Login required to started new threads

Login required to post replies

Morton's pain - on the bike!
Quote | Reply
I've been suffering from Morton's neuroma in my right foot for the past several months. Doing some exercises, wearing inserts in my work shoes, and switched entirely to Altras for running (may also try Topos because I hear they're good too). I've had some really awful pain lately cycling, however. After ca. three hours or so, the nerve bundle in question just really starts throbbing something awful inside my cycling shoe. Obviously, I am looking for wider toe box cycling shoes (I wear Bontrager Hilos for racing, Giro's for training). Any suggestions otherwise? I've managed to reduce and redirect the discomfort when I run, but ironically, the biking pain has been in many ways worse. Welcome any/all suggestions.
Quote Reply
Re: Morton's pain - on the bike! [globetrotterjon] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Interested as well

The pain is so bad sometimes I truly believe when I take off a bike shoe I will find my toes have been cut off

Fortunately switching to sprints from Long course I have 90% less pain die to tons less time training
Last edited by: RBR: Jul 14, 18 13:43
Quote Reply
Re: Morton's pain - on the bike! [globetrotterjon] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
1. Sidi Megas w a metatarsal pad (strapped down on the insert w electrical tape) centered at the 2nd/3rd MT junction

2. Take the pedal out/away from the bike. Start with a simple 2mm washer bt crankarm & spindle.

3. Use another 2mm washer to shim the shoe (under the cleat, inside bolt) to cant the foot outward.

€10 max, don’t reinvent the wheel. worked for me & many others, start with this

CC
Quote Reply
Re: Morton's pain - on the bike! [globetrotterjon] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
With Morton's neuroma in both feet, I had custom orthotics made specifically for my cycling shoes. They were designed with a more aggressive correction than my regular orthotics and relieved the discomfort a lot (although not 100%).
Quote Reply
Re: Morton's pain - on the bike! [globetrotterjon] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Neuromas can be perplexing and frustrating. I can throw out a few ideas for you in a moment, but would suggest some help - this is not something easily solved online. Consider a bike fitter who does a lot with the shoe/pedal - a BikeFit Level 2 fitter might be a good start, and I know of a few people who are very good at the foot. I'm not sure where you're located, but Anne Barnes in Chicago, Happy Freedman in NYC, Brian Adams in Novi, Michigan, and Paul Swift (the founder of BikeFit) are the first people who come to mind. Another guy worth talking to is Sam Richardson in Manhattan - his website is http://www.spinshoeguru.com. He knows shoes very well.

With that said, you are on the right track with looking at the shoe itself. One of my favorite keywords in the fit studio is stability: stability at the pedal, stability on the saddle, stability within volume of the shoe, etc. As a big ball of energy on a bike, being stable helps you use your energy more efficiently through a reduction of unnecessary motion and muscle utilization, and reduces the chance of injury.

Bike fitting is an accommodative process - accommodating you for who you are today, however you got there. I don't know your personal story, or specifically about how you eventually learned you have Morton's Neuroma, but speaking in general terms, your neuroma is an injury that isn't going to go away, but you still can accommodate it by reducing the things that aggravate it.

Toe box width is one element of a good-fitting shoe. In my opinion, a good-fitting shoe is one that allows the foot to be stable within it and provides for a good connection between the pedal and forefoot, yet allows for the natural swelling of the foot that occurs during riding (and aggravates any neuroma). I like to think of the shoe as fitting like a glove in the back half, with room to expand in the front half. Use a Brannock device to really know your foot size. I see a lot of people with shoes that are a couple of sizes too big because they have an E or 2E-width foot but couldn't find a wide enough shoe. This is one way of overcoming the toe box volume issue, but it introduces at least two other issues - 1) the tendency to have more movement/less stability from front to back, and 2) the position of the cleat relative to the forefoot may be compromised because it will be farther forward relative to the foot.

When it comes to wide sizes, Shimano and Lake immediately come to mind, and the Sidi Megas are supposed to be a good option (although I have not seen any of these in the studio).

Once you have the shoe volume issue addressed, you also need to look into the pressure issues involved at the foot. Cycling is certainly different than running/walking in how the foot is expected to behave. In running, the foot acts as a suspension system to absorb impact energy and provide rebound. In cycling, the foot becomes a power transmission point in which we want energy being generated at the quads/glutes/hamstrings to be efficiently transferred to the pedal and into the drivetrain. Efficiency requires good alignment and surface utilization. We normally want to distribute the pressure on the bottom of the foot as evenly as possible to prevent any specific area from having too much pressure. This is important for anybody, and in the case of someone with a neuroma, it is especially important.

This is where a combination of foot beds, cleat placement, wedge, and stance width adjustments are key. When applied properly, these can help essentially unload the aggravating pressures on the neuroma, without simply putting it elsewhere where it might lead to another injury in the future. These bits are harder to navigate on your own, and a bike fitter or podiatrist familiar with cycling issues might be a good bet.

I hope that helps a little, and good luck!

Travis Rassat
Vector Cycle Works
Noblesville, IN
BikeFit Instructor | FMS | F.I.S.T. | IBFI
Toughman Triathlon Series Ambassador
Quote Reply
Re: Morton's pain - on the bike! [globetrotterjon] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Along with wider toe box shoes, try this simple solution that has worked for me.


"Keep 'em Separated...."

1. Keep adjacent toe separated with Gel Toe Sleeve! Wear this all day every day! This is to alleviate nerve compression between metatarsal bones.
2. Also, wear Injinji toe socks with gel toe sleeve over top (same adjacent toe) when cycling and/or running.

Good luck.
Quote Reply
Re: Morton's pain - on the bike! [Brushman] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Brushman wrote:
Along with wider toe box shoes, try this simple solution that has worked for me.


"Keep 'em Separated...."

1. Keep adjacent toe separated with Gel Toe Sleeve! Wear this all day every day! This is to alleviate nerve compression between metatarsal bones.
2. Also, wear Injinji toe socks with gel toe sleeve over top (same adjacent toe) when cycling and/or running.

Good luck.

What’s your favorite gel toe sleeve? I see a ton of available options.
Quote Reply
Re: Morton's pain - on the bike! [Skyline Chili] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Skyline Chili wrote:
Brushman wrote:
Along with wider toe box shoes, try this simple solution that has worked for me.


"Keep 'em Separated...."

1. Keep adjacent toe separated with Gel Toe Sleeve! Wear this all day every day! This is to alleviate nerve compression between metatarsal bones.
2. Also, wear Injinji toe socks with gel toe sleeve over top (same adjacent toe) when cycling and/or running.

Good luck.


What’s your favorite gel toe sleeve? I see a ton of available options.
These are what I have used with great relief. They're cheap and custom modification is easy (cutting, stacking, combos, etc.).

https://www.walmart.com/...eCtors-2-Ct/10818553

https://zentoes.com/...fEAQYAyABEgKNOPD_BwE
Quote Reply
Re: Morton's pain - on the bike! [Brushman] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Brushman wrote:
Skyline Chili wrote:
Brushman wrote:
Along with wider toe box shoes, try this simple solution that has worked for me.


"Keep 'em Separated...."

1. Keep adjacent toe separated with Gel Toe Sleeve! Wear this all day every day! This is to alleviate nerve compression between metatarsal bones.
2. Also, wear Injinji toe socks with gel toe sleeve over top (same adjacent toe) when cycling and/or running.

Good luck.


What’s your favorite gel toe sleeve? I see a ton of available options.

These are what I have used with great relief. They're cheap and custom modification is easy (cutting, stacking, combos, etc.).

https://www.walmart.com/...eCtors-2-Ct/10818553

https://zentoes.com/...fEAQYAyABEgKNOPD_BwE


I just ordered the Zentoes and hope they will stay on during the swim. My thought is to separate the third and fourth metatarsal (where my neuroma surgery was) and thereby avoid the dreaded pain, which has returned as a stump neuroma :-(

DFL > DNF > DNS
Quote Reply
Re: Morton's pain - on the bike! [SallyShortyPnts] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
SallyShortyPnts wrote:
Brushman wrote:
Skyline Chili wrote:
Brushman wrote:
Along with wider toe box shoes, try this simple solution that has worked for me.


"Keep 'em Separated...."

1. Keep adjacent toe separated with Gel Toe Sleeve! Wear this all day every day! This is to alleviate nerve compression between metatarsal bones.
2. Also, wear Injinji toe socks with gel toe sleeve over top (same adjacent toe) when cycling and/or running.

Good luck.


What’s your favorite gel toe sleeve? I see a ton of available options.

These are what I have used with great relief. They're cheap and custom modification is easy (cutting, stacking, combos, etc.).

https://www.walmart.com/...eCtors-2-Ct/10818553

https://zentoes.com/...fEAQYAyABEgKNOPD_BwE



I just ordered the Zentoes and hope they will stay on during the swim. My thought is to separate the third and fourth metatarsal (where my neuroma surgery was) and thereby avoid the dreaded pain, which has returned as a stump neuroma :-(
Sounds like a plan. In fact, I do the same. Just experiment with varying thickness and adherence systems to find what works best for you. Separation needn't be overly complicated or "wide", just one/two sleeve thicknesses works for me in relieving MN nerve compression, irritation and pain. However, wearing them consistently is important (24/7). Doing so will allow angry nerve to calm down, etc.

Good luck.
Quote Reply
Re: Morton's pain - on the bike! [globetrotterjon] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
I have Morton on my right foot. My solution to minimise the pain is Shimano RP3 Wide Fit shoes with the bottom velcro strap loose. I wear my custom orthotics in the shoes with a Vasyli Custom Orthotics Metatarsal Raise. I replace the raise every few months as it wears out.

I moved my cleats towards the back of my shoe to reduce the pressure on the painful part of the foot. I had to make a small adjustment to my saddle position to accommodate the cleat move.
Quote Reply