In cycling, as with all aspects of life except the time we spend horizontal, our feet can make a good argument that they are one of our most important body parts. In other words, our feet nose they keep us going…

 

Bicycling companies race to come up with the latest, lightest, fastest, and coolest bicycle the world has ever seen. The one piece of equipment and probably the most important that has been over looked the most are shoes. No matter how light your bike is or how great of shape your in, if your feet cramp its hard to go fast. Let alone go at all. Enter a company that has dissected the cycling shoe and really has built a better mouse trap… or, foot trap…

 

Specialized Bicycle Company looked at decades of research from Dr. Andy Pruitt at the Boulder Center for Sports Medicine in Boulder CO. The study showed that almost all cyclists feet cave in toward the center of the bike. This has several negative effects. First, it puts a non linear load into the knee area. This in a repetitive motion sport like cycling can cause pain and lead to injury. Also, there is power going in more than one direction. Therefore, speed is being sacrificed where it does not have to be.

 

Why does the foot collapse to the inside? Most people have an arch in their foot. It is very helpful in walking but in cycling it’s a problem. It acts like a leaf spring and allows the foot to collapse inward and spring back which aids in taking a step. Specialized designed the “footbed” in order to better support ones arch. There are 3 different sizes of arches and a variety of lengths to accommodate all foot types. This footbed fills the area between the foot and the shoe. It gives great support and helps keep the knee aliened straight over the pedal. Thats where you want your knee to be for maximum power and to lessen the possibility of knee pain and problems.

 

Specialized shoes also have a longitudinal arch built into the sole of all body geometry shoes. This helps keep the knee aligned. The shoe also has more toe box room than most cycling shoes on the market. There is a pronounced heel cup to prevent the heel from slipping under extreme load.

 

Another problem area is the hard stiff foot bed in the shoe. When you push down on the pedals, the bones in the foot can crush the nerves between the metatarsal bones and the hard shoe. Built into the “footbed” is an area known as the metatarsal button. It acts like a shim and creates a pathway for the nerves so they don’t get crushed. This helps prevent the toes from going numb.

 

If you cycle and if you don’t want foot problems, you should look into Specialized shoes.

Jay Loew