Forums >Health and Nutrition>Numb ball of foot and outer 3 toes. Why??
I recently bought a pair of Women’s Altra Loan Peak 1.5. They felt great in the store, but I have had issues since. When I run (trail or road/combo), within about 2 miles the balls of my feet and bottom of outer 3 toes feel numb like they are asleep for the rest of the run. It stops and normality is returned within about 10 minutes once I stop running. I have done a 12, 4, and 6 miler all with the same results.
I have never had this problem in another shoe, and I have been running for over 10+ years. I typically run in a very minimalist shoe (Merrell Road Glove and Trail Run Ascend), so the Loan Peak is a big change (picked it up for ultra mileage runs). Anyone experience this issue with shoes before?? Is the issue I am experiencing due to the stiffness of the Loan Peak, the fit (it feels awesome otherwise), or something else? Is there anything I can do to alleviate the issue other than returning the shoe? Thanks for the feedback!
#RunEveryDay
Are you tying your shoes tighter than your old pair or is the lacing system different?
Half Fanatic #9292.
Game Admin for RA Running Game 2023.
Sounds like Morton's Neuroma.
My wife has it and has been struggling with it for the past 3 years. She can hardly run now, and has taken to the pool. Most shoes now bother her, and even open toe shoes cause pain.
Your condition may be resolved with a wider shoe or using your other shoes. I'd do it before the pain follows you through any and all shoes you wear.
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Shoes might be tight in the toe box. Try lock laces and thin socks or throw away shoes.
I get some numbness in my right toe, maybe that ball of the foot. Happens around 2 miles. What seems to help is better shoes, looser laces, and purposely wiggling the toes every so often when it starts. It happens to me less than it used to, and is minimal. I think switching shoes helped a lot.
As for the cause, I'd think rather simply some sort of constriction to the blood flow. Partly from old age, maybe. Partly from being over weight, maybe. Could be tight laces. But mainly I think it is the way the foot meets the footbed. If there are no pressure points, then I don't think the numbness will happen, as nothing will get constricted. But if, for whatever reason in the design of the footbed and how it fits to your foot, if there are pressure points, then standing on them (running) for over 15 minutes starts to result in numbness. The shoe doesn't have to be tight, although that doesn't help, but instead the act of standing on a footbed that doesn't fit you right (for whatever reason) can create the pressure points on the bottom of your foot, and lead to the numbness. That's my internet hypothesis.
If it isn't about bloodflow, then maybe the pressure point is hitting a nerve. Either way, something like that.
When a shoe breaks in, it may go away. Or it could get worse. All depends on whether the pressure points get worse or get smoothed out to fit your foot better.