Could the 'barefoot shoe movement' ever come to cycling?
Barefoot shoes are appearing on the high street, but could the principles ever influence our cycling habits?
"But, how would you clip in?" - I can hear the comments already.
But, bear with me.
As a cyclist who has adopted 'barefoot' style shoes, which most notably feature wide and 'foot-shaped' toe boxes, applying this newfound appreciation for the space between my toes has been a difficult discovery to square with my previously comfortable cycling shoes.
Cycling shoes are notoriously narrow, often more so as the performance increases, a topic I explored back in 2021 - before I had two children, picking up one foot injury per child.
Barefoot shoes feature 'foot shaped' tow boxes which look very different to classic narrow, pointy cycling shoes
In fact, since I've been working on my 'toe splay', which is effectively restoring my feet to their natural pre-fashion-orientated-shoe state, I've found most of my old cycling shoes just don't fit.
Not only can having stronger, more comfortable feet benefit overall health, but as founder at the eponymous Phil Burt Innovation and former Head of Physiotherapy Burt explains, getting the most out of your feet can drastically improve power output, a discovery he made ahead of the Rio Olympics.
Having created custom, moulded shoes for track riders, he discovered "quite amazing uplifts in power," something he put down to the fact that "the foot, all of a sudden, wasn't wiggling around in the shoe".
If you need further convincing, International Bike Fitting Institute (IBFI) president and owner at boutique fitting provider VeloAtelier, Lee Prescott, also outlines how and why improper cycling shoe fit and set up can result in a plethora of common cycling injuries; "more often than not, we see [poor shoe fit] in knee irritations", he notes.
But, if all this toe and foot talk is new to you, listen first to the explainer from The Foot Collective guide and Bowen Therapist, Nic Pike, as she outlines what all this foot chat is all about.
"If you consider the Leaning Tower of Pisa, it hasn't got a great foundation. Look what happened," she begins...
In this episode of the Off the Back podcast, we mention a few resources and products.
For advice on restoring foot health, we'd recommend starting with The Foot Collective.
If you're struggling to find cycling shoes that cater to a more 'barefoot' style, check out Strong Feet Athletics, though Cycling Weekly has not yet been able to obtain a pair to put them to the test.
Lake are a 'go-to'; Prescott noting "most bike fitters will pretty much instantly point to Lake". The brand offers the CX242 - which can be adjusted separately to provide a more tailored fit, and the CX201, which boasts a 'foot-shaped' toe box, but is also wider at the rear so may not suit those with narrower ankles.
Finally, if you're seeking the ultimate in custom fit, check out Lore which creates shoes based upon a personalised foot scan, these will however set you back, with prices starting at $1649.
The Off the Back Podcast is out every Thursday on YouTube, Apple podcasts, Spotify or wherever your listen. All our episodes can be found below. If you enjoy listening, be sure to subscribe, and if you have any questions, or topics you'd like us to cover, send them to cycling@futurenet.com with 'Off the Back question' in the header.
