It is usually your shoes compressing nerves as your feet swell, not a nerve disease.
NHS guidance says pins and needles and numbness happen when pressure cuts the blood supply to nerves, easing when the pressure releases. Running adds swelling to any tightness: a snug shoe at 8am is a clamp at mile 4. NHS footwear advice says to check width across the ball of the foot, keep the shoe snug but not tight on the instep, and fit shoes in the afternoon when feet are largest. Looser lacing or a wider toe box fixes most cases. Persistent numbness, a pebble-under-the-ball feeling, or symptoms off the run deserve a podiatry or GP check.
What to do
Common questions
Why do my feet go numb when I run?
The most common cause is your shoes, not your nerves. Feet swell as you run, and if your shoes are slightly small, tightly laced, or narrow in the toe box, the combination compresses the nerves on the top and ball of the foot until they go numb or tingly. NHS guidance on pins and needles explains the mechanism: numbness and tingling happen when the blood supply to nerves is cut off by pressure, and it resolves when the pressure comes off. NHS footwear advice is to check shoes are wide enough across the ball of the foot, fasten securely without crushing the instep, and shop in the afternoon or evening when feet are at their biggest, which is exactly the state they are in mid-run. The fixes: loosen the lacing, especially over the instep, try a heel-lock lacing pattern, go up half a size or to a wide fit, and swap thin socks for cushioned running socks. See a GP or podiatrist if numbness persists off the run, affects one specific patch like the ball of the foot with a pebble-in-shoe feeling (a Morton's neuroma pattern), or comes with back pain or weakness.