Best Cycling Shoes for Metatarsalgia

Are you riding and it feels like your foot is warming (heating) up? Yes, this is more than likely metatarsalgia. It is important to have a specialist take a look at it and typically the first recommendation is to find the best cycling shoes for Metatarsalgia.

Metatarsalgia is a burning sensation that is caused by the pinching of the nerves in the ball of the foot directly behind the toes.

Keep in mind that this is different from Morton’s Neuroma which causes similar symptoms but is effectively different.

If you feel you may be suffering from Morton’s Neuroma, it will be to your advantage to read about the best cycling shoes for Morton’s Neuroma and the Best cycling insoles to solve for Hot Foot.

In this post you will learn about the key causes to Metatarsalgia. You will learn why Metatarsalgia happens to cyclists and how to solve the problem. You will also learn why most shoes are not made to help those with wide feet and what causes Metatarsalgia to be such a common problem.

Fortunately, Metatarsalgia is easily solved by choosing a new set of shoes. Our choice for the new set are the Shimano SH-XC-702 set. I got these in the mail last weekend and took them for a test ride while I am preparing for my next century.

I am currently training hills and decided to do hill repeats in our area. The ride that I did with them was about 60 miles, with about 6000 feet of elevation. Press here to skip to my review of the Metatarsalgia Cycling shoes.

What is Metatarsalgia?

Metatarsalgia and Morton’s Neuroma although very different in their causes, tend to have similar symptoms relating to pinching of nerves in the foot. Press here for a full guide on the nerve system and what to avoid when getting numb toes from these effects.

The burning pain in the ball of the foot tends to come through the foot towards the toes. In many circumstances, that burning pain can cause cyclists to need to stop their ride and stretch, or even try to pour water, or blow on their feet to cool down the sensation.

This is why there also is the term for hot foot – which is defined as the burning sensation caused by the pinching of the nerves.

The goal with solving for Metatarsalgia while cycling is to find the root cause of the problem that is causing the burning sensation from the bunching of the toes.

Why does Metatarsalgia happen to Cyclists?

Metatarsalgia happens to many cyclists because cycling shoes are made to be narrow as to lock in cyclists’ shoe to transfer the energy most efficiently.

The problem is if these shoes are still too narrow, then your feet will be smashed in the toe box, and require a wide shoe to fit.

Do not get this confused with high volume shoes, as high volume shoes give the rider more space overall to the cyclist throughout the foot which will lead you to feel as if you are swimming in your shoe rather than feeling locked in.

It is well known that feet will typically swell while riding. What I like to do to make sure that my cycling shoes are a good fit is to put the shoes on, tighten to a good fit – and then right when I begin cycling, I click once or twice more to lock the shoe in.

After about 15 minutes of riding, the foot will swell and create a truly secure fit.

However, if your shoes are too tight in the toe box typically, then you will have problems with the overall fit of the shoe.

My favorite pair of shoes are my Lake wide fit shoes. The reason being is that the overall fit solved for my Morton’s Neuroma.

What is wrong with most cycling shoes for Metatarsalgia?

Most cycling shoes have 3 things in common.

The problem with most cycling shoes is that they are typically too narrow. This is done purposefully to ensure that the shoe locks in the foot and transfers energy to the pedal. They are also not meant to be walked in so there is not the same amount of give as a normal shoe.

All of these features are great because it helps the cyclist maintain their shoes longer if they are not walking in them and treating them well.

The thing is, that the narrow shoe typically features a narrow toe box as well. If the shoe is fit correctly, the toe box can be wider and still have the same amount of energy transfer as a narrow shoe.

Finally, this is an addition to shoes, but because of their flat nature, it may be worth considering a metatarsal button which does not come included in the cycling shoe.

What is a Metatarsal Button for Cyclists?

The purpose of a Metatarsal button is to lift and spread the transverse arch of the foot. This will allow your foot to take advantage of the extra amount of space above the toe box that your feet are not using.

This spreads the metatarsals and allows the foot to get relief from the bunching. This solves for toe numbness for many and may be a great place to start.

Best Cycling shoes for Metatarsalgia:

I was very happy with my Shimano Wide SH-XC-702 cycling shoes that I got in the mail. I’ve been training for a century that’s happening in about 25 days and decided to test them out on my hill climbing days.

These are the days where my hot foot can be the worst if I happen to not think about treating them or forget to put in my correct insoles to my shoes, so this would be a great test.

With about 6000 feet of elevation in this ride, there is a ton of opportunity for my feet to get compressed, and typically about mile 30 into this ride around Hawk Hill is where I start to see most of the problems.

I was plenty happy with the shoes because of the wide setting in the toe box. They feel very similar to my Lake shoes that I got and what I particularly like about these is the recessed cleat. I am actually able to walk without worrying that I am going to scratch the bottom plastic of the shoe, and they are surprisingly comfortable.

In terms of an all-around shoe that will give you relief for your hot foot pain caused by Metatarsalgia, these are great to help and you will not feel any pain anymore. If you are looking for a chart to get a suggestion on your size, I would recommend looking here.

Best Alternatives for Cycling with Metatarsalgia

Your other choice is to consider insoles that are thinner. There are many cyclists that just love their shoes and do not want to give them up. The simplest way to solve for this is to simply have thinner insoles.

With the thin insoles, they also should provide minor arch support to keep other problems from happening with the shoe as well.

Dash This Insoles are a great opportunity to be a great alternate to the typical insoles that come in your shoe. With thinner insoles, your metatarsals have more room to spread out and not pinch together during rides.

Conclusion: Best Cycling Shoes for Metatarsalgia

Metatarsalgia is a difficult problem to deal with. Thankfully, it is an easy problem to solve with many options from Metatarsal Buttons, to Specific Insoles to new shoes. When you choose the right shoes, I typically like to work with the Shimano Wide cut shoes or Lake options. The point is to make sure that your feet have enough space to be able to spread out and move freely while the rest of your foot is secured to pedal most efficiently.