Random foot numbness post touring?

[Evmo]

This is a sorta random one, but it is new to me an the symptoms have been kicking around for a couple weeks now.

Basically, was in my boots for 10 hours or so, including 4 hours of touring in really cold weather (-5 F or so)... Anyways, since then, my feet (one more than the other) have kept this annoying numbness, almost like the feeling you get as novacaine wears off on your chin...

I imagine it is just some minor nerve damage, but it is weird that it has lasted this long. Anyone ever have this?

Was touring in alpine boots (pretty snug and first season on them), if that makes any difference...

thanks.

e

[matthias]

yeah, i used to get a similar feeling in my little toes from my old tele boots. they were kinda small, and i had to tighten them alot to make'm work for me. i always thought that it was probably a combination of temperature and blood flow that caused it. but it did always go away within an hour or so. after changing boots to a larger size and better boot it hasn't happened since but on really cold days in the snow they are still the first to go numb no matter what i'm wearing. probably from a blood flow thing. did this happen all over your foot or in one part? maybe you need different boots, or loosen them.

[Arno]

I think it's nerve damage. I get it from my alpine boots because they cause a bit too much pressure on the balls of my feet. Can take months to get the feeling back in the two toes it affects.

If you're worried about it, go and see a bootfitter

[Mrs Roo]

A damaged nerve grows back at a rate of 1mm a day. This explains the prolonged effect.

I agree with Arno. Talk to a good boot fitter.

[tradygirl]

Don't mess with this. One of my friends dealt with numbness and pain from an ill-fitting pair of Scarpa Matrix's for a season and he ended up with permanent nerve damage on the outside of his foot. My husband was starting to get the same thing happening with his Scarpas, but he's dealt with it temporarily by getting his shells blown out until he can buy some different boots.

Get your boots fitted or buy a better-fitting pair of boots. Garmonts are known to have more room around the ball of the foot and toe box. Scarpas are notoriously narrow.

[avacadotoast]

sounds like it could be narrow boots...what's the harm in permanently stretching or grinding the shell to create more width at the met heads?

How do they feel when you just ski in them? Do you get any numbing?

[Dhelihiker]

Garmonts are known to have more room around the ball of the foot and toe box. Scarpas are notoriously narrow.

I think it is the other way around.
Nerve damage usually is associated with a burning sensation as well as numbness and pain., I have a neroma between my 3rd and 4th met on both feet and its all a product of poorly fitted boots. Go to the best boot fitter you can find and dont stop tweaking them until its right. Good Luck
[cliche] an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure[/cliche]

[drmark]

The question was asked in Dr. Suess' "The Grinch that Stole Christmas" why the Grinch so cross. Dr. Suess opined, "Maybe his shoes were too tight"

[L7]

You mean the whole foot? Maybe tight around the calf if that's the case. The bottom from ball of foot forward? Maybe to tight from the top there. Just the toes? Maybe too tight at metheads (ball of foot) fromt the sides. More info would definitely help at any rate.