sneaker help/ toe numbness

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Bittersweet82
Bittersweet82 Posts: 79
in Fitness and Exercise
So recently I've been doing the elliptical trainer and arc trainer at the gym for my cardio. My toes keep going numb. I've thought it was because my shoes were too loose, so I tightened my laces. Same problem. Is there a sneaker out there that doesn't make your toes go numb?

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  • itsuki
    itsuki Posts: 520 Member
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    Your shoes could be too small - numb toes are more often a symptom of shoes that are too tight rather than too loose. You might want to get professionally sized to make sure you're wearing the right size shoe (you could have wide feet and not know it, for example).

    Other than shoes, make sure you're using your whole foot when you use the machine. When you "roll" each step, you should be putting pressure on your heel, then your midfoot, then your toes - you shouldn't have all your weight on your toes all the time. Try keepign the resistence the same but turning down the incline.
  • Bittersweet82
    Bittersweet82 Posts: 79
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    thank you for your suggestions :) I will try them!
  • jen10st
    jen10st Posts: 325 Member
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    I had this problem for a while, my shoes were too tight and I wasn't rolling my feet and was only putting pressure on the balls of my feet so my toes would go numb. Hope you can get the problem fixed x
  • apocalypsepwnie
    apocalypsepwnie Posts: 373
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    Yep too tight specifically around the arch and beginning of the ball of your foot. Your laces don't need to be tight for this to happen, it could be the 'cradle' of the shoe which includes the sole and sides of the shoe.

    Also look in to different lacing for your shoes where you can skip the holes over the arch of your foot.

    I'm a derby skater and this is really common for us. We leave the laces over the toes loose and tighten from there, But many of us miss the middle lacing to give the arch room and it doesn't crush down.

    If you can get properly fitted with the correct arch support it will help. Commonly your arch will drop or move around and make you want to tighten to shoes making it even worse.
    Also make sure the widths are right. Try and get a shoe that offers a D/B width which is tighter in the heel and looser in the ball/toe.
    Ideally you need a shoe that holds your heel but gives your toes room to move. With a snug heel you wont be adjusting any movements you make to accommodate your shoe and will get a better workout.
  • Bittersweet82
    Bittersweet82 Posts: 79
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    Thank you!! What wonderful advice!!
  • lil_pulp
    lil_pulp Posts: 701 Member
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    As someone above mentioned, this could be because you're not pressing down with your whole foot. I've heard of this happening a lot on the elliptical and that's often the reason.
  • RotterdamNL
    RotterdamNL Posts: 509 Member
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    I do everything bare footed, have never numb feet :)
  • apocalypsepwnie
    apocalypsepwnie Posts: 373
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    I do everything bare footed, have never numb feet :)

    Or if bare feet squicks you out you can always get some vibram 5 fingers. They are the shizzy!
  • waitingonmojo
    waitingonmojo Posts: 1
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    The problem is not necessarily your shoes. When you are on the elliptical make sure you have even pressure on your whole foot. This reduces stress on your toes and your knees. It sounds like you up on your toes for the exercise. If you notice even pressure and you are still feeling numbness in the toes find a Dr. Scholls machine (CVS/Walmart) or an Ortho doctor and get some custom inserts that will help you evenly distribute your body weight. Good luck.
  • diver71_au
    diver71_au Posts: 424 Member
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    cross trainer numbness is common as has been stated you need to roll your foot .... vary the pressure point from toes to mid foot
  • skylark94
    skylark94 Posts: 2,036 Member
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    This is very common on elliptical machines. Just be sure to re position your foot every so often and it'll stop happening.
  • therealangd
    therealangd Posts: 1,861 Member
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    You need to make sure that the majority of your weight is in your heels. This is actually a common problem and has nothing to do with sneakers and everything to do with where your weight is centered.
  • trogalicious
    trogalicious Posts: 4,583 Member
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    If you haven't been fitted properly for shoes in a while, it's something that I really really.. really recommend. I've bought shoes based on what my feet were like 8.. 10 years ago. I mean, the shoes still would technically fit on my foot. Until I started running and really exercising, I didn't realize how much of a different correct support made. Since getting shoes that actually fit, my wife and I both have had fewer issues with aches/pains/creaky joints/numbness.
  • grimsin
    grimsin Posts: 78 Member
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    ditch the shoes, go natural.
  • sw0301
    sw0301 Posts: 46 Member
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    Very common elliptical side effect. However, better shoes helped me. Also found out I had a slight B12 deficiency too, since that's been corrected I hardly ever have numb toes.

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