I don't know if it was the wider platform or the stiffer shoes I bought to go with the new pedals, but I'm getting a lot less numbness now. I used to get it on every ride, now its only on really long rides and not as bad. I dont know that the float will do anything, but spreading the force over a larger area helped me. My SPDs and cheap mountain shoes were really focusing the pressure right under the ball of my foot and causing nerve and/or circulation issues.