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I have started having issues with my feet. After 15 plus or so my feet start to burn and go numb. Have moved my clips on shoes back a fraction and that helped for awhile but went 55 miles today and had to stop a few times to let feet rest. The bike shop said to make sure the sole wasn't bending...not bending so now what? I bought some gel insoles today so I will give that a try. Any other help would be appreciated.
Especially if it is hot outside, your feet may swell a bit after you are on the bike for a while. You may need to adjust how tight your shoes are after a few miles.
Great pics!!!! I have tried adjusting shoes. Only helps for awhile. This is really not fun. Finally got a seat that is good and now the foot problems!!!!
the soles of my feet start to burn in places after I ride for a while.
so on my pedal strokes, instead of pushing the pedals around, I PULL the pedals around as many times as i can (this is making great looking new muscles)
after a while, your feeling of your soles burning will fade and those new leg muscles will start to burn. Share the love.
:)
Ah yes, know it well. the nerves in your feet are being pinched. I understand the pain. It really sucks. Do you ride spds?
My solution has been to buy lots of shoes. I now wear a cycliing shoe that is 2 sizes too big. The bigger shoe lets my foot float around and decreases pressure. I am afraid of road shoes/pedals, but that would be the next step. Road shoes have a larger platform, reducing pressure points.
Do a search (here and google) for hot foot and you will realize you are not alone. You also might find some tips that work for you.
sarah
I rode with a lady today who also suffered from hot foot when she rode. She, however, shared that once she started taking Vit. B everyday the problem went disappeared. It might be worth a try.
Oh you ladies rock!
I thought I was the only one with burning soles (no Kenneth Cole puns intended). I thought if I would just relax that would help. It would until I had to hoof a hill, or when I'm tired returning home. I only ride 30-60 mins max per ride. I thought it had to do with my herniated disk, but it only happened when on the bike, not when I walked.
I have done 5 things to compensate for hot feet.
1. Look or Look-style pedals. These will distribute the weight and hence the presssure on your feet.
2. Carbon sole bike shoes. These are amongst the stiffest soles around. The harder the better. Also helps to deflect the pressure on your soles. I currently use Specialized Carbon shoes for women.
3. Superfeet insoles. Throw out the insoles you have and get these. I got mine at REI- they are the blue ones. They have a hard arch support as well as a hard foot liner.
4. Metatarsal arch button. This is applied on the insoles just behind your metatarsal arch. This will also help.
5. Wool socks. I use SmartWool. In the summer I get the lowest ankle I can and in the winter I use a slightly higher sock. I rarely have to use shoe covers anymore if I wear my heavy wool socks in the winter. (less weight and less bother to put on and take off!)
I have a lot of foot issues and these steps have aleviated hot feet for me. I've ridden countless centuries, and thousands of miles with no more hot feet problems.
When I started riding 3 years ago, I wasn't sure I'd ever be able to ride long distances as hot feet would show up around mile 20 or so. It was unbearable. It took me about 6 months to get this system down, BUT, it works, I promise. You do need to spend some money on good carbon sole shoes, but I guarantee you it is worth EVERY dime!
I've heard that this is caused by shoes being too wide. I've tried thicker socks, or snugging up the forward buckle a bit, and it seemed to help. Certainly cheaper than new shoes, pedals, etc.
I've been cycling with the Shimano cycling sandals I got off of TE for a few weeks now, and the cycling sandals have totally eliminated the hot foot problem for me. It was a nasty pain, and I feel deep empathy for anyone who is experiencing it. The sandals have a thick stiff sole, plus there is a lot of wiggle room to adjust the width because of the straps, and so I think the design of the sandal eliminates the nerve compression that causes hot foot. I've worn the sandals barefoot, and when cooler with socks. My longest ride with the sandals so far is about 55 miles and my feet did not give me a single twinge of any sort.
Darcy
Shimano makes a shoe now that's customizable to your foot- they put the shoe and the insole in a little oven and heat them up before forming them to your foot. They've got a madly stiff carbon sole as well. They're expensive, but well worth the cash if you have foot issues.
Definitaly check the size of your shoes! I had the same problems for a year and then I realized it was because my shoes were a size to big, smaller shoes=no numb feet!
My experiences with burning hot foot were due to cycling shoes that were just a smidge too narrow. It would seem ok for a while, but eventually lead to excruciating fire. And yet, as many other posters here have noted, too much foot movement in your shoes can also cause it.
Basically, a proper fitting shoe should be:
1. Wide enough in the toebox to not pinch nerves (Hello, Morton's!) but not so wide that you can shift your feet from side to side.
2. Narrow enough in the heel to grip it firmly.
3. Very stiff sole, as a flexible sole will cause your foot to flex around a lot triggering irritation and inflammation (see next point).
4. Some sort of footbed that properly cradles your foot. Arch support that is stiffer - more stiff than you'd ever want to walk in- is important for many people because it holds the foot rigidly and does not allow it to flex excessively. Without arch support, your metatarsal area splays out wide as your press your foot down and then shrinks back as you pick your foot up. This constant motion within your foot causes a lot of friction on the nerves and muscles between the bones. If the situation continues long enough, you can almost form something like an internal blister. :eek:
Aside from shoes, pay attention to your physiology. Some amount of swelling during exercise is common, but edema is something you need to watch out for. If you notice an indentation from your sock elastic after a ride, or puffy ankles that you can make a thumbprint mark on, then you've got edema. Make sure you're properly hydrated and getting enough replacement electrolytes in your diet. If it persists, see a doctor.
Old, old thread, but the solution for me, which is not mentioned here, custom orthotics. I originally got orthotics because of pain in the metatarsals on the outside of my foot. Without my orthotics I start getting unbearable hot foot after about 60 miles, and have to alter my pedal stroke to push down less and pull up more. With orthotics I've done rides over 500 miles with no significant foot problems.