Toes Asleep

[sgraham]

Question?? Why does the toes on my left foot go to sleep after being in the saddle for say 7 or 8 miles? I am constantly having to wiggle my toes to keep the blood flowing to them...My shoes are actually a half size too big so I know that they are not too tight... I am constantly having to unhook and stretch my foot and wiggle my toes to keep them from just going completely numb...Some one help me with this!!1

[TrekTheKaty]

This is off the wall, but I had toe numbness from a pinched nerve in my lower back. Just a thought.

[uforgot]

Sometimes it doesn't matter about the size of the shoes, what kind of pedals are you using? If you are pushing down on a small pedal, then you need to get some sort of foot insert, or maybe a stiffer sole in your shoe, or even a pedal with a larger platform. It's pretty common and a lot of us fight it. I use Specialized foot inserts because they have the metatarsal buttons which spread the nerves and bones (or something like that) back out. I tend to have it on one side only too. I did have a back injury a long time ago, with pain down my left leg. I thought that was it, but lately I notice that if I coast, my left foot is the one that is down. Maybe that's part of it too. Do a search on hot foot and you'll find all kinds of information.

[RolliePollie]

Doesn't it just seem so weird when it's only one foot? My left is usually the culprit too. I started out with PI shoes and was having horrendous foot issues even though the shoes seemed to fit just fine. I switched to SIDIs and I will never go back. They are wonderful shoes and have helped tremendously. I have also found that SmartWool socks help some. Not sure why, but they keep my feet a lot more comfy and seem to prevent hot spots and lessen numbness. I even wear them in summer (thin ones).

Even weirder for me is that my index finger on my left hand goes numb, especially on flat rides. My doctor thinks it's a pinched nerve in my neck. I change my hand position often and shake out that hand and arm, but it still goes numb and tingly on me. Go figure I guess.

[TrekTheKaty]

How far do you usually ride? How long have you had your shoes? Are they moisture wicking socks? Are you mashing down on the pedals or doing a nice round circle?

[Yen]

I had that problem in my right foot (which is 1/2 size larger than my left foot). In my previous bike shoes, my toes were in such pain after 10 miles that I had to stop, get off the bike, remove my shoe, and rub my toes for a few minutes before we could proceed. They felt like they had a hot burning band wrapped around them getting tighter and tighter.

One day I rode with a group some miles from home so I had to drive to meet them. On the way home, I stopped for dinner at El Polo Loco which often has a long drive-through line. While waiting in line in the car, I noticed that the toes on my right foot felt numb while still in the shoes. That's when I realized that they first went numb, then the numbness led to excruciating pain, which subsided as I stopped riding but returned to numbness while I was still wearing the shoe. Those shoes fit well but were very stiff.

I switched to Sidi Dominators and now I can ride many more miles before I begin to feel any pain at all, but it's NOTHING like what I had in the other shoes. The Sidis are like black leather slippers on my feet (OK, slippers with cleats ).

The problem is my toes, not the shoes. My 2nd toe is longer than the big toe and I believe it gets pinched in the shoe box while riding.

All that to say........... one thing that helps a lot is to curl my toes inside the shoe every so often while riding, to encourage good circulation to the toes and prevent numbness which leads to pain.

I hope you find a good solution -- this is not uncommon and can take some experimenting with shoes or inserts, or both.

[sundial]

Question?? Why does the toes on my left foot go to sleep after being in the saddle for say 7 or 8 miles?

Have you had a proper fitting at your lbs? Your alignment may be off a little and your lbs may be able to assist you with that.

[KnottedYet]

Google "Morton's Neuroma" and see if it sounds similar to what you are experiencing. I've got one in my left foot, and manage it quite nicely these days with metatarsal buttons and wide toe-box mtb shoes for my clipless bike; and BMX pedals with any street shoes I feel like wearing for my other bikes.

[Reesha]

I get numb toes from having the last velcro strap on my cleats tightened too much. The shoes fit-- but when that velcro strap is too tight it feels awful!