My Feet Get Numb After 10th Mile



Bengal7

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Feb 28, 2010
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Hi all, I could use some feedback. I have been road biking for the past 3 years in Chicago, averaging 80 to 100 miles per week during the more temperate months in Chicago. My rides would normally be 11 miles each way to work and back. During those rides my feet would get numb by the time I arrived at work or home. I adjusted the seat and tried shoe inserts and shoes (SIDIS and Bontrager). The shoe inserts helped some. I even added a softer, not so sleek and cool looking seat.

I just relocated to Florida and I have been increasing my distances because I am attempting my first ever half iron man in April. Today I did a 40 mile ride. The first 10 miles seemed OK but the subsequent miles had my feet more and more numb. By the end it was bad. To tell the truth, it is now several hours later and my feet are still kinda tingling ( I did run 4 miles an hour after the ride ). I am 47 years old but in pretty good shape.

What steps do I need to take to resolve this issue?
 
Do your shoes fit? SIDI's are great shoes but sometimes people can have feet that don't conform exactly to the shape of the shoes. For instance, I use size 43 SIDI's which are slightly too big but 42's are definitely too small. I had numbness in my toes after the 20 mile mark when I started using them, but I loosened the frontmost strap and it's mostly gone away, though my toes still get numb when it's cold or after long rides (50mi+).

So I heard there are cycling shoes that you can microwave or stick in the oven and then mold to the shape of your feet. Never tried those though. But if you're not feeling any numbness during any other time of day I'd say there's probably nothing wrong with your feet. If they only feel numb while cycling it's probably the shoes. Does it feel tight in the front?
 
Yours isn't an uncommon problem. The very first thing you need to do is what was mentioned by genedan: make sure that the shoes are the correct size. Second, it's entirely possible that your shoes' last has the wrong shape. Traditionally, European cycling shoes have had a narrower toe and a more narrow last. That's I why think it's important for people to try on several brands of shoes. European shoes tend to be lower volume shoes. Americans tend to have bigger feet (gotta support those bigger bellies) than others.

You could also be getting numbness from the lack of or the wrong foot support. Frankly, I've yet to find an OEM insole that provides any decent support at all. This includes Specialized's BodyGeometry insoles. It's possible that an aftermarket insole could help. In other shoes--tennies and some climbing boots--I've used Superfeet insoles. I think they're about the best non-custom insole out there. They've been in the business a long time. There are also aftermarket insoles out there that are supposed to be moldable. I never had any luck with them.

I think the best insole to get is one that's custom made. I have custom insoles from eSoles (They were Footfitting when I bought the insoles). At the time of purchase, 4 years ago, the insoles cost me $200-ish, and they were well worth the cost. Two weeks after the fitting, the insoles were delivered to my door. They still work perfectly today. There are of course other custom insole makers around. A custom insole is perfect if you've had foot injuries in the past or have odd feet.

As mentioned, there are also a growing number of heat moldable shoes. Note that they are only moldable to a degree. If they have the last has the wrong shape, then no amount of heat molding will make the shoe fit correctly. What moldable shoes do provide is a more snug fit all around the foot, including the top, without pressure points that some riders feel in other shoes.

Lastly, there's always the option of getting full custom shoes. As you can guess, this option will give you the best fitting shoe possible, but that fit comes at a fairly steep cost: around $500 and up.

The next few times you go out riding, try to pay attention to how the shoes feel. Are there pressure points? Are the shoes loose any where? Does your heel stay put, or is there up and down movement of your heel in the shoe? If numbness comes on, try to suss out where the numbness starts. These are all important things to know if you go hunting for new shoes.

Good luck.
 
Thanks for the suggestions. I would say that the Sidi shoes are a bit tight. I had been stretching them over the winter but pulled them back out because they are warmer. I'll switch to my Bontragers and try it with some better inserts. Thanks again
 
Are you wearing shoe-covers?

I had the problem you`re talking about, and at first I didnt think of the possibility my feet were freezing. The reason I didn`t think about it was that my feet got numb in warm as well as cool weather. I figure its the wind chill that kill my toes :)

Anyways, after i started using shoe covers my problem went away. I use shoecovers even in the spring/summer!
 
I had, and from time to time still have the same problem. It could be that you're tightening your straps/buckles too tight. A veteran cyclist I ride with once told me a simple trick. It seems to work for me. When you're about to tighten your straps, curl up your toes inside the shoe, and then do to tightening. Once you straighten out your toes, you should have the right pressure. It could help, or not, that's just my option.

I don't know how your shoes are setup, but I have Shimano R220's, where there are two velcro straps, and the top is the plastic buckle clip.

Best of luck,
-Greg
 
Bengal7 said:
I would say that the Sidi shoes are a bit tight. I had been stretching them over the winter but pulled them back out because they are warmer. I'll switch to my Bontragers and try it with some better inserts. Thanks again
Try thinner socks on one of your rides ... if you already have what you think are the thinnest socks, get a pair of polypropylene sock liners ... OR, don't wear any socks.

FWIW. My impression is that SIDI shoes run a size smaller than some others ...

A size 44 SHIMANO shoe is essentially the same size as a size 45 SIDI (I've got both), or vice versa.

I think that Shimano shoes have a much better chance of molding to your feet (aka, stretching) than SIDI shoes which are made with Lorica, BTW ...

Some people may feel that an upper which stretches over time is NOT a good thing ... you'll have to decide if you are in that camp, or not.

NIKE shoes always seem to run about a half size smaller to me ... so, you should never expect continuity in sizing between shoe brands.
 
Definitely don't tighten your shoes very tight, particularly the middle strap. Try it once really loose everywhere and see if that makes the problem go away, then tighten gradually until it comes back to get a sense of how far you can go. If you still get it with loose shoes I'm thinking it must be a fit issue.