I was going to say, "loosen the straps," but you've tried that. Different pedal stroke means ... higher cadence? Pedaling squares and mashing at 50rpm could cause that. Another option would be a stiffer foot bed. You could go whole hog and buy new carbon-soled shoes, but a better first step would be to try some stiffer carbon inserts (or stiffer plastic inserts). You're not looking for the soft-and-mushy kind. Another cause may be the size of the cleat on the underside of your shoes. That may not be it or it'd probably be doing it to both feet. Smaller cleats focus the pressure onto one spot on your foot; larger cleats spread it out better.

Maybe try shifting cleat position? Does it tend to start in one spot and spread?

I used to have that problem all the time. I switched shoes with the thought it would be fixed but the same problem kept happening. It wasn't usually a problem until about the 2 hour mark and over. It seems like such a ridiculous solution but what really helped was constantly wiggling my ties. My constantly, I mean about every 15 minutes.....what a difference it makes.

It's simple but it was my solution to a long time problem

I wish it was my foot that was falling asleep!

Try standing for 5-10 pedal strokes about every 5 minutes. That is what i do for my numbness, and it works great, plus the benefit is i get to go faster for a couple seconds, and i vary my speed, which breaks up the monotony.

if it isn't a pressure problem with the shoe then I would look at the hip and pressure from the saddle compressing a nerve. Standing up should help with that but the long term solution would be to figure out how to fit the bike to you better.

I had this problem too, I think I managed to get rid of it with better quality, and better fitting shoes..I asked my local bike shop pro, and he told me basically that almost everyone has this problem at some time. It can be related to saddle height, shoe fit, muscular strength( lack of) but his favourite one was a problem in the lower back, like a herniated disc for example.. ( which I also have). I was suprised when I got fitted for a bike shoe to learn that the shoes I had were a size too small for the bike.

I have had this problem across three bikes (MT, road, Tri), 3 pairs of shoes, 2 pedal/cleat systems, several seats, and numerous adjustments to seat height and position as well as cleat position. It has almost always been limited to my left foot which is slightly wider than my right, though, I don't think that's the problem. jnrice may be on to something but for the life of me I can't figure it out.

About every 30-40 minutes I'll unclip for a few seconds and get the blood flowing again. Wiggling the toes helps a little, but not much

Found this link - it is about numb feet during running though... but it may help

http://blog.trainingpeaks.com/askhal/2012/4/17/numb-feet.html

Here is what Bicycling Magazine has to say:

Feet : Ill-fitting footwear is the root cause of most lower-extremity numbness. When shopping for shoes, consider their width and height in addition to numerical size, says McGlynn. "Shoes with more height allow for taller arches," he says. Shoes that are too small pinch nerves in your metatarsal arch at the ball of the foot. The arch will collapse if it's not adequately buttressed, so be sure yours have sufficient support.

Here is what Bicycling Magazine has to say:

Feet : Ill-fitting footwear is the root cause of most lower-extremity numbness. When shopping for shoes, consider their width and height in addition to numerical size, says McGlynn. "Shoes with more height allow for taller arches," he says. Shoes that are too small pinch nerves in your metatarsal arch at the ball of the foot. The arch will collapse if it's not adequately buttressed, so be sure yours have sufficient support.

Maybe try Metatarsal Lift Pads? Those seemed to help me quite a bit; they might be a cost effective thing to try, at least.

Have you tried consulting it to a doctor already? There are many possible reasons why that's happening. Riding a bicycle is actually a good exercise so there might be something wrong for you why that happens and I think an expert could help know what that particular thing is. Aside from being a good exercise that is good for the body, riding a bicycle is also a less expensive kind of transportation than an automobile. But did you know that it is possible to make money with your bike? Try using your bicycle for profit and observe the state of your finances at year's end. Better check this out: How to make money with your bicycle

I think you said it yourself - learn to pedal circles by focusing on lifting the foot over the top. This necessitates a reduction of downward pressure on the sole.

PoC

What I'm currently doing is to train in Gym with my friends and trying the advance lesson of precision cycling. I hope this one will help me a lot on the coming events