Toe Hammered

[Framerman]

I did something on one of my projects years ago and bruised my big toe so much that it had the nice purple damage under the toe nail for at least 2 years.

I noticed something a few weeks back coming down Mt Tom that I seemed to be beating the other toe into the front of my boot, and sure enough, I did it again. It's bruised and it's going to be purple for awhile. It wasn't like that on one foot though, so I'm perplexed beyond my left shoe is too small. I'm guessing that I damaged the cuticle part.

Is this a typical hiking war wound? I'm thinking of trying different shoes next time around anyway since they don't seem to grip on damp rocky surfaces like I want (need)

 

[thegibba]

I don't have the mileage some people have on the trails however, I have never damaged my toes aside from dropping something on them or smashing them into something. Cut your nails and or wear thicker socks.

I have had sore toes if I haven't been meticulous in trimming them on occasion. Now I trim them regularly with special attention before a deathmarch.

 

[kerry13]

I've had the ole 'toe bang' several times early on in my hiking career and have known quite a few others who have experienced it so I would say it is relatively common. I too keep my toenails closely trimmed but I believe proper fitting footwear is most critical. I have stayed with a couple boot manufacturers over the years. I find their sizes and fit for my feet run true for different models. I also retie my boots before I descend as all the up hill tend to loosen the laces and you get more forward slide of the foot if your boot is not snug. Going downhill is where the damage occurs. I have not had a issue in 15 years or so. From my experience mark your calendar, six months from now the toenail will fall off.

 

[peakbagger]

Its definitely a shoe fitting issue. In order to get the width you need you may have too much volume in the boot, this becomes apparent when going downhill as the tongue of the boot may be too loose which allows your foot to slide forward. If when you lace up the boots that the gap between the lace points are minimal this is sign that its an overall volume issue. Different boots have different volumes.

I have very wide feet and need to wear steel toes boots for work on occasion. I have to go up one size to get the width and then my foot "floats" around in the boot causing all sorts of issues. I use a high volume insert (which is mixed blessing as it eats up some of the width and have glued a piece of tapered ensolite foam on the inner tongue of my boot to take up some volume. Luckily New Balance makes 4E boots that fit so its not an issue while hiking.

 

[sardog1]

Assuming that the boots do actually fit properly, this might be avoided by first jamming your heel down into the heel cup before pulling the laces tight. After you insert your foot, strike the floor with the back edge of the boot sole, with your lower leg at about forty-five degrees. While holding the heel in that position, pull the laces snug and tie. This will help keep the foot from sliding forward on downhill sections.

 

[jfb]

I've had it happen when my boot laces were loose on a descent. Heavier socks or a thicker aftermarket footbed may help stabilize your foot if the boot volume is too great.

 

[1SlowHiker]

I have lost at least 1 big toe nail completely, and have had several purple nails. I think my boots fit well and I keep them tight. Each time I had toe problems it’s because I forgot to closely trim my nails before the hike. I find that going down steep hills in snowshoes is the worst for my toes because my feet slide forward in my boot no matter how I tie them. I’m very happy with the fit of my boots so I just suck it up and try to remember to trim my nails. I now carry clippers in my emergency kit for when I do forget.

 

[dave.m]

To my understanding, this is often a sign of boots that are too short, or more likely fit fine for street use but not on descents.

The folks at the original Wilderness House (moment of silence while we reflect on the world before IT changed retail) used to have you kick a wall when fitting boots to ensure you toes didn't hit the end.

I think Colin Fletcher (or maybe Townsend, they blur in my mind now) gave a tip to triple overlap tie the laces at the top of the instep before lacing up the ankles. It's a way of snugging up the forefoot fit while not overtightening the ankle. Helps hold the forefoot back in the boot. Some older boots had locking lace hooks there for just this reason.

Toe nail trimming is essential but there is a balance. Too long and they can strike the boot before the meat of the toe does. Too short and you can invite ingrown toe nail. I shoot for about 1mm of exposed nail on my big toe.

 

[Framerman]

Thanks everyone. I think it might have been a combination of just a tad long nail, which I keep trimmed anyway (maybe not enough on this trip though) and my left shoe fitting a little tight. Wife got me some new hikers, so I should be set 3 years from now when it finally goes away

 

[TomD]

I did this with plastic ski boots that didn't fit right (XC not downhill). Long story short, I wound up losing two big toenails at different times, so getting a proper fit is paramount if you aren't going to do this kind of damage. They do take a long time to grow back and yes, it's quite painful. I have two different sized feet, so that was part of my problem, even with thermal liners.

 

[Tuckermanpaws]

This may not be the best solution or anything I would recommend. Don't read this if your squeamish haha. I have an odd shaped foot, wide in the front, narrow in the heal. So I always had fit issues (until I switched to Five Fingers). My toe nails were horrible and always in pain after a hike. So my doc suggested permanent removal and that is what I did. I will spare the details but after the removal, they apply something that stops the nail from growing back. It is painful for a while and doesn't look pretty. But I no longer have nail pain. The tips of my toes get sore when I'm wearing my Koflach boots, but not like before.

 

[TWStandley]

I had this same issue about two years ago and the solution was some mid-weight merino wool socks. The socks help wick sweat away from your feet therefore keeping them dry and less likely to "slip" in your shoes. I use Wigwam socks but I am sure many other brands would work just as well.

I also adjusted my hiking style a bit - especially when going downhill. Focusing a bit more on transferring your weight to your heals on a decline can prevent the toe-bashing from happening.

Hope this helps!