As I extend my longer runs and my weekly miles up above 25, I’m getting problems with my toes. Especially the middle one on both feet. A hilly run (12-14 miles) last week felt pretty bad by the end, and I now have nice nearly-black areas under those toenails. They are still sensitive, though I can run if I wrap them w/ bandaids/tape. It’s much more bothersome afterward, especially if I curl my toes as if to grip carpet (a la Bruce Willis in Die Hard, when he follows the advice of a fellow air passenger to relieve jet lag).
My shoes fit. I have a thumb’s width of room between the end of the shoe and my toes. What gives? My toes have always been kinda crunched up (i.e., the middle one is squished by those on both sides), but this is new. The nail on one of those other toes is growing in a v-shape now, like a gabled roof!
Purely a guess on my part, but even if you have room in the toe area, if the shoe is not otherwise snug enough, your foot can slide forward against the toe end of the shoe with each stride. That much movement woudl probably be noticeable, though. Best bet would probably be to go to a good running store, have them watch your stride and check your shoes.
Bruises in your toes can take months to come to the surface. If you used to wear running shoes that were too small, the bruises may just be showing now.
The same thing happens to me every year as I get around 25 miles per week. The toenails next to my big toe get black and fall off, then I progressively lose every toenail until only the ones on my big toes are left. I have no clue as to why it happens, but its definitely not my running shoes b/c I use all different brands. Good luck.
I have experienced this several times over. I had bunions with a migrating great toe that crowded the second toe and pushed it up (has since been corrected through surgery). I have tried every preventative measure I could find - bandaids, tape, blister shields, bodyglide… The secret for me was finding the right combo of shoes and socks. You gotta have a toebox that allows your toes to wiggle freely. Any kind of material other than meshy stuff over your toes is a disaster waiting to happen. And for socks - thin, technical fabric (CoolMax or whatever), no plain old cotton crap or anything thick.
I have experienced this several times over. I had bunions with a migrating great toe that crowded the second toe and pushed it up (has since been corrected through surgery). I have tried every preventative measure I could find - bandaids, tape, blister shields, bodyglide… The secret for me was finding the right combo of shoes and socks. You gotta have a toebox that allows your toes to wiggle freely. Any kind of material other than meshy stuff over your toes is a disaster waiting to happen. And for socks - thin, technical fabric (CoolMax or whatever), no plain old cotton crap or anything thick.
This sounds exactly like my trouble, just one toe over. That toe gets squished upward and then gets pressure from the top of the shoe. And I suspect that it also moves up/down between the toes on both sides.
My wife had this w/ a toe once, and now runs with these tiny silicone “socks” that are like a cap that fits over one toe. I’m going to give those a shot.
1)If your feet are moving around in the shoes (very common among triathletes who use elastic laces) the movement within the shoe could be causing the problem. Make sure your laces are snug.
2)From what you describe your shoes might be too narrow at the front. Even if they’re long enough, they might not be wide enough. Your feet get wider when you run longer, so these kinds of problems tend to show up later in the season. Different brands have different ratios of forefoot to heel width. Nike tends to be narrow the whole way through, Mizuno and Asics are a little wider, Brooks and New Balance a little wider overalll, and Saucony tends to be the widest in front compared to the rear. (That ratio does vary from shoe to shoe within the same manufacturer, though.) Maybe try a shoe with a wider forefoot. If you can’t find one, maybe try a wide (2E) width, but be careful to snug up the heels so you don’t get a blister on the back of your foot.
3)Even though your shoes may be long enough when you check them at home, your feet expand when you run long distances – they get longer as well as wider. (Yes, your feet get longer, mainly because as your muscles warm up and then fatigue your arch flexes more. When a curved arch becomes a flat arch your foot is longer.) You probably need help to do this, but 10-15 miles into a long run, while putting all your weight on one foot check to see how much room you have between the end of your toes and the end of the shoe.
4)The condition you’re describing sounds like you’ve got a blood blister underneath your toenail(s). Seems too silly to really call it an “injury” but it does impair your running and if it gets worse it can lead to an infection. When your toes hurt you tend to modify your form which will lead to other injuries. Plus, it hurts and it’s annoying. I’ve read more than one running book that suggests getting the smallest drill bit you can find and drilling a small hole in your toenail to relieve the fluid pressure underneath. I’ve never been able to bring myself to do that, and it seems like a good way to get an infection. If you know a doctor or podiatrist who sees lots of runners, he or she may have a better way to drain it.
Lee Silverman
JackRabbit Sports
Park Slope, Brooklyn
Just keep running and let your toenails fall off. I’ve lost the toenails off both of my big and index toe(??) on occasion. After that, toe pain ceased to be a problem. Just give it time, use some bandaids and antibiotic ointment and let nature run it’s course.