As For Your Feet...

Do you find that taking your cycling shoes off after a ride provides a bit of relief to your feet? It could be that your feet swelled during the ride and suddenly, as you loosen the straps to your shoes you can feel the blood circulating better, or your toes suddenly have room to move and the numbness dissipates. Perhaps when you take your socks off you can clearly see an imprint of the tongue of your shoe on the top of your foot? Perhaps you have hotspots during your ride?

I know....you're thinking about how much you actually spent on those super fancy Italian cycling shoes, thinking you were getting the best money could buy. Well, you were...minus one key factor.

I am always stunned at shoe manufacturers. For $200 to $500 you get a beautiful and highly engineered shoe. Well thought out closures, amazing leather uppers and a sleek design. You can even pick your color. The basic premise of the cycling shoe, power transfer, is acheived through either a carbon fiber or hardened plastic sole. But whats between that sole and your foot? Ever pull the insole out that came with the shoe? Theres not much beyond a space for the manufacturer to place their branding stamp. A flimsy piece of thin foam that somewhat appears oddly out of place compared to the quality of shoe you bought.

Have no fear.....cyclists are finally starting to figure out what skiiers have known for years. The shoe, regardless of how nice and pretty and costly, is only as good as the contact it provides with your foot. If you've ever bought a pair of ski boots you know that the first step is to get insoles made. Well.....its the same premise for cycling shoes. Take nothing away from the shoes you bought....they are very high quality and, compared to shoes of yester year, are being made with more and more engineering and thought and are truely an integral piece of equipment to your fit and cycling comfort. To complete the shoe purchase, and make your little footsies feel super comfy, you need the correct insoles. And when I say correct, I mean custom.

The good people at Conformables have come up with a custom cycling insole that I've ridden and raced on for years. I just don't ride without them, minus a cross ride I took out of town and forgot to bring them with.....which is an experience I've yet to repeat. (that is a story for another time) The insoles themselves are 100% custom, with every square millimeter customized to your foot. An extra layer of material in the instep and arch provides extra support and even a nice heel cup is formed to keep your foot snug and stable.

What do they feel like? Well....in the words of most customers "I don't feel anything." Exactly the point. No noticeable hot spots, no pain in the metatarsal area, no lateral pronation, nothing. Just solid, even, continual contact with the sole of the shoe, distributing your weight and force evenly throughout the shoe.

The process takes only a few minutes and is what I call "low tech, high concept". As you stand on two individual silica footbeds an impression of your foot is vacuumed. Underneath the unit your insoles are being cooked up just so, becoming maliable. They're then placed within the impression your feet left and then you stand atop them as they cool to form your insole. Simple but extremely well thought out and highly effective. The insoles can be moved from one shoe to the next provided the sizing is close enough, making them multi-functional.

Scott and I discussed an insole solution during our first meeting, before I was brought on. I explained how integral they were to a fit and my personal fit philosophy of total comfort. He didn't need to be sold on the idea but wanted a system that was second to none. Studio Velo is happy to provide these insoles for our customers. For those whom I've worked with you know I am the softest sell you'll ever find. I'm definately not a "closer" and would be ill advised to work on commission. However, these insoles are something I recommend for everyone who rides a bike. Most everyone I've set up with these insoles agree its the best value for their money they've spent on any bike equipment or schwag. No, they're not sexy shorts or the next uber-eyewear. You can't even see them but you feel them on every pedal stroke.

The cost of the insoles is $150. If you choose to bundle the insole purchase with a bikefit the cost is $125. As an introductory offer to Studio Velo Club Members only you can purchase them for $125 ala carte. The appointments take about 20 minutes.

And yes....I just cooked up a pair for Scott and Chris yesterday and they have already ridden on them and love 'em. Tammy has had a few pairs for years and also gives them an a huge thumbs up.

All the best.

Paul

paul@studiovelomv.com