Why Your Feet May Feel Numb When Running, According to Experts

A few years back, I trained for an ultramarathon by running home from the office nearly every day after work. But something funny started happening: Almost every time, after a mile or so, I’d notice my feet going numb while running. I’d have to stop to stretch my calves and shake out my legs to get sensation back before I could keep running the rest of the way home. 

It turns out, I’m not the only one who’s dealt with this phenomenon. As odd as it might sound, some people find that their feet fall asleep while running from time to time. It might be just a little tingling on the outside of their pinky toe, or their whole foot might get so numb that they can’t control it enough to keep running. Sometimes it happens near the end of a long run, sometimes it’s right away, and sometimes it’s just on certain terrain, like a steep downhill.

“It all really depends on the cause of why the numbness is happening,” says physical therapist Gabby Callagy, founder of The Run RX, who adds that there are several possible explanations. 

If you’ve ever dealt with prickly pins-and-needles feeling yourself, you know that this frustrating issue can quickly sidetrack your run. To get past the problem—and keep it from happening again—you need to figure out exactly what’s causing those tingles. So we asked physical therapists and a podiatrist to break down the most common reasons behind numb feet when running and what you can do to find some relief.  

Why Do My Feet Go Numb When I Run? 

There are a number of potential explanations behind your feet falling asleep while running. But Callagy says they all boil down to one of two things: a restriction in blood flow or a nerve irritation. Here are some of the most frequent ways those can manifest during a run. 

Your Shoes Are Too Tight

Maybe you’re wearing a sneaker that’s too narrow. Or maybe you just tied the laces too tight. Either way, you could be restricting the blood flow into your foot or compressing a nerve. “That would definitely be the first thing to check and adjust,” Callagy says. 

If too-tight shoes are the culprit, oftentimes you’ll only notice numbness a few miles into a run, according to foot and ankle surgeon Gideon J. Lewis, DPM, director of the Foot and Ankle Sports Medicine Institute. “When you’re running more, the feet can swell and the shoes can get a little more tight,” he explains. Other times, your feet are simply too squished from the start.

Your Gait Is Off

If you’re hitting a part of the foot that’s not meant to handle extra pressure over and over again while running, you could potentially be irritating nerves in the area. 

In particular, physical therapist Sarah Tyndall, owner of Restore & Reform, says overstriding, or landing with the foot too far in front of the body, is the most common biomechanical issue she sees in runners. “That could lead to compression in certain areas, which could create some numbness,” she says.

Dr. Lewis adds that overly pronating (rolling the foot inward when you land) could also irritate the nerve that runs through the ankle, causing numbness. 

You’re Dehydrated or Low on Electrolytes

Blood requires plenty of water to travel through your system, and electrolytes are essential to keep you sufficiently hydrated. “Any time that balance is off, we absolutely can get numbness,” Tyndall says. However, she adds that you’d most likely notice this both in the hands as well as the feet. One caveat: Dr. Lewis points out that if dehydration is causing muscular fatigue that leads to nerve irritation, there’s a possibility it might only affect part of the feet. 

There’s a Medical Condition Going On

Sometimes, numb feet when running might point to something more serious, such as:

If you think any of these medical conditions could be causing your feet to go numb while running, speak with your healthcare provider about your concerns. (Keep reading for more signs to talk to your doctor.)

What to Do When You Notice Your Feet Going Numb While Running

Any time your feet fall asleep while running, stop or slow down to see if you can get sensation back—particularly if you feel like your feet are so numb that you’ve lost control and they’re just slapping the pavement. “To be honest, if that’s what’s going on, most people are going to have to stop,” Callagy says. Dr. Lewis adds that if a nerve is being compressed, trying to run through the problem could cause nerve damage or force you to change your form in a harmful way that could lead to another issue.   

Even if the numbness doesn’t get that severe, easing up for a few minutes could be all it takes for those tingles to disappear. “Once things return to baseline, you can try to re-advance back into running again,” Tyndall says. 

While you’re stopped, try loosening up your laces (or taking off your shoes completely) to see if that helps. It’s also a smart idea to drink some water, stretch a little, and shake out your legs to bring more blood flow to the area.

If you suspect the problem might be connected to a nerve in the lower back, Callagy says you can test out that theory by bending over to reach for your toes or leaning backward. “See if your spine position changes the feeling at all,” she suggests.  

More than anything, be sure to take stock of any patterns you notice around what brings on this issue. “I would recommend runners monitor that symptom onset to see if it is consistently at a similar time or distance or with a particular terrain, like uphill or downhill, because that may give indicators as to things that are going on,” Tyndall says. 

How to Prevent Your Feet from Falling Asleep While Running

Know you’re prone to this problem? Be sure to always give your body ample time to warm up. “Slowly get the blood flowing and get the body warm so that it’s prepared for the task of high-impact activity,” Callagy says. 

Start with some easy, dynamic moves like squats and jogging in place. Tyndall particularly recommends doing some foot and ankle mobility and strength exercises to activate the muscles in the area. And if there’s a chance that the numbness is coming from the spine, Callagy suggests doing some Cat Cow stretches. “Something that just gets your body moving well and feeling comfortable with that spine motion,” she says.  

Tyndall also suggests working on your calf strength. “Most runners I see that have symptoms with running are extremely lacking in calf strength, which is the biggest part of your spring,” she says. This is why many run coaches recommend making calf raises a regular part of your routine. 

Double check your running shoes and how you’re tying them too. If you have a higher arched or thicker foot, Tyndall suggests trying different lacing techniques. “The standard criss-cross does not work for everybody,” she says. 

And remember: Your toes should have enough space to easily wiggle and splay out without feeling pinched. If not, you might need a wider fit or a shoe that features a natural, foot-shaped toe box, Callagy says. “The shape of your toe box is going to affect how much compression is across the metatarsals [five long bones in the foot],” Tyndall says. Dr. Lewis adds that a specialty running store will likely be able to help you find brands and models that work best for your feet. 

When to Talk to Your Healthcare Provider About Numb Feet When Running

If your feet consistently go numb when you’re running, even after adjusting your footwear and stopping mid-run to shake out your legs, it’s time to see a sports medicine specialist to get to the root of the problem. That’s especially true if symptoms get worse over time, start to crop up more frequently, or persist even after you stop running, Tyndall says. “Most numbness symptoms related to shoe wear or gait mechanics should alleviate within 30 minutes of the end of your run,” she says. 

Other red flags include accompanying symptoms like sensations of weakness, shortness of breath, or noticing your heart rate’s significantly higher than usual, Tyndall says. Dr. Lewis adds that swelling, redness, or bruising could also be a sign of an underlying musculoskeletal injury that you’d want to get checked out.  

“For most of these issues, a physical therapist is your perfect starting place,” Tyndall says. “If it is something beyond what we do, we will absolutely help refer you out to the appropriate provider. But in many cases, your general practitioner is probably only going to send you to PT.”

The Takeaway

If your strides are restricting blood flow or irritating a nerve, you might feel your feet fall asleep while running. The fix could be as simple as loosening your laces or buying wider shoes, but you might also need to work on your running gait or make sure you’re hydrating properly. Sometimes, this prickly sensation is a sign of a more serious medical issue, though you’d probably notice other symptoms as well if that’s the case. 

For me, I eventually learned that taking a few minutes to wake up my calves and ankles with a short warm up (rather than immediately launching into a run after 8 hours in my office chair) solved the issue. Experts agree that committing to a solid warm-up is one of the first lines of defense against the problem. But if your symptoms persist, don’t go away when you stop running, or are accompanied by other issues like weakness or shortness of breath, it’s time to get a healthcare professional on the case.