My toes feel like I've been dancing in stilettos after riding

[TrekJeni]

I've been gone awhile. Sorry about that. Life has been pretty busy.

Here's a question I thought you guys could help me with.

I'm sick of getting hot foot while riding and then having my toes feel tender afterwards.

Background -

• this happens both road and mtb
• I get hot foot at mile 11 (doesn't matter if it's dirt or pavement / hilly, flat)
• happens in multiple pairs of shoes - crappy ones and high dollar
• I've had several pro bike fits
• I have shims in my cleats
• I ride Speedplay frogs on my mtb and cross bikes & Speedplay light action on my road bike

I'm not new to the sport by a long shot. I've done 160 mile road races. 6, 12 and 24 hour mountain bike races and race at the Expert level for mtb.

I just did a 6 hour solo mtb race and now I'm tenderfooting around.

It really does feel like I've been clubbing on four inch heels.

I have my first 24 hour solo in a month and I'm starting to really get fed up!

Thoughts? Suggestions?

Jeni

[KnottedYet]

Dropped metatarsal head.

Try a metatarsal arch support (button like thing that goes behind the ball of your foot) About $12 per pair.

[Owlie]

Hi, TrekJeni. I'd been wondering what happened to you.

I don't have much of a useful suggestion for you. Perhaps a larger platform? I seem to remember that Speedplay Light Actions, etc have a relatively small platform, but I don't know how that cleat plays into it. Don't know about the Frogs...

Don't mind me. Listen to Knot.

[marni]

possibly a stiffer sole and a size larger to accommodate swelling?

custom made orthotics?

Sorry it is so frustrating- I am currently going through the same thing only with saddle and sore labia issues.

marni

[pinsonp2]

I finally got rid of my 'hot foot' by getting a Specialized BG footbed. They have a metatarsal 'bump' as well as arch support. These work for me with my MTB shoes and Shimano A520 pedals.

P2

[new2ride]

I thought I was the only one who suffered with this. I'm no stranger to biking & it seems to be extremely prevalent this year. It happens to me around the same mile mark too. I hate it.

[skywalkerbeth]

Wow, did you call it. Great analogy, too. I was just going to write something about this. New shoes, and higher miles and ouch.

I did some googling and apparently this is a common complaint. I'm going to try some of these. Hope this helps.

http://www.active.com/cycling/Articl...le-Cycling.htm

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/di...23521&posts=14

http://www.livestrong.com/article/40...bness-cycling/

[alexis_the_tiny]

Don't know anything about shoes and orthotics but how's your pedal stroke? I used to get a numb spot on my toes really fast while pedaling because I was pointing my toe downwards through the entire pedal stroke. Change my pedalling so that when my pedal hit 3 O'clock position, I kept my foot flat and pulled back like I was scraping dirt from the bottom of my feet. It's helped some. Maybe worth having a try along with everything else.

[skywalkerbeth]

Where do you get these metatarsal arch supports?

I have gotten numb toes with the new shoes. I took them to the store tonight to compare to a larger size and to be honest, the width seems about the same and I can't say for sure that a larger size is going to be better. My foot wanted to travel in the larger shoes.

My big toe is probably a little less than half an inch from the end of the shoe. In the new ones it's more than that, but my feet wanted to come up out of the heel somewhat. I'm still not sure. Maybe biking shoes should be longer and your feet will swell into them.

I took the current shoes back home and I am going to really loosen the laces and see how that works. I wonder if some of it is my stroke, as mentioned. Or maybe I'm jamming down into the toe cage?

I got home and loosened them and it sure seemed to me I had plenty of sideways room to move. Not tight. We'll see how it works this wkd. They told me I could give it a test again.

I hate to switch shoes if it's NOT the shoes. Incidentally they don't have my model in a larger size, they had me try on a slightly different one, to boot.

[OakLeaf]

Where do you get these metatarsal arch supports?

Just about any LRS (and a lot of general sporting goods stores) will have the Spenco ones. These ones are what Knott recommended to me - they're a little taller and more compact than the Spenco ones, and the adhesive backing seems to be really solid, unlike the carpet tape I was using on the non-adhesive Spenco pads. (Although I have to say, it was only when I got up over 18 or so miles that the Spenco pads really started to migrate, and I haven't been on a long run in the Taccos.) Anyway I've only seen the Tacco pads online, and the link I put up is not where I bought mine, I just can't remember where it was.


It doesn't really sound to me like you've tried on a pair of shoes that are wide enough for you though. I haven't found a pair wide enough for me, though there are a lot of brands I haven't tried on yet - it's a long drive for me to LBS's that carry different brands.

[skywalkerbeth]

Thanks Oakleaf.

I don't think it's the width, I really don't. I have plenty of side to side room. I'm going to ride with them even looser and see how it goes this wkd.

If it's anything, it's the length. I thought it was fine, but now I'm not sure and especially if your feet will really swell a lot during riding.

[OakLeaf]

I don't think the length of feet changes much when they swell? Mine don't (although the repetitive motion of running can force my whole foot farther forward in the shoe than where it starts). It's a solid line of bones and joints from heel to toe with only a little bit of soft tissue on each end. Soft tissues are what swells, so that'll increase the total volume of your foot, the width across the metatarsal arch, the height by a little but a noticeable percentage of the "normal" height.

[Bethany1]

It's nice to know I'm not alone with this!

A few days ago I was at the doc office and he said I had a bunion on my left foot. I had asked about my left foot having this burning sensation around the big toe and that it looks crooked.

That explained a lot why my cycling shoes ache so bad on the left foot (and all my other shoes) but cycling shoes are on the tight side making it worse.

Right now I'd love a pair of cycling shoes that don't need cleats or something similar to it. I know you could just buy a pair and not put the cleats on, but they are slippery when I use my pedals.

At least I know it's my feet and not the shoes..LOL. I would just need to find a pair that would work with left foot. I'm using my tennis shoes right now but they don't have the stiff support that I really need.

[new2ride]

@Bethany1 - I have the same experience you do with the toes going numb, especially the big toe. It started this year for me. I've been riding since the spring of 07.

I have found a pair or bike shoes that I absolutely love. They are made by Keens and I believe they are called the Commuter II. These shoes are so comfortable and if you want to put cleats on them you can, but you don't have to. I made the mistake of ordering them a whole size larger than what I normally wear. The more I wear them, it seems the larger they are getting on me. I would definitely order them in your shoe size.

They run about $100, maybe a little more. I have found them on the internet for as low as $39. I ordered another pair in my correct size about a month ago -- haven't tried them yet. I keep wearing the old ones