Yup, more or less my exact experience. I've found that a stiffer, much more supportive footbed lets the soft grippy rubber on the shoe outsole do its job and while also still allowing a softer midsole to squish a bit, which I think is necessary in order to maximize pedal-shoe contact and grip. To put it another way, a part of the vertical, stacked system of leg-ankle-foot-footbed-midsole-outsole-pedal has to be stiff and supportive in order for the foot to be comfortable and my experience suggests that the footbed is the most ideal thing to "stiffen up," so to speak.
I've probably overthought this a bunch but meh, oh well.
Sept. 7, 2022, 1:31 p.m. - SomeBikeGuy
Yup, more or less my exact experience. I've found that a stiffer, much more supportive footbed lets the soft grippy rubber on the shoe outsole do its job and while also still allowing a softer midsole to squish a bit, which I think is necessary in order to maximize pedal-shoe contact and grip. To put it another way, a part of the vertical, stacked system of leg-ankle-foot-footbed-midsole-outsole-pedal has to be stiff and supportive in order for the foot to be comfortable and my experience suggests that the footbed is the most ideal thing to "stiffen up," so to speak. I've probably overthought this a bunch but meh, oh well.