numb toes

Okay, all this discussion about numb fingers makes me wonder if I'm the
only one who suffers from numb toes. On longer rides (20+ miles), I
have a problem with the smaller two toes one each foot and the portion
of the foot where they're attached becoming numb.

I wear Shimano mountain bike shoes with SPD recessed cleats. My pedals
are Shimano pd-m959. It's a road bike.

I try to shift my weight and wiggle my feet some while I'm riding, but
I notice the numbness the most after a a period of grinding either into
a headwind or uphill.

Do feet have the same nerve structure as hands? Has anyone else solved
this problem?

When I first had the "hot foot" problem, I asked a orthotist--a person who
makes orthotics--about my symptoms. He knew right off what the problem was.
Call one up; they're glad to help you out.

Pat in TX

efistrat said:

Okay, all this discussion about numb fingers makes me wonder if I'm
the only one who suffers from numb toes. On longer rides (20+
miles), I have a problem with the smaller two toes one each foot and
the portion of the foot where they're attached becoming numb.

I wear Shimano mountain bike shoes with SPD recessed cleats. My
pedals are Shimano pd-m959. It's a road bike.

I try to shift my weight and wiggle my feet some while I'm riding, but
I notice the numbness the most after a a period of grinding either
into a headwind or uphill.

Do feet have the same nerve structure as hands? Has anyone else solved
this problem?

Sure, the nerve structures are similar, and so is the cause of numbness:
PRESSURE.

A lot of people seem to think that a larger "platform" is important for road
pedals, as SPDs tend to concentrate the pressure in a small area. This
usually causes (or is supposed to cause) "hot foot", but numbness is closely
related.

Before you give up on the 959s and mtb shoes, make sure you don't lace or
strap the shoes too tight. (If I get numb toes I often can just reach down
and release a little tension on the velcro-type closure or click mechanism.)
You might also try moving the cleats "down" (toward the heel) a bit, too.
Finally, a /quality/ shoe is important -- the sole should be quite stiff
(some mtb shoes aren't to allow hike-a-biking).

Dr. Bill

Another vote for road shoes/ pedals. I used to get "hot foot" on
metrics with an SPD setup all the time--but rode SPD's as I didn't want
to walk like a duck. After clipping out of SPD's while sprinting and
doing an endo over the bars (concussion/ broken collarbone) I switched
to a road setup, put superfeet insoles (grey for road shoes) in shoes,
and now feet feel great for 120-200 miles.

Also found that walking with road shoes/ cleats not real bad (I have
Time's)--even over cobblestones.

Another trick that works for me--on real cold mornings I ride with two
pair of socks, later in the day when feet start to swell, but it is
getting warmer, then switch to one pair.

For me the issue is one of width. My toes (the two outside toes, to be
exact) began to get numb on longer rides when i switched shoes last
year. I have a wide foot, and I had previously been using some
Cannondale shoes, and before that, some Specialized shoes. Neither of
these shoes were labled as "wide", but both had a generous toe box. The
new shoes that caused the problem were also Cannondale. A little
investigation revealed that Cannondale had narrowed the toe box on
their shoes. I replaced these with some Lake shoes, in a "wide" width,
and my feet have never been happier, regadless of mileage. It seems
that, for me, it's compression, rather than downward pressure, that
causes numbness.

Shoes are like bikes - it's all about the fit.

Michael Warner said:

Jay K said:

Another vote for road shoes/ pedals. I used to get "hot foot" on
metrics with an SPD setup all the time

I've never felt that, or the smallness of the contact area, with SPD.
Maybe it's due to the shoes - I have the Shimano road-style ones.

The difference is the stiffness of the sole. Road shoes usually have stiff
soles which prevent hotspots, etc. MTB shoes that are more like sneakers or
hiking shoes tend to be softer. They're more likely to cause hotspots, plus
they don't last as long. But some MTB shoes are the same as road shoes except
for the soles -- like Sidi, for example. These perform the same as road shoes,
but walk better.

I don't understand current road shoes with completely exposed (not recessed)
cleats. This defeats the whole purpose of SPD-type cleats.

Matt O.

efistrat said:

Thanks to everyone so far for the suggestions to help solve my numb
toes problem. Many have suggested switching my MTB shoes and pedals
(or just the shoes) to road shoes. I've considered doing that, but
the ability to walk in my cycling shoes is important to me.

I don't mean walking for miles or hiking in them, but walking amongst
non-cyclists for periods of time without looking too much out of
place. My actual goal is to adventure into the world of
self-contained touring. In that world, it would be nice to be able
to have my on-bike and off-bike shoes be the same pair. At the same
time, touring usually means day after day of 60+ miles on a loaded
bike.

I'll take the suggestions to look at different kinds of pedals and
shoe combinations. They all look great in the store and feel fine
for the first hour or so on the bike. I can't afford to buy 10
different pedals and shoes to try them on longer rides, but I
appreciate the help narrowing my search.

I suggest a better model MTB shoe from a top brand like Diadora or Carnac.
These have all the performance of a road shoe, but a very walkable sole.
They're not cheap, but they can outlast several pair of cheaper shoes.
Personally I'm a Sidi fan, but they're not as good for walking.

Matt O.

Several people suggested looking at better quality MTB shoes to solve
my numb toes problem and retain the SPD recessed cleats for
walkability. I went to several bike shops and tried on lots of shoes.
It's hard to tell for sure in the store what the shoes will feel like
after 20 miles, but I had a better idea what I was looking for.

I have a bit of a wide foot and some shoes had noticably more room in
the toe box. A few shoes even come in wide sizes. In the end, I
selected a pair of Pearl Izumi Juice Mountain shoes
(http://tinyurl.com/9ml9j). The have very stiff soles and the entire
top of the toe box is a smooth mesh-like material that breathes very
well.

I rode slightly over 20 miles today in my new shoes. No hotspots or
numb toes. Problem solved. Thanks for the help from everyone.

I notice some posters would have you buy road shoes and go to a roadie
pedal. Have you considered a touring shoe instead? Shimano makes one, and so
does Diadora. Almost as stiff as a road shoe but walkable.