Running Gear: Toes falling asleep?

I was just wondering if anyone else out there has significant problems with their toes falling asleep during runs.  I have tried numerous shoes and have settled on one that allows me to go the farthest without problems, but the problem still exists.  If you have had this problem, how did you resolve it?  My shoes are not tied too tight (if anything I keep them too loose) and a wider toe box does not seem to make a difference.

Thanks in advance for your input.

Thanks for your suggestion.  I will certainly try this out.  I am training for my first marathon and it hurts bad enough that I have often been tempted to quit my runs.  I will usually stop, take my shoes off, and wiggle my toes for a minute or so, then continue.  This helps but it certainly costs me valuable time.  I hope the stretching helps...

Sincerely,

thepinkb

I have not consulted a doctor, but I recently found other discussion strings on numbness in the feet and I think that I may need to discuss the issue with my doctor.  I have noticed several people indicate that they also get numbness in the hands and feet in the cold.  My numbness and pain seems particularly severe in colder weather and my hands have experienced the same problem when mountain biking and sky diving in colder weather.

Some other thoughts...I changed brand of shoes.  I was running in Sauconys and changed to Brooks.  The heel in the Brooks was not as high and it dropped my heel a bit and rolled me back a bit off the ball of my foot.  Another option is to cut a hole (the thought of killing a pair of $100+ shoes scares me) in the insole right under the painful area.  You could try it with Dr. Scholl's insoles so you don't screw up the good ones.  Wider shoes were the biggest help for me but if you already tried that these other options may help.  One other thing I've tried is Yoga Toes.(Google it)  They look like soft plastic boxes attached to each other that separate your toes.  It stretches the forefoot big time and that sometimes helps the cramping there.

PinkB -

Does the numbness affect all the toes or specific ones?

The comment about taking the shoes off and wiggling them has me thinking that you may be curling your toes while you are running.  Another way to think of it is "grabbing" the bottom of your shoe with your toes.  If you notice that you do this, think about spreading out your toes while running.

You can become more aware of your toes if you find a nice surface and run barefoot for a wee while.  Your body will naturally fall into a correct running posture, your toes will spread out happily, and your gait will be comfortable.

 I discovered this when I had a pair of shoes I absolutely could not stand and was running on a beach. I whipped the suckers off and ran on the packed sand.  Funnily, all the really messed up bits in my legs started to fix themselves, and I realised how much my running gait was imposed by the shoes I wore.  I now try to find shoes that make me run more like when I run barefoot.

 Good luck!

I had this problem at the beginning (for maybe a year?) but then it stopped. I think I was curling my toes, like someone said, as I still notice myself doing that occasionally. But like I said, the numbness went away by itself without changing shoes. Maybe my running style just relaxed generally with experience.

I still find myself clenching my hands though, especially when I get tired! It's silly.

I have Raynaud's and have also had the other numb toe problems that people are describing. The two are completely different. If it's Raynaud's, your toes (or fingers) will go very white as the blood drains out of them. It isn't that likely to happen while running, and although it's most likely when you are cold (not just your extremities, but your core) it can happen other times. I get it worst after I've exercised and my body's cooled down.

 If you only get a problem in your toes when you run, check how white they are, but it's more likely to be something else.

 Good luck!