#TriathleteProblems

My feet are HUGE!!

No!  Seriously!  I'm like a hobbit.  It may be an attractive quality for big LOTR fans or those with weird foot fetishes (I still don't get those!), but it certainly does not come in handy in a still blossoming sport that requires footwear.

Fine, I may be exaggerating.  It's more of a question of cause and effect.  Do I have big feet which causes all the cycling shoes to seem small or are all the cycling shoes small which causes me to feel I have huge feet?  In either case, finding cycling shoes that fit and feel comfortable has become an issue.

After my attempts HERE with the Bontrager RXL Hilo and the Pearl Izumi Tri Fly IVs, the shop had me try some road shoes on for size in order to see if another brand might just be better.  The SIDIs didn't work, nor did Shimano.  I finally decided that it'd be best if I ordered a pair of the brand I currently have.  You'd think that'd be my first thought, but no one carries them and Northwave has since redeveloped their tri shoes.  In any case, I ordered two different sizes to make sure I got what I needed.

Well, first I paid extra for shipping to get them before Placid.  They arrived three days after Placid.  GREAT!!  And the company only lays blame to the US Customs (the shoes came from the UK).

I tried them on and while the 44s fit well, they're a little narrower than my older Northwaves.  The 45s will work, but you can tell they're longer than they should be for a good fit.  I can't win!

Then this past weekend a friend clued me into the cycling shoes she's been wearing for 3 years not, Bont Cycling.

This was admidst a Facebook vent about how cycling shoes aren't offered in a wide option.  It turns out, they are!  ...just not as universally as I'd like.  Bont is an Australian company.  It makes sense that I would have to again go international to find what I need.  But they offer 4 triathlon shoes, three of which are offered in wide.

Above is the Sub-10.  This is their entry level triathlon cycling shoe offered in a wide.  The Sub-9 switches from a fiberglass base to a carbon composite.  The Sub-8 then goes to a full carbon base.  The sub-8 also allows you to specify your color of choice (great for those with color matching OCD about their race kits!).

I also found that they have dealers in the US.  There are dealers outside of Boston, in Rhode Island, and down in the NYC area.  The problem is, none of them carry the triathlon line and none of them carry any of the other lines in wide.  G-R-E-A-T!!! 

So now I'm trying to figure out what to do.  I still have the Northwaves; at least one pair I have to ship back to the UK (that'll be cheap, right?).  If I decide to try the Bont, I'll need to order them.  If I order them from a US store, they're non-refundable.  If I order them from Bont and decide to return them, I will have to pay for shipping back to Aussie country. 

#TriathleteProblems

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Questions
1.  Have you ever heard of Bont Cycling?
I had never heard of them before Kelly gave me her raving review.  

2.  How easy would it be for you to purchase clothing online?
I hate purchasing things like clothes online.  I much prefer trying them on before making a purchase.  I'm picky and I know it!

3.  What's the furthest you've gone to find a piece of gear that you wanted?
Boston will be the furthest I've traveled for any item.  Hopefully I won't make a habit of it.


DREAM.  BELIEVE.  ACHIEVE. 

Me & My Big... FEET!

If you haven't seen the proof of how my feet have been becoming increasingly wider, click on over HERE.  And then the story continues below!

As you may know, I took quite some time before converting to clipless pedals for cycling.  Thanks to the generosity of a fellow triathlon club member, I've been wearing a pair of hand-me-down Northwave triathlon shoes since late last season.  Recently, it became apparent - by the right shoe's strap coming detached from the shoe - that they needed to be replaced.

On the hunt for cycling shoes!

I went to the LBS and picked up a comfortable pair of Bontrager RXL Hilos.  They were reasonably priced and seemed to fit well.  Their virgin voyage was IMLP training camp; 112 miles on the first trip!  They worked well until I started the second loop.  Then I noticed the ball of the foot was too narrow and my pinky toe suffered for the entire second loop.  Ouch!!

Return to the LBS.

I hesitantly switched the Bontrager RXL Hilos for the Pearl Izumi Tri Fly IV.  The correct size Tri Flys were not wide enough, but I tried on a single size bigger and thought they might work.  In actuality, the store owner told me "Go home and try them out.  The worst case scenario is that you bring 'em back."  True!  So I did.  I just did a 10-minute trainer ride and they will not work.  They might be wide enough, but they are obviously too long for my size foot and the arch feels weird.

For the rest of my trainer ride, I switched back to the Northwaves and they felt great!  So now that I've exhausted the supply at the LBS, I may go online to search out the Northwave Tribute or Extreme Tritahlon shoes.

The LBS owner did admit that cycling shoes simply do not come in wides, or if they do it's rare.  Maybe that's the next thing that will happen.  Most big running shoe companies now have shoes in various widths or at least wide models.  Next up, cycling shoes!

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Questions
1.  Do you know of any triathlon cycling shoes that come in wide?, or at least are generally wider than others?

2.  What cycling shoes do you use?  Do you swear by one brand/model?

3.  Does anyone else have issues getting shoes?  
Sometimes I feel like I'm the only one.


Dream.  Believe.  Achieve.