My Foot Hurts

My right foot hurts when I ride. Specifically, the outside of my foot hurts at the ball of the foot and my forefoot gets numb. The amount of pain and numbness is directly related to how hard I ride. Easy rides - no problem. The harder I ride the more it hurts. This has been consistent for a few years on 2 different bikes, 2 different brands of shoes and 2 different pedal systems.

My left foot is fine and always has been.

I bought my shoes at a reputable cycing shop and I’m reasonably confident they are sized properly. I’ve never had a cleat fitting nor am I using any type of orthodics.

What’s the problem and how do I solve it?

biomechanical imbalance in your body … lewedges or whatever they’re called … wedges installed to get your foot aligned so you’re not pushing on the side of your foot and developing a hotspot …

Sure, obviously a biomechanical issue based on your description. Get it addressed now before a more chronic pathology (i.e. Morton’s neuroma or perineural fibrosis) begins. This will even be noticeable during the day in “regular” shoes

Sure, obviously a biomechanical issue based on your description. Get it addressed now before a more chronic pathology (i.e. Morton’s neuroma or perineural fibrosis) begins. This will even be noticeable during the day in “regular” shoes

Great - “pathology” and “neuroma” made it start hurting just sitting here at my desk.

Should I start with having a fitting expert look at my shoes/cleats or is this something I should consider going right to a doc/podiatrist for?

I’d start with the shoe/cleat fitting first since that is the likely etiology. If you can’t get it “fixed” after several attempts there, then consider the Podiatrist.

Could also be a shoe fit problem, shoe straps too tight, too small a platform on your pedals or if you are using wedges this will happen if they are too thick on the medial (inside) of the foot.