BrettG

Hi

I went on a ride this morning and the small toe on one of my feet started going numb. I wear DMT triathlon shoes that only have one strap so it is hard to tighten them too tight.

This has been happening a bit lately on longer rides.

Anyone experienced the same thing or anyone know what could be causing this?

Thanks from Down Under

iowarose

What is the temperature there when you ride? Also, when you say "longer rides," what distances do you mean?

I'm guessing it is a circulation problem, meaning that the toebox of the shoe is likely a little too narrow. That has been the primary problem I've had with foot numbness. Bigger shoes helped.

nbf

Have had the same issue, solved it with Lemond wedges. The problem for me was that my feet pronates (the foot is tilted slightly with the inside being the highest. This puts a lot of pressure on the outside of the foot during cycling. Try googling under Lemond Wedges you will find many references to this specific problem. By the way specialized shoes have a varus wedge that accomplishes this as well only without the room for personalized adjustment of the angle.
A quick test of pronation: does your shoeheels wear most on the outside?

Bontrager

nbf - all feet pronate during the gait cycle. it's your lower limb's way of absorbing the shock of your weight coming down during walking and running.

if your shoes wear more on the outside then your foot is probably more supinated (opposite of pronated) when you heel strikes the ground than it should be.

BrettG - if your toe is going numb increasingly with those shoes I'd recommend taking them with you to a foot doctor and explain the problem in excruciating detail - if you can find a foot doc that rides then even better. its a good idea to keep a log of your rides including what shoegear you were wearing and if there is any distance/time/shoegear/pedal/whatever correlation. at least that's what I would want to know if you walked into my office.

nbf

I´m in total agreement with you bontrager, but this issue often gets clouded by waht is the passive stance, and what is the active movement. The passive stand as you correctly describe is in supination (for about 90% of the population), but this will lead to an active pronation during walking or when applying pressure to the pedal. Whatever the terms I think the lemond wedges will help - as they did me.

nbf

Some helpful links

https://www.lemondfitness.com/product...mechanics.html

https://www.pezcyclingnews.com/?pg=fullstory&id=2648

https://www.bikeforums.net/archive/index.php/t-82009

Bontrager

On a bike the bones and joints of the lower limb are in a very different alignment, unfortunately I'll keep myself from going into a dissertation on the biomechanics of the lower limb although my medical school lower limb anatomy professors would be very proud of me if I did