Numb Toes and Feet

i dont have any suggestions.  but i will tell you that when i ride without socks (which is 90% of the time) my toes won't go numb.  if I wear socks, they do.  maybe that is a suggestion.  i dunno.

That use to happen to me. My problem was that I did not relax my feet while I was riding. When I started to think about it I relized I had tension in my feet and toes the whole time I was riding. Once I learned to relax them the numbness went away.

I have the same problem. If I think about it (which I often do not), I can wiggle my toes around and it helps. Also, I make an effort to focus on pulling up my leg instead of pushing down. My problem is that I'm pushing my foot down and my toes get crammed into the toe of my shoe. It is a frustrating thing and I'm curious what others have to offer.

Pattie

I have had the same problem.  I've tried to wiggle my toes around while I'm riding and that seems to help.  I've also started to wear thinner socks and that also seems to help out.  I'm still experimenting, but those two things have made a pretty big difference so far.

If you ony have this problem with the bike, then it is likely the shoe and/or your cleats...

Cleats that have a small footprint, can sometimes cause pressure in a small area... which can translate into foot numbness.

Shoes that are not only too tight... but, shoes that are also too stiff or not stiff enough can cause this problem. Bear in mind... the idea of stiffness for bike shoes takes on a whole new meaning and the only way you can compare stiffness is to go to bike store that offers a wide variety of bike shoe can you really begin to see the difference in stiffness.

I believe your foot problem has to do with either your cleat selection, your shoe or a combination of the two. Chances are it is a combination of the two... or the shoes... loosening the shoe alone will not always help with this problem. Specially when it comes to toes going numb.... swelling is the key elements that contributes to numb toes... do your fingers swell when you run or bike hard? If they do, there is a good chance your toes swell as well... so, what seems like a shoe that fits at first suddenly becomes a shoe that is two small once swelling starts.

FWIW Joe Moya

BTW, the thinner sock idea could be a simple solution as well.... I'd definately try that...

Edited by Joe M 2006-05-13 10:25 PM

I had this problem too and couldn't figure out the cause. Then I realized that I also get numb toes when working out on the eliptical. If I don't concetrate to lift my foot on the upstroke, it goes numb. Same on the bike if I use the whole pedal stroke, which one legged drills teach well, then i don't get numb toes and feet. Hope this helps and it is a lot cheaper than trying to buy your way to the right pair of shoes.

Edited by passingthought 2006-05-14 6:32 AM

I had/have this problem. I found that it's because when I'm pedaling (unlike running), I'm keeping my foot in the same tensed position. So I make sure that every now and then I loosen up the tension in my foot (usually only the left one - my shorter less powerful leg actually - wonder if there is any correlation) and wiggle my toes.           I try, unfortunatly, sometimes, I still only remember to do this after it goes numb.

Edited by justalittletri 2006-05-14 8:10 AM

Thanks for all the input. I have a few new things to try out. I have a feeling it will be a combination of suggestions that will help.

Thanks all

I have had this problem but have figured out how to relieve the problem. I ride LOOK pedals which have a bigger platform than say speed play, so I have adjusted those to some degree. However, part of the problem was a weak core and almost always having pressure on my feet during the ride. The saddle is there for a reason, so sit on it and take the pressure off your feet. By doing this and working on perfecting my pedal stroke, I rarely have issues any more.