How Much Room In Cycling Shoes [Toe Bunching Awareness Guide]

It’s pretty important to make sure that when you are getting your first pair of cycling shoes that you have enough room in the toe box. When you are riding – whether it be different times of the day, different distances or even depending on what you eat – your feet will feel different in the shoe. If they don’t fit comfortably – and most importantly – if you don’t feel happy with the fit, then you will bump into many problem down the road. Outside of the shoe width, and the stiffness, one of the most often asked questions is to know how much room in cycling shoes is good. Are you supposed to be tight and have the toes touching? Or are you supposed to have a decent amount of wiggle room to allow for movement in the toe box?

In this post we will discuss cycling shoe fit in the toe box. Press here if you are interested in our full brand guide to cycling shoe fit overall. We will discuss in this post if your toes should touch or not towards the edge of the shoe. We will talk about sizing up or down for your shoe. And finally we will talk about tightness of the cycling cleat. By the end of this post, you should have a firm understanding of what you need to understand about the toe box in your cycling shoes.

How much Toe Room in Cycling Shoes?

There should be about 3-5 millimeters of toe room in front of the shoe in the toe box. This is enough so that your toes have enough room to breathe. This also means if you are getting on your bike at the end of the day when your feet are slightly larger, they will still fit comfortably. Other piece of fitting notices you should have that are top of mind are:

• Your shoes will differ in size when you wake up.
• Your shoe size will differ at mile 50 as opposed to when you just began riding
• If you would like to wear an insole to help with support, consider sizing up slightly

These are three factors to consider when making your first shoe purchase rather than thinking specifically about how the shoe fits when you are sitting on a bench trying them on for the first time.

Invest in your Knowledge:

If you are reading this, you may want to read these articles as well. I like to open articles in new tabs to help me stay organized in my reading:

• Full Brand Size Guide and Sizing Chart
• Best Insoles for Cycling [Hot Foot]
• Best Cycling Shoe for Morton’s Neuroma
• How Long do Cycling Shoes Last?
• Do you Wear Socks With Cycling Shoes?
• Why Do Toes Go Numb When Cycling?
• Top 5 Cycling Gloves on The Market Right Now
• Are White Cycling Shoes a Good Idea?
• Are Bikes Unisex?
• Are Cycling Jerseys Supposed to Be Tight?
• How many Miles should I bike a Day?
• Choosing a Secondhand Bike

Should my toes be touching the front of the cycling shoe?

Yes, your toes should touch if you are fully aware that the material of the cycling shoe will break in over time. Some synthetic materials are resistant to stretching and you should intentionally size to your feet knowing that they will not increase in size.

Typically, as long as you do not have a Morton’s foot size and shape (when your second toe is longer than your big toe – like mine) then having your big toe touching is not a problem. If you are a flat pedaler, rather than forcing your feet down (forcing your toes down when you pedal is not recommended) then having your toes touching the front of the shoe is not a problem.

Of course, this all comes down to personal preference. I do not like my toes touching the front of the toe box – again because it is uncomfortable for the second toe to touch the front of the shoe. However, for many other cyclists that I know, they enjoy the feeling of feeling fully secure and having a shoe that feels like a second skin to them all around the entire secure foot.

Should I size up for cycling shoes?

Follow this link to see our guide for cycling shoes and an included size chart for all brands of cycling shoes. Typically, you do not want to size up for cycling shoes. Over the last few years, cycling shoes have begun to run true to size but some brands do run small. Though, what is the most helpful is if purchasing on directly from the manufacturer’s website, check the reviews. The reviews will always have a tab that asks past reviewers if the shoe runs large to size, small to size or is wide on the foot.

How tight should cycling cleats be?

Cycling cleats should feel like a second skin that wraps around the foot. You do not want the cycling shoe to be too tight that it is invading the space of the toes, and causing the muscles to cramp. If you are trying the shoes on for the first time and you are feeling a shooting, stabbing or cramping, then these shoes are too tight for you.

If you feel the shoes giving way, and wiggling from side to side and front to back, then the shoes are too lose. If there is a secure feel in the heel plate, and a few millimeters available in the toe box for the toe, then this is optimum shoe fit.

Conclusion

How much toe room in cycling shoes? There should be 3 to 5 millimeters of space in the toe box for your cycling shoes. For those that prefer, it is okay to wear cycling shoes that fit and have the front of the big toe touching. If your second toe is longer than your big toe, then this can be uncomfortable. Like all sports, gear fit is a science and an art and will always be up to the cyclist on how well they can perform with the fit that they choose.