Are Cycling Specific Footbeds Worth It?
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ก.พ. 2025
- When chasing speed in cycling, many believe comfort has to be sacrificed-but is that really the case?
One often-overlooked accessory that could make a difference is the insole. The right insoles might not only improve comfort but also help you put more power through the pedals when it matters most.
Having never used insoles before, Si puts this theory to the test by getting his own custom insoles made using Selle Italia’s ID Match system. Will they make a noticeable difference? 🚴♂️👣
In association with @selleitalia1897 👉 gcn.eu/SelleIt...
00:00 Do footbeds really make a difference?
00:21 Heading out to make custom footbeds
01:31 Other GCN presenters’ thoughts
02:22 Reaching Vires Velo
03:02 The different types of insoles
04:20 The process
05:42 Trying the new custom insoles
07:00 The positives of footbeds
Useful Links:
GCN Tech Uploader 👉 gcn.eu/techupl...
Subscribe so you don’t miss a thing 👉 gcntech.co/sub...
Insurance: Viewers in the USA and UK can explore GCN Insurance products 👉 gcn.eu/GCNinsu...
Sign Up To The GCN Newsletter 👉 gcn.eu/Newsletter
Visit the GCN Shop 👉 gcn.eu/gcnshop
GCN WhatsApp Channel 👉 gcn.eu/GCNwhat...
GCN Instagram Broadcast Channel 👉 gcn.eu/instagr...
Join the GCN Club on Zwift and ride with us! 👉 gcn.eu/GCNClub...
Do you use orthotic insoles? 👟
Watch more on GCN Tech...
📹 Is This The Future Of Bike Fitting? | Dialling Your Bike Position With Big Data & Selle Italia 👉 • Is This The Future Of ...
📹 Watch our Editor’s Choice Playlist 👉 gcntech.co/Edi...
📹 Watch the latest GCN Tech Show 👉 gcntech.co/GCN...
🎵 Music - licensed by Epidemic Sound 🎵
Sunrise to Sunset - Rebecca Mardal
Aquatic Flower Dance - Ryan James Carr
Lend a Hand - Ryan James Carr
Rarities - Ryan James Carr
Looking for a Place to Crash - The New Fools
Funky Munky Biznis - HATAMITSUNAMI
New Yorker - Wanda Shakes
#gcntech #gcn #cycling #roadcycling #roadbike #bike #bikes #bikelife #biketech #cyclingtech #insoles #cyclingshoes #cyclingkit #cyclingaccessories
📸 Photos - © Velo Collection (TDW) / Getty Images & © Sprint Cycling Agency
Brought to you by the world’s biggest cycling channel, the Global Cycling Network (GCN), GCN Tech is the only channel you need for all things bike tech - past, present and future.
Simply put, we’re obsessed with tech: we seek out and showcase the best in bikes, components, tech, accessories, upgrades and more from races and events, tech shows and product launches across the globe to bring you the best in road bike technology.
We’ve got great maintenance videos to help you get the most from your bike; pro-bike tours from all the biggest races; special features and the weekly GCN Tech Show!
Thanks to our sponsors:
Pinarello Bikes: gcn.eu/Pinarello
Topeak Tools: gcn.eu/Topeak
CamelBak: gcn.eu/Camelbak
Canyon Bikes: gcn.eu/-Canyon
Pirelli Tyres: gcn.eu/Pirelli
Orbea Bikes: gcn.eu/Orbea
Vision Wheels: gcn.eu/Vision
Wahoo Fitness: gcn.eu/Wahoo-Fi...
Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles: gcn.eu/VW
Park Tool: gcn.eu/-parktool
Selle Italia: gcn.eu/SelleIt...
Zwift: gcn.eu/Zwift
Silca: gcn.eu/Silca
MET Helmets: gcn.eu/methelmets
Core Body Temperature: gcn.eu/corebod...
Precision Fuel & Hydration: gcn.eu/precisi...
Elitewheels: gcn.eu/Elitewh...
Watch our sister channels:
Global Cycling Network - / @gcn
GCN Racing - / @gcnracing
Global Triathlon Network - / @gtn
GCN Italia - / @gcnitalia
GCN en Español - / @gcnenespanol
GCN auf Deutsch - / @gcnaufdeutsch
GCN en Français - / @gcnenfrancais
GCN Training - / @gcntraining
Global Mountain Bike Network - / @gmbn
GMBN Racing - / @gmbnracing
GMBN Tech - / @gmbntech
Electric Mountain Bike Network - / @embn
Do you use orthotic insoles? 👟
I've been using custom insoles in my cycling shoes since 2005 (not the same set for 20 years!). They make shoes feel just right, and they help me feel more connected to my bike.
Sidas custom insoles here. I have extremely low volume feet with huge big toes. Which means my arch isn’t in the usual place. My soles are very sensitive too.
Having the Sidas custom moulded to my feet was the biggest game changer in getting comfortable on the bike.
Highly recommend them.
In my ski boot
I have suffered with Plantar Fasciitis & a Morton's Neuroma for 20 years. It got to the point where I had quit riding road bikes for 5 years the pain was so bad. Foot beds with additional adjustment advice from a podiatrist has been a game changer. I use Specialized foot beds. I still have to be careful with the fit of shoes, any shoes, because too narrow irritates the neuroma. It feels like someone is snapping a rubber band on your foot with every step.
I don’t use them but should. I’ve got bandy legs so I put pressure to the outer edge of my feet. Start of the season I get terrible cramp until a few weeks in and I’ve had time to acclimatise. Interesting video and I’ll be looking them up.
I recently had a Retul bike fit with my 2024 Specialized Creo 2 Expert. The bike fitter suggested Solestar footbeds for my shoes cycling as the quality of the inner soles in cycling shoes isn't offering much support for your feet even in expensive shoes. I was a bit sketical at first but riding for decades without any issues I am very happy to say my feet feel one with the shoe now making for a better riding experience. Improvements can always be made for better riding Happy riding! 😊
I had knee pain that went away immediately after adding the Specialized insoles. They're not as good as custom fit but the difference was still astounding. Si's initial reaction matched mine, I felt as though my knee, ankle and hip just wanted to track straight.
Footbed and cleat position adjustments were part of all three of my professional bike fits I've had over the years.
Yay !!!! We actually see the hallowed coffee machine where many many chats and conversations take place in the GCN office . A place of inspiration ……. And very grey 😝
we thought we would give you a glimpse of it!
I have used foot beds from Specialized for 10 years now,after a knee problem.
Crazy you just posted this. I just received my Solestar inserts yesterday (not custom) and took them out for a 35 mile ride this morning. There is definitely a positive difference in support as i normally have foot pain due to very high arches. I know it’s only one ride, but from the looks of things, these could be a game changer and they were only about $50 each. Time will tell
what timing! Let us know how you get on with the inserts, we're keen to find out!
Great video bringing a useful suggestion to folk. Letting riders know about the original and still IMO leader in the field, Solestar, would help others make choices. This was more of an ad, no problem with that, just say that there are other brands endorsed by the pros, that have been doing both custom and off the shelf for years (in 2011 introduced to western Canada) the first company to look at insoles for cyclists instead of changing their running insoles to fit bike shoes. They are great and I have them in my road, gravel and cross shoes.
Perfect timing. Was wondering when you would get to this topic. Got a pair 18 months ago and nothing outstanding .... but pedalling, riding distance, all have become more comfortable. "Doing what it says on the tin".
Haven't had any foot pain from cycling, but took up cycling BECAUSE of foot pain (plantar fasciitis) so might be worth looking in to for me.
I have a pair of custom molded Sidas bike pro ultra footbeds ( same ones that the Astana pro team uses) and I am delighted with the extra arch support, they have really improved my comfort and hip, knee ankle alignment on the bike.
Had my cleats setup at Vires Velo, the positioning was perfect. Really clever!!
I don’t have foot beds but the ID match was used to select the arch support
after years of cycling with softer soles shoes, my arches were in terrible shape - my shoe size actually went up from 43 to 47 as my arches fell. Hurt to walk. Started using Sole footbeds (Canadian moldable brand) and what a difference. $65 CAD or 36 pounds a pair, so very affordable.
the right size made the biggest difference! I rode in shimano rc3 in a 42 and about two weeks ago went to my lbs and was fitted with a 40.5 specialized torch 3.0, with him measuring for optimal cleat placement feel completely different on the bike!
The G8 Performance 2620 insoles are the best. As close to fully custom as you can get, but with the bonus of being adjustable
Nicely done GCN! 👍 Even with footbeds (which incidentally are amazing and I’ve used for the last 18 years of cycling)I was getting numb toes. Taking the cleats back to a more mid-foot position fixed all of that. Also some footbeds provide a bit of padding under the ball of the foot which alleviates some hotspots.
The only downsides were: I had to readjust my saddle height + optimise setback again and my sprinting power came down a tad - but well worth the sacrifice.
Interesting! Do you ever have issues with toe overlap? did you have to drill the soles of the shoe to allow for the new cleat position?
@ - so on the fast bike I don’t get toe overlap, but on the winter bike (with mud guards), ever so slightly. But it’s not an issue. I’m aware of when it can happen (mainly when I’m track standing at the lights 😜) and avoid it.
I use Lake CX238 shoes which have lots of adjustment built in. Combine that with the range allowed by Look cleats, there was no need to drill anything. In fact I believe there is still another 6-7mm of adjustment left.
I have really bad feet, at some stage I have broken nearly every bone. Initially tried different foot beds, but they are so bad I needed to progress to custom shoes. Very expensive but they came with appropriate foot beds and are extremely comfortable. I am looking forward to being able to continue riding for many years. 😊
Had really bad pain on the outside of my left foot. Took the plunge on some g8 beds used the highest level of arch support , absolute game changer for me
Thanks for sharing your experience!
I’ve good luck so far with the g8’s
Specialized have been doing a slightly less custom version with different arch support for over a decade now
They were a game changer for me. My foot would go numb within an hour. My bike fitter, as he was fitting in a rather aggressive insert into my shoe, asked me to give it ten rides before I said that I hated them. As soon as he slid my shoe on my foot, my foot felt wonderful. Haven’t had numb feet since
Oh wow, this is really interesting to hear. Not many can insert them and love them immediately, as like the bike fitter says, they can take a few rides to get used to. Thanks for sharing your feedback
Aligning the cleat with the ball of the foot is completely outdated. This shows that the best bike fits always comes down to the bike fitter and not the equipment being used. It's funny to see the most advanced bike fitting system in the world being used to setup the most outdated cleat position from the previous century
Underrated comment couldn’t agree more.
Imagine thinking that triathlon or time trialing is the only form of competitive riding.
A sprinter, for example, will be ‘dead in the water’ with a rear mounted cleat position.
The cleat position may be optimized for the task at hand.
@@stevebrown4568 Yes, but rear mounted cleat position is not only for triathlon or time trialing, and it is a much better universal position than the ball of the foot method. Also, Si is not a sprinter and this cleat position is certainly not optimized for his type of riding
G8 insoles. The best.
Thank you for doing an interview with Conor I was wondering what I what look like standing next to Si ..
Can defo help - I had long term dull pain in ball of one foot ( several years) that’d ache after a long cycle . Specialized high arch footbeds = sorted !
I had problems with an almost burning sensation in balls of feet and toes. I experimented and found that if I add a metatarsal pad (shaped like Powerstep metatarsal pads) to my foot beds plus cut another pad of similar shape out of 3mm rubber (like from a conveyor belt) and double side tape that to the bottom of the footbed aligned with the met pad on the top, then my foot problem goes away. I did this five plus years ago and haven't had the problem since.
Good topic. Be very interested in how it pans out long term. Definitely think it is one of those things overlooked by most people but what most people can really benefit from. Kinda like getting your saddle right, between size, shape, comfort, seat angle, and relative positioning to pedals and bars etc. At the end of the day, all your contact points are very much where you translate much of your ride feel, comfort and overall enjoyment of your cycle
I've been using custom footbeds in my cycling shoes since the early 90's. Mine are custom made to my feet and the inside of the shoe this gives a solid platform my one arch is higher than the other one I never have problems with my feet in anyway. if the foot beds are correct when made it takes a lot of problems out of the foot area with canting ETC. Keep in mind these are molded footbeds starting with a mold of your foot and inside of shoe. mine are also very thin in thickness so they don't raise the foot up in my shoes.
I bought some insoles meant for normal shoes at the 100 yen store (apparently about 52p as of this writing :-) ). I have high arches and I was curious to see if a little more arch support would make the shoe more comfortable. I cut my 100 yen (for the pair) insoles to fit and... surprisingly I had a very similar reaction to you. It wasn't really more comfortable (I don't have that kind of problem). However, the fact that the insoles filled the space gave me contact through the whole shoe and felt... I don't know... more connected. I left them in.
Nice! Glad to hear that you found a solution!
I had to get a pair of insoles for my first pair of cycling shoes, the odour-eater type, to make the shoes wearable. For other types of shoe, I've always found 3rd-party insoles make the shoe/boot smaller. So if you're thinking of getting these things for your cycling shoes and your shoes are already snug, you might want to reconsider.
hi, that is a very good point. Some insoles can reduce the volume inside the shoes, we have a member of staff who had some custom insoles made and then shaved the toe area down in thickness to help with space
@@gcntech Paying for custom insoles then doing a homemade hack...🤔
Most cycling shoes are awfully narrow - Fizik have one of the best size toe boxes around [wide fit] making them very comfortable especially for wider feet.
@robertomcdonald2767 it all depends on how much toe wiggle room you like
I deal with Martens neuroma in my right foot. Basically after about 2-3 hours it feels like my right toes are in a vice. I finally found decent shoes in DMT, but I also added Solestar black footbeds. Totally solved my problem.
@@alexgonzalezMI ?Mortons?… at least is was when I was at Medical School!!🤣
Jeez Si look at those ankles 😳
When I saw numb toes I thought this might be about cold feet and insulation and was mildly disappointed that it was about shoe fitting, not warmth.
As I've aged my feet now get cold when I ride in the winter. After much experimentation, I've given up wearing cycling specific foot-ware and went to flat pedals and insulated winter boots. Here I thought maybe there was a cycling specific option for more warmth than is typically available in cycling footware.
L statement
look at Lake winter cycling shoes, I got some this season and they are awesome with just regular socks down to 35 f, maybe lower but I won't find out haha
Велобахилы из неопрена тебя спасут
@@hutchy_4297 ...couldn't get on with Lake at all and very expensive - whereas Fizik have one of the widest toe boxes which helps circulation and their fleece lined winter boots are awesome - overshoes on summer shoes are a terrible idea.
I have the same problem (due to low blood pressure and being skinny/tall). I've worked in +2° warehouses and one of the "hacks" we did was to put aluminium foil (or survival blanket if you have some) under the insole.
I know it sounds stupid, but I did the test by putting it on only one foot, and after a while, in winter, one foot had numb toes and the other one didn't (the one with the foil).
Do the test for yourself.
How do you go about doing a "proper" bike fit? Where should you start? Do you first fit the rider to the bike and then adjust shoes and insoles, or is there a different approach? I imagine that starting at different points could lead to varying fit outcomes.
Do you need a bigger shoe size if you use footbeds/ innersoles?
They are game changing but be aware if you move your cleats then you may need to move the saddle, I think a whole bike and shoe fit is a better option
ID Match lost me at spindle under the ball of the foot. That's old-school rule-of-thumb wisdom. We now know that many, and perhaps most people benefit from mounting the cleat back further. Often, as far back as they can be mounted without adapters, isn't far enough. Shoe manufacturers haven't really caught up with this in terms of cleat mounting options.
Yes,i push mine back lots better for the knees and comfort in general.
Мне нравятся стельки с пластиковой поддержкой свода стопы.
Yes, custom insoles 100%. I've got monstrously high arches and I could't get 25 miles without it feeling like someone was driving a nail through my foot. A custom set of insoles later and I can ride all day without pain. Some of the best money I've ever spent for bike stuff.
this is so good to hear that you were able to find a solution to foot pain!
Can't wait for the next video: NO MORE NUMB PEANUS
I had this issue back a few years ago and found out it doesn't happen if you just pedal harder:)
A proper bike fit should include feet as one of the contact patches. I was prescribed an insole at my bike fit. No knee pain since then.
I can already hear all the ankle jokes coming from miles away...
haha, we can see the ankles coming!
@@gcntech 😂
Would we be so mean ;-)
100% in agreement for the need of footbeds. Even a pre molded insole properly measured is better than the thin non supportive insoles that come in cycling shoes.
The cleat positioned under the ball of your foot over the pedal axel is outdated bike shoe fitting. It causes many bike fit problems.
I’m sure I’ll be one of many certified bike fitters that will comment on this.
I love GCN for all their content but these paid advertisements are too bias and unfortunately create incorrect content.
I have never had any problems with my feet when cycling at all. My lower back is a different story.
Argh, what’s the back issue?
how much are the inner soles?
I have high arches when I’m my ankle rolls and strikes the crank arm getting a bloody ankle. Trying to find a foot bed for better support
I long for the day when any cycling shoe manufacturer makes a shoe shaped like a foot and not like a pointy dress shoe. Crunching one's toes into the narrow toe box of nearly every road shoe doesn't help comfort or foot health over time.
Bont were the first cycling shoe brand to do this from memory weren’t they?
Bont do double wide and asian fit (square toebox) shoes. Problem is they cost 300+ and cant be returned and i cant find anywhere in UK to try them. No way im taking that gamble
Thanks for this!! Would love to know if there are any stores in Melbourne, Australia who has this technology? Thank you so much!!!
hi, It is worth checking out the website to see if there is anyone: www.idmatch.cc/en/stores
Thanks!
I tried G8 footbeds but my short arches and longtoes didnt match their design. I was better without. Incidently it seems all bike shoes place cleat holes based on foot length rather than arch length. I'm sure there are many people like me that can't get their cleat behind the ball of the foot without an adapter.
First upgrade imo
Why does the ID-match jig not have hoods/levers on the handlebars?? That is the position cyclists sit in for the majority of the time so getting a bike fit without this key position seems like it would give unrealistic feedback data
This was made just to advertise this company, Its not new.
Why not to add an x-ray and ultrasound of the feet too?
My bike fitter gave me specific in-soles.
I use custom COBRA insoles. Can't cycle beyond 40km without them.
They say the only stupid question is the one you didn't ask so please dont shoot me down! 😅 - does this apply equally to MTB style shoes/cleats as to road shoes cleats?
I was thinking the same thing.
yes
my bike size is between 50 and 60 and my shoe size is between 40 and 50
Sign of the times re "proprietary fitting systems" lots of lasers and measurements without much biomechanics. lasers are cheap like mirrors 😁
Commenting just on the title… haven’t actually watched the video yet… Why don’t ‘cycling’ shoes have proper cycling specific footbeds to start with.
watch the video and you will see that people's feet and arches vary a lot.
@ I did… but that is what I mean… if peoples arches vary so much and it matters so much… why don’t shoe manufacturers make different footbeds??
hi Aidan, thanks for the comment. There is such a huge variation in feet shapes it would be too tricky to have a solution for all. Some cyclists can go on forever without issues, whereas others find that a footbed helps hugely. cheers
@ Maybe cos they're in the biz of selling shoes, not a 100 different footbeds. How is anyone going to pick the right innersole without knowing what sort of feet you have.
@ But as you said, these are not fully custom (like my ski boot liners are), there are only 15 different ones… for sure a large manufacturer like Sidi have enough information to make the right amount of each the fitting doesn’t seem that technical (a few measurements)
The sole of my feet is the only part of my body that still hurts after rides beyond 100 km.
I would love to try them but cycling is already eating through so much of my available cash that I wont be able to justify yet another expense unless I win the lottery first.....and who has got cash to spend on lottery tickets? 😄
So , let’s make a video about the benefits of insoles for those of us who suffer with sore feet , yes ! Let’s send Simon who has no feet issues who then can’t tell us if they address any issues. Come on GCN , we accept half of your content is just advertising / product placement , but if you are going to make something informative, at least use an operative who can tell us if said product does or does not do what it’s supposed to do .
What happened to Hank
You can save thousands of dollars and buy the G8 they do the same thing. The human eyes always better than computer software and bike fitting. I’ve learned. And the foot bed seem inferior to the G8 that they use and they’re cheaper.
You forgot one little tiny detail .
The ones that come inside the show you bought are already a cycling specific insole designed with all these parameters in mind.
Depends. Some offer decent support but may be in the wrong position. Some are just thin pieces of foam with no support.
Everyone's feet are different though - they cannot cater for that but a custom insole would.
I'd say that most insoles that come stock in cycling shoes are very thin and offer virtually no support at all, and that doesn't even address how they cannot work best for every single cyclist and the wide variation in feet.
It’s a toe box issue - there is nothing natural about a restrictive box - Bont is the closest to a cycling Vivo Barefoot…. That said, the power transfer is likely (?) better in a snug shoe…
....a _snug fitting shoe_ reduces the blood flow to the feet - awful in the winter months.
This is the levels of absolute nonsense why I've moved away from cycling to running. €350 cycling shoes should come with insoles that fit properly. For an average rider- these make zero difference.
I don't know about footbeds but, and I'm not being personal or anything but we, and all you GCN guys are always critisiseing drivers who allow themselves to become distracted. I was very disappointed to see you take your eyes off the road to look at and talk to the camera while driving.
We see this in so many presenters (particularly on television) and it is so reprehensible. If you so much as reach for a mobile phone, that is points on your licence. I believe "presenting while driving on the public road should too, if for no other reason than the bad example it sets to the rest of us.
Please GCN guys set a better example to drivers. Save a life sometime.
L statement
every soft pad inside the shoe is watt loss.why do you think they make carbon soles..............
Get some properly fitting Lake shoes and you will not need any custom footbeds
I have Lake shoes and still need footbeds since I have high arches. Makes a big difference, even in Lake shoes believe it or not (at least for me of course).
Why you driving your car like you've just done a bank job
Hunting down a stolen bike…
@@gcntech at 1:36 cycling Mikey will be after you if he can keep up 🙈
The problem with most footbeds is they raise the heel, compromising the heel cup retention.
If the heel has any thickness whatsoever then its not a cycling product.
I think the biggest issue with cycling shoes is the toe boxes are way too narrow - Fizik do a _wide fit_ option which is a God send for my feet !
@blaze1148 the lake and bont wide fits also have a nice wide toe box
You can save thousands of dollars and buy the G8 they do the same thing. The human eyes always better than computer software and bike fitting. I’ve learned. And the foot bed seem inferior to the G8 that they use and they’re cheaper.