Foot Facts: Hammertoes

 

Hammertoe and mallet toe are two foot deformities that occur most often in women who wear high heels or shoes with a narrow toe box. These types of footwear may force your toes against the front of the shoe, causing an unnatural bending. A hammertoe is an abnormal bend in the middle joint of a toe. Mallet toe affects the joint nearest the toenail. Hammertoe and mallet toe are most likely to occur in the toe next to your big toe.

 

Symptoms:

• Toe contracts at mid-joint and pulls back

• Toe curls downwards

• Discomfort on tops of toes due to rubbing against shoes

• Development of corns or calluses on the metatarsal area or tops of toes

 

Caused By:

• Muscle imbalance of ligaments and tendons causing them to become tight

• Arthritis

• Short fitted footwear

• Footwear with a narrow toe box

• Toe length: if your second toe is longer than your big toe, it's at higher

      risk of hammertoe or mallet toe

 

Recommendations:

• Choose footwear with a larger toe box

• Change footwear selection to relieve pressure on tops of toes

• Add metatarsal pads to spread toes

• Make sure there's a half-inch of space between your longest toe and the inside tip of your shoe