running!!

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breelinda
breelinda Posts: 67 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I have been loosing toe nails and its not pretty! Plus painful! Dr wants me tosee a podpodiatrist, and buy expensive running shoes, or... have him remove all my toe nails, or... quit running! WHAT THE??

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  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
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    There have been runners who removed their toenails.

    Get advice from your podiatrist.

    What sort of running do you go for? Distance?
  • gdyment
    gdyment Posts: 299 Member
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    It's not uncommon, but I've run 10,000+ km and not lost a nail yet. One looked pretty close once but came back from the dead.

    "Expensive" running shoes is kind of an odd statement. Running is cheap, so get the right shoes and toss them after 400 miles (or so, YMMV) even if they look nice. Your knees will thank you as well. You can get rubber toe condom-things for shock and blister protection as well.
  • dewd2
    dewd2 Posts: 2,445 Member
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    Get proper shoes (yes, they cost money but cheaper than losing toe nails). Get them from a true running specialty store where they will fit your properly and analyze your gait. Also ask about proper socks while you are there (to keep your feet cool and dry).
  • ThickMcRunFast
    ThickMcRunFast Posts: 22,511 Member
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    Yeah, loss of toenails is the wrong shoes.

    Or you're running 100 miles of downhills a week.

    But most likely its the wrong shoes.
  • 5BeautifulDays
    5BeautifulDays Posts: 683 Member
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    Buy good shoes. You might still lose your toe nails if they're not the *right* shoes, but when you find those right shoes, you'll be amazed at what it does for you. I'm in a battle with my trail shoes right now--they ate one toenail and give me blisters, so I may wind up just writing them off as a failed experiment at 150 miles. But my regular running shoes? I'm on my second $110-120 pair in 6 months and they are worth every single penny.
  • PaytraB
    PaytraB Posts: 2,360 Member
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    Loss of toe nails could mean shoes that are too small. Running shoes should be 1/2 size bigger than your usual shoes. You need lots of room in the toe box to accommodate the swelling of your feet while running.
  • Fit4LifeAR
    Fit4LifeAR Posts: 233 Member
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    Do you have a Mortan's Toe? My 2nd toenail always fell off from jogging, and it is incredibly painful. It is caused by your second toe being longer than your first. My podia at actually recommended shaving part of my toe down. Lol I was like h@ll no!!!! Now I wish I would have!
  • juliet3455
    juliet3455 Posts: 3,015 Member
    edited October 2015
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    @breelinda One of the common themes, as repeated by so many people is Get the Right Shoes and properly fitted at a store that specializes in True Running Specific Shoes. Shoes are cheaper than the cost of Doctor/Medical Bills, Physio-Therapy and time lost from work.
    One of the Best Analogies I heard came from a recent race when talking to some people around me in the Starting Area and one lady said she thinks nothing of spending $200-$300 dollars on Specialized Fitted Riding boots for her Horses so $100.00 for running shoes just made sense.

    Here are a few links to some good reads.
    https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/the-beginners-guide-to-running/
    https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/6-tried-and-true-ways-to-avoid-running-injuries/

    There have been quite a few different people asking very similar questions over the years and the answer is consistent - Start with a really good pair of shoes. My Mizuno's are 1 size larger than my regular shoe size and my Sauconies are 1.5 size's larger. They work for me, they may not work for you.

    Copied from a Previous Post of mine on this same topic.
    As stated by other people - Go to a specialized running store and do a full gait analysis.
    Mine started with a barefoot run on a treadmill so go prepared to run.
    When I got my first shoes I tried on a mixed variety of shoes and did the "Fast walk test in the store" checking for Heel lift, toe box room -How they feel. Some shoes were instant rejects, some were maybe and some were oh-yeah. I then took the oh-yeah shoes and went for a run on the in-store treadmill. Again some were quickly rejected and some went over to the maybe pile. When I had completed this I had 2 different shoes that were the winners. One went home with me that day and a month latter the 2nd brand was purchased. That's why I have 2 different brands of shoes in my rotation. At no time did the store staff try to push a certain brand/model of shoe on me.
    Happy Feet = Happy Body = Happy Soul.

    If you play with the search function in the forums you can probably find this question asked every week so will be able to do lots of reading on this subject.
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/search?adv=1&search=&title=running+shoes%&author=&cat=all&tags=&discussion_d=1&comment_c=1&group_group=1&within=1+day&date=

    Various Links to Differant Posts about Shoes for various cardio, strength training, running
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1217573/so-you-want-to-start-running/p1
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/comment/30649763#Comment_30649763
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10093798/running-shoes
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10049897/running-shoes/p1
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10024759/running-shoes-question
  • patrikc333
    patrikc333 Posts: 436 Member
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    buy proper shoes

    consider also the damage your current shoes are doing to your knees/back etc
  • tennisdude2004
    tennisdude2004 Posts: 5,609 Member
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    Without doubt, whether it's related to the wrong shoes or not, if you are running on a regular basis; your hips, knees, shins, ankles, feet and toes will all thank you for having a properly fitted pair of shoes.

    Good luck at the podiatrist.
  • SpecialKH
    SpecialKH Posts: 70 Member
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    When I first started running, I wore some Old Navy sneakers. Bad move. Then I tried some Nikes that I got on clearance but didn't really pay attention (hey, sneakers are sneakers, right?) - they were walking shoes. Bad move. I read a bunch on line about shoes and went to an actual running store to have my gait analyzed and my shoes fit. I ended up with $160 Asics which fit great (9.5), gave the cushion my old (47) knees needed and were neutral for my step.

    I bought them there because, after all, they earned the money. But after 500 miles I got the same shoe on ebay for $25.99 plus shipping. Different color - maybe not my fav but now I know that brand, that gel sole, that size all work for me. I rotate the old ones into "walking" shoes for my off days and they then eventually become "yard" shoes for mowing. :)

    Keep your toenails trimmed - even all the way back if they are separating from the nail bed - until they grow out. Not a bad idea to see a podiatrist but you might be able to not have them removed. Wrap with a protective bandaid and use nice thick cotton athletic socks to cushion/protect the toe(s). Change regularly and go without bandage/socks/shoes often so they get air. Lace your shoes SNUGLY. That keeps your foot from sliding forward in the shoe - the foot needs to seat back in the heel are firmly.

    So buy one good pair fitted by a professional and take good care of your feet. If your nails are coming off the nail bed it could take a year or more for them to grow out and heal.
  • breelinda
    breelinda Posts: 67 Member
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    Thank u so much! Its gross looking! I use to like my feet! Yep, my feet do slide a little in my shoes, and , I do just have running nike shoes from kohls, a whole year? How embarrassing. . :) well good thing I live in a cold state so sandals are now out. Appreciate the help!!
  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
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    your feet will thank you for properly fitted shoes. and your ankles and your knees and your hips and your back
  • _Waffle_
    _Waffle_ Posts: 13,049 Member
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    You probably just need more room in the toe-box. I've had this happen several times and it was always from running long distances in the rain. Basically my foot was slipping in the shoe causing my toes to hit the front.

    The good news is that they'll grow back. Now go get some properly sized shoes.

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