To make the best fitting cycling shoes requires a combination of 3 distinct variables: materials, pattern design and last shape. If you change any one of those variables, you change the way a shoe fits, however the last shape provides the most constraints to achieving a universal fit.
So what is a last?
A last is the foot-shaped mold that a shoe is made around. Too pointy in the toe box and it doesn’t fit squarer feet. Too narrow and it won’t work for a wider foot. Too wide and it won’t support a narrow foot. With each design decision the last potentially fits fewer and fewer feet.
Most shoe brands use various materials and have multiple designs that are changed seasonally but are still built on the same last shape, which helps them to keep their costs. Similar to creating molds for carbon frames, there can be significant cost in the making of the last, so making multiple models of shoe from the same last can help keep costs down.
There is a train of thought that models at all price points should fit consistently, which is often used as an argument for using the same last across multiple models. But changing just the materials and design patterns without changing the last shape means the fit will be very similar, but in more and more cases the adjustment needed is much more radical.
This means that brands who use a single last often provide a broadly similar fit across all their models, and consumers would be better served by switching brands if a shoe doesn’t fit, rather than switching models.
Obviously feet vary hugely not just in size but also in shape and volume, so a brand that wants to offer a wide variety of fit solutions has no alternative but to use multiple different last shapes.
There is no such thing as one perfect last that will work for all cyclists. One distinct last shape, if you are lucky will fit comfortably about 30% of the riding population and as rider demographics shift and expand, that percentage is getting smaller. The need for multiple/distinct last shapes is more important now than ever.
Christian Van Asten, co-owner of Lake cycling shoes, explained that even with five distinct last shapes (Comfort, Winter, Sport, Competition & Race Lasts) and up to 4 different width variations (Standard, Wide, Extra Wide & Women’s) their research found that there is still a need for at least one more different shape.
Their new ‘Comfort Plus’ last, available in the new the CX201 shoe, was designed specifically to help riders with less angled toe alignment (Squarer/flatter toe box shape). The foot shapes that are targeted are commonly known as Roman, German, Celtic, Asian and African.
By opening the toe box more to reduce pressure on the lateral toes, riders can potentially wear a shorter length shoe which will affect the cleat location. Many riders with these foot shapes will size up their cycling shoe to get the room needed for their toes and that will put the cleat location typically too far forward.
One other key point to consider with last shapes is arch profile.
Riders with lower arches or more mid foot volume can feel discomfort with high arch cycling shoes. With a carbon sole, once the arch is too high, there is no way to make internal adjustments needed to gain complete comfort. Lasts with a flatter sole profile allow the rider and fitter more options to make internal adjustments via insoles or shims.
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