INTERVIEW
Thanks for making time to talk with us about a subject which seems underutilised by retailers, as both a reputation enhancer (specialist service) and revenue generator. What’s your take on it? Let’s start by saying that knowledge and experience in ‘feet’ has long been seen as a valuable asset in the running, outdoor and winter sports retail - a service customers pay for. We see gait analysis used in the selling of running shoes, along with fitting for walking and skiing boots - all carried out in-store. Staff have been trained. Businesses have invested in making the customer experience something elevated. Experience, knowledge and satisfaction all boost sales, boost revenue, and enhance reputation (when done well). It’s clear there is a ‘value’ the customer ascribes to these paid-for services, one for which the cost is only waived when a shoe or boot is purchased.
How do we see this more widely introduced in cycling and in-store cycling retail? Well, the shift in running shoe shape - wide forefoot and square toe box - has definitely made a growing number of customers aware that feet come in a wider variety of shapes
than cycling had previously offered shoes in. Less and less do I see people squashing feet into a shoe a famous pro rides, or a shoe the customer has chosen based on looks alone. Historically, many shoe manufacturers were Italian, and their designs suited the narrow, pointed “Roman foot shape”. This has meant that people with wider, squarer “Germanic foot shapes” often experienced discomfort and restriction - the number one issue for cyclists’ discomfort or poor performance. Add to this the traditional use of leather, with its natural ability to stretch, which has been replaced by modern, non-stretching materials, making a precise fit essential.
For a retailer, how does this impact decisions around brands and ranges? What is required to do shoe fitting well, to deliver a positive impact for shop and customer alike? Firstly, I’d say that some brands, notably Lake, identified the need for wider shoes, forcing historic brands like Sidi to change their approach due to losing market share. Sidi has responded by changing their last shape to be more accommodating—wider and squarer—while maintaining their high-quality design. As a brand, they’ve
www.bikebiz.com
February 2026 | 49
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