our Sport last. It’s an exceptionally secure cycling shoe, while having a slightly wider ball girth to allow the foot to expand under high pedalling pressures. The key to recognising an ideal fit for your cycling shoes is a snug, heel-locked fit with toe wiggle room, a supported arch and no cramped feeling along the sides of the shoe and feet.

Signs of a poor fitting cycling shoe

If you can identify with any of the following issues, then maybe it’s time for you to take a trip to one of our specialist Lake shoe fitting partners:

• Your toes touch the front/ sides and feel squeezed or hitting the end of the shoe;
• Hot spots or numbness, with cramped feet causing nerve pain;
• Heel lift and an insecure feeling when you pull up on the pedal.

Did you know that Lake is probably the only brand in the world where you can address uneven foot sizes, with your shoe fitting specialist selecting different size shoes for each foot individually. Always look for cycling shoes with a roomy toe box area, like our Lake CX239 again, which supports a more natural foot positioning.

Celebrate comfort this Christmas – with Lake

Ultimately, your cycling shoe comfort is important to us, which is why we have the most extensive range of cycling shoes in the world. We’ve been innovating and designing cycling shoes for over 40 years, creating a global community of cyclists able to find their own perfect fit. We want you all to ride into the New Year with ultimate comfort and performance. So, don’t forget to treat yourself this Christmas, with Lake – the world’s most comfortable cycling shoes.