Foot goes numb when I run?!: Thank you all for... - Couch to 5K

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Foot goes numb when I run?!

Georgejr profile image
10 Replies

Thank you all for the responses regarding the laces which I have tried (sadly without success) but my foot also goes numb if I run barefoot or with socks on a treadmill (I tried barefoot to see if it was the trainers too tight).

Bit worried about it but maybe it's nothing.

Why does my foot go numb when running? I want to do the couch to 5k but am struggling due to this. Is it normal?

Thank you for taking the time to respond ☺️

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Georgejr profile image
Georgejr
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10 Replies
CBDB profile image
CBDBGraduate

I’d suggest to tie your shoes with a different lacing technique to give your forefoot more room. I used to have my feet becoming numb, changed my lacing and it had never reappeared. This is an easy one to try! Good luck!

Lacing technique
CBDB profile image
CBDBGraduate in reply toCBDB

Here a pic of my lacing technique to give my forefoot plenty of room

Lacing technique
Georgejr profile image
Georgejr in reply toCBDB

Thank you for the tips bit still goes numb sadly.

CBDB profile image
CBDBGraduate in reply toGeorgejr

☹️ Sorry to hear that.

Annieapple profile image
AnnieappleAdministratorGraduate

🍏ooh I like CBDB advice about laces. I have often needed to loosen mine because of numbness!! The other thing that helped me was a visit to an orthopaedics podiatrist who fitted me with insoles! Never looked back!

Try slackening your laces at the far end, nearest your toes. It’s likely that the laces are too tight over the front part of your foot.

Kevin41 profile image
Kevin41Graduate

Completely agree with the others, loosen your laces a little (or a lot depending on how tight you have them).

My feet used to go numb when I did C25K a few years ago as I hadn’t appreciated how much your feet swell whilst running. After getting advice to loosen my laces, they’ve never gone numb since.

Oldfloss profile image
OldflossAdministratorGraduate

Shoe laces seem to be the thing! Make sure they are laced properly and that your feet are warm before they go into the shoe too!

RollingPea profile image
RollingPeaGraduate

Woah, this is a lightbulb moment for me! 🤩 I need to try a different lacing! Thanks for bringing up this issue Georgejr and thanks a million CBDB 😇for the laces image. I am saving this post. There have been a lot of posts about new shoes and short laces lately. This information could solve a lot of problems. Can the lacing image be included in the links to advice for new runners please?

I struggled for ages with my laces because my new running shoes had very twisted laces when I bought them a year ago. I could hardly double knot them, but I thought "they're new, so they must be laced correctly". Oh dear, that was a wrong assumption. I compensated by tying them too tight, only I didn't realise that at the time. After running through the winter months, I had killed a couple of toenails - one went completely black. That made me give the problem a bit of thought and finally the penny dropped. I realised it was the twisting which made the laces shorter. So I spent an hour flattening them out. Now I had enough slack to loosen them at the toe box. Bingo! I ran through Spring and then Summer, no more dead toenails. I'm sure the wide forefoot lacing will make my feet feel even happier. Plus, MrRP has just re-laced his shoes for a high instep and he is delighted with the improvement. This post has made my day. Many, many thanks.😃

Oldfloss profile image
OldflossAdministratorGraduate

Maybe if you are still concerned...then do go and get it checked out.. and you could try some foot exercises too...I do them a lot...

healthunlocked.com/strength......

It may help ?

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