Few things are more unpleasant than a pair of shoes that always rub your toe. It's not only annoying, it can cause blisters and make walking painful. There are many reasons why your shoes may be rubbing your little toe, and they're all easy to fix.
This guide will teach you everything you need to know about prevent your shoes from rubbing your little toe, from fixing the problem with shoes you already have to preventing the problem from happening with any shoes you buy in the future.
The cause of the problem is almost always a pair of shoes that are too tight, and there are several things you can do fix and prevent that problem. I'll cover everything you need to know in order to prevent and avoid this problem in the future. Once you're done reading this guide, you'll never have to worry about blistered toes again. Also you may check out our latest blog about achilles tendonitis.
Make sure your shoes fit
The first thing to check if your shoes are rubbing your little toe is the fit. Your shoes are probably too tight. Take a look at the shape of your shoes; see how they taper toward the front? Now, take a look at your foot.
The human foot doesn't naturally taper like that. Your foot might, because you've been wearing shoes your whole life. If you could find someone who hardly ever wears shoes, or look at the foot of a young child, you won't see it tapering toward the front. In fact, you'll probably see the foot getting wider and the toes spreading farther apart.
The toe box of most shoes is not shaped to conform to your feet. If you start looking at shoe styles and brands that are known for being comfortable, you'll notice that they tend to have a wider front. You may also notice, looking at your own feet, that your toes, and the little toe especially, seem like they've been bent inward.
In a way, they have. Years of wearing shoes reshapes your toes. Even so, wearing tight shoes can still cause uncomfortable friction when the shoe is rubbing against the little toe with every step you take.
Getting the fit right
Shoes that fit properly won't rub your feet uncomfortably. Properly fitted shoes won't develop any friction points and will be comfortable to wear all day long. Here are some tips for ensuring the best possible fit.
Follow these tips when you're shopping for shoes, and you should always end up with comfortable shoes that don't rub your toes.
How to stop shoes from rubbing
Those tips are great for avoiding buying shoes that will rub your toes, but they aren't much help if you already have a pair of shoes that's rubbing too much. It's also true that, even if you've bought a perfectly comfortable pair of shoes, you may need to break them in before they'll stop rubbing against your toes.
Here are the best things you can do to help prevent your stop your shoes from rubbing your little toe.
Use any of these tools, or all of them, to prevent the shoe from rubbing against your toe. These are all tried and true methods of preventing blisters. They're also cheaper than buying a new pair of shoes and are perfect for preventing pain and discomfort while breaking in a new pair of shoes.
How To Prevent Blisters When Running | Stop Your Run Shoes Rubbing Check Out This Video
Stretch the shoes
Whether your shoes are simply too tight or you're breaking in a new pair of shoes, stretching them out can be a great way to stop shoes from rubbing your little toe.
Be careful not to overdo any of these methods, as that could potentially ruin your shoes. As long as they're done carefully, all of these methods will help create better-fitting shoes for you.
Look for shoes with a flexible upper
The upper is the top part of the shoe. Basically, the shoe consists of the sole, which is the bottom, and the upper, which covers the tops of your feet. The upper is the part that is rubbing against your little toe. The more flexible the upper is, the less it will rub against your toes.
Get professional stretching tools
Rubbing of the little toe is a common enough problem that people have designed tools to help you stretch the shoes out.
Frequently Asked Questions
I've tried all these methods and my shoes still rub my little toe. What do I do?
If none of these methods has provided any relief, you will probably need a new pair of shoes. you may have purchased a pair that's simply much too small, or a style of shoe that's just not designed with comfort in mind.
How much do I need to stretch my sneakers?
If you've purchased shoes that are your normal size, they don't need to be stretched much. You're really just trying to stretch them enough so that they won't rub on the toe, and that's a matter of millimeters, not inches.
Shouldn't my shoes already fit? Why would shoes in the right size still have this problem?
Since everyone's feet are different, no one can make a size ten shoe that will fit perfectly on all size ten feet. It's not just the length and width of the foot that matter, but the shape of the foot, height of the arch, length of the toes, etc. Even the right size shoe needs to be stretched a bit and broken in to fit perfectly.
Conclusion
As long as you've bought shoes that are the right size, or close to the right size, one or more of these methods should stop them from rubbing your little toe. I've had great success using these, and I'm confident that you will, too.
What about shoes I’ve worn for years? That just rubbed on my little toe for some unknown reason and tore the skin?