Numb feet while working out is a common complaint among users of elliptical trainers.  The complaints break down into two basic areas – blood flow vs. nerve pinch.  After reading through many pages on the topic it seems to boil down to the following causes:

Shoes laces to tight – several people mentioned that they were able to resolve their numbness by experimenting with how loosely or tightly their shoes were tied.  Pay particular attention to the laces across your toes.  In most cases it appears that people have the toe area laced to tightly and the ankle not tight enough.  I suggest you experiment with adjustments here first.

Lack of Arch support – I found a few comments related to the user solving the problem by increasing the arch support in their shoes.  Trying an over the counter arch support is probably your next cheapest thing to try.

Rock your feet on the pedals – since your feet are more or less stationary this could be part of the issue.  Make sure your toes are getting jammed up against the front of the pedal.   After that, try focusing on where your weight is balanced.  If you’re continually on the balls of your feet, try rocking from heel to toe to simulate a bit more of a walking motion.  This could help remove the constant pressure being placed on any nerves getting aggravated.

Width of shoes – to narrow of shoe equals pinched toes.  If you need to go this far to solve the problem (aka buying new shoes) then you may want to consider going to a specialty running store to be fitted for shoes.  At a top end store, you can expect to have the sale person check out your current shoes for wear patterns, watch you walk while laying on the floor staring at your feet.  A bit odd feeling to have someone eyeball you from ground level, but apparently there is method to the madness.

Do you have a solution for keeping your feet from going numb?  Let us know – post your comment below.