Originally Posted by
punkncat
This
Back and forth with a fitter, wedges, inserts, blah blah...it turned out that I was "grabbing" (flexing) with my toes. I just have to think about relaxing my foot.
+1
i had a very similar issue with ice skates. Played hockey for 35 years, and always had my toes turn numb by the end of a game. Started speed skating a few years ago, same issue and never thought much about, as I've always liked skates very snug fitting. I commented about it to one of club coaches in the "post-skate rehydration sessions" aka beers, and he said "relax your foot, and focus on putting pressure on the whole sole". D'oh!!!!!
It took me a few months to implement this, and lots of focused training, but numb toes are gone. Nice bonus is that the skating stride is very similar to pedaling, so it made a significant improvement when I ride. Not so much speed, but comfort and control.
+1000
the comment on nerve pinching. Get that checked out ASAP, as it will get much worse before it gets better. There are occasionally non-surgical solutions if it isn't too bad. This issue can create all kinds of havoc beyond your toes.