For me, cycling is one of the best activities in the world, and I think my sentiment resonates with the growing number of cycling aficionados out there. COVID spurred a massive increase in the number of riders here in our Little Red Dot, so I thought it was timely to brush up on my own thirst for knowledge concerning clinical-based treatments in preventing and healing cycling injuries.
As a cyclist myself, the sport is still enjoyable even as my legs burn with lactic acid to the point where I can barely creak slowly home to the East Coast.
This part might sound like a Hair Club for Men TV commercial where the president of the company is ‘also a client’! (You have to be at least 30 years old to remember; or, for the young whippersnappers, YouTube might have a stream.)
I do love that the FootWorks podiatric lab out of Australia — and The Foot Practice’s custom orthoses partner — has been custom-fabricating the best insoles for bike shoes throughout the past several years. And as a passionate cyclist, I wanted to learn more about how cycling insoles really work.
Clinical Research about Cycling Insoles, Beyond Anecdotes
Part of every good treatment session is a clear explanation of what is happening and how it can hasten to heal or prevent future recurrent injuries. I make it a point to read a plethora of quality, evidence-based research in order to better understand clinical treatment protocols as related to biomechanics to ensure the advice I give is the best possible at the time.
Singaporean Yeo Boon Kiak, a cycling podiatrist and former professional racer, wrote research papers on cycling insoles utilizing the qualitative research method of interviewing high-level cyclists and bike shop owners. I was eager to find other articles to support the notion that insoles for cycling shoes increased comfort, improved concentration, and enhanced power, speed, durability, and all-around fantastic improvements.
I always need to fact-check everything. I want to know that all the promises I’ve declared about the product are based upon research. I ignore the assumptions and fallacies that seem so believable and, instead, shift to absolute data. But the data was missing. To my dismay, there’s no clear overarching evidence that supports or detracts from the notion of improved comfort, power, speed or durability with cycling shoe inserts.
Since starting clinical practice in Singapore, one thing I have heard from patients is, “of course, that’s logical”, after explaining something.
However, after more than two decades in practice, I have come to discover that what we understand today regarding body movements was considered blasphemy years back. This shifts how we treat conditions and treatment plans. What is logical today was considered misguided before. The trouble with logic is not that it is different from common sense. It is more often than not based on the most convincing explanation a ‘cherry-picked’ story of sorts – to back our arguments and/or assumptions to provide the best care for patients. But there is still a lot to be understood about the physiological mechanisms that govern movement.
What Do Cycling Insoles Actually Do?
Several bike outfitters with whom I spoke sell general insoles for cycling shoes. They have found that custom cycling insoles usually take up too much space inside the shoe, especially considering heat and foot swelling are major issues for most cyclists when on a 4+ hour saddle ride.
Despite my emotional attachment, I was unable to find a large body of research that supports the connection between how even the best cycling footbeds can aid in performance or power. However, I realized through my research, that I am not alone in trying to find hard data that proves the positive effects of cycling insoles.
Other enthusiasts and sports treatment providers have been trying to prove the logic underlying cycling insoles Daniel R Bonanno and Yeo Boon Kiak compiled a paper assessing studies concerning foot orthoses and improved performance. [1] They found that other researchers have tried to find empirical proof that cycling shoe inserts improve or worsen performance by measuring oxygen consumption or examining kinematics, but were unable to find a conclusive consensus.
However, performance is not the only thing that matters when cycling. Bonnano and Yeo cite a study by Jaquelin A Bousie, Peter Blanch, Thomas G McPoil, and Bill Vicenzino from the School of Physiotherapy, University of Melbourne, that found foot orthoses increase the contact area under the foot, reducing peak forces, meaning the maximum force of torque developed during a muscle action. [2]
I also uncovered some information about how stiff insoles for cycling can help to stiffen the shoe, which improves the lever arm and increases push-off. I kept trolling deeper.
Reduce Peak Forces & Risk of Injuries
When read with other scientific studies on peak forces, we see that cycling shoe inserts can benefit various chronic conditions, reduce peak forces, reduce heat spots, therefore potentially alleviating foot swelling on long cycles.
The term ‘hot foot’ or Metatarsalgia refers to a condition when the balls of the feet become painful and inflamed with periods of increased pedal pressure. Insoles for cycling hot foot can reduce the discomfort where the bones and nerves are repeatedly aggravated by the metatarsal bones resulting in a burning or numbing sensation of the foot due to the compression.
Essentially, although the research is limited in defining whether cycling insoles increase your performance or power, they can reduce peak pressures and possibly reduce injury risk, which is nothing to scoff at!
Why Get Custom Orthoses for Cycling Shoes?
Cycling shoe insoles can work as a rehabilitation device whereby injuries can be offloaded by the reduction in peak forces.
Custom cycling insoles, like The Foot Practice’s SPIN Cycling Orthoses, can produce higher plantar pressures, which are more spread across the foot than standard pressures, when used in combination with good bike fitting and comfortable shoes, reduce the risk of overuse injury. Our custom cycling insoles are designed from lightweight, ultra-thin carbon fibre to balance weight and stiffness between your foot and pedal. This may have real implications for their use in the prevention and/or management of overuse injuries in the knee, foot and ankle, and other lower limb extremities and the back.
If in doubt about the pros and cons of getting insoles for cycling shoes, schedule a consultation for an evaluation at The Foot Practice. I’m guessing if you’ve read this far, you’re as much of an avid cycling aficionado as I am. Taking a little time to make an appointment to discuss your options to find the best insoles for cycling shoes is a small commitment for a more enjoyable and comfortable experience when riding those long distances.
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Sources
[1] Yeo BK, Bonanno DR. The effect of foot orthoses and in-shoe wedges during cycling: a systematic review. J Foot Ankle Res. 2014;7:31. Published 2014 May 23. doi:10.1186/1757-1146-7-31
[2] Bousie JA, Blanch P, McPoil TG, Vicenzino B. Contoured in-shoe foot orthoses increase mid-foot plantar contact area when compared with a flat insert during cycling. J Sci Med Sport. 2013 Jan;16(1):60-4. doi: 10.1016/j.jsams.2012.04.006. Epub 2012 Jun 1. PMID: 22658845.
