Description
Research conducted on cyclist’s feet showed that 96% of us have forefeet that are canted or tilted up to the inside inward (“varus”) or outward toward the outside (“valgus”). The vast majority (87%) of cyclist’s feet tilt up to the inside. Unfortunately, almost all cycling shoes, cleats and pedals take this natural tilt and force it flat. This can generate knee pain, create a foot “hotspot” (where the inner or outer side of the foot feels hot) and diminish your ability to generate power.
Cleat Wedges® enable the cycling shoe to connect with the pedal naturally, by acknowledging the foot’s inherent angle. This creates a neutral foot position throughout the pedaling cycle, resulting in greater comfort and power. An illustration depicting foot and knee alignment before and after applying Cleat Wedges can be seen here.
Cleat Wedges are often used in conjunction with ITS Wedges® (in-the-shoe) which provide 1.5 degree of inward canting in cycling shoes that have ample room in the forefoot area. ITS Wedges can also be used to quickly determine if inward or outward forefoot tilt or canting exists.
For a 1mm leg length discrepancy (one leg is shorter than the other), we recommend “stacking” two (2) Cleat Wedges, placing two wedges on top of the each other with the thicker edges of the wedges opposite each other. For larger leg length discrepancies we recommend using Leg Length Shims.
