runner's toe????

JMCade
JMCade Posts: 389 Member
edited September 29 in Fitness and Exercise
Okay what's with the black toenail? I don't remember doing anything to my toe. It doesn't hurt. But one of my toenails has been black for a couple of weeks now. It's the middle one. Not even the big one, which makes no sense. I have heard long distance running will do it. :noway: Wth is that all about? Great, now I'm gonna have to paint my toenails for the rest of my life!:ohwell:

Replies

  • suzycreamcheese
    suzycreamcheese Posts: 1,766 Member
    me too, left foot, 4th toenail. It doesnt hurt or feel bruised, and ive no idea why its gone black
  • littlelaurabear
    littlelaurabear Posts: 57
    i have the same thing on my second toe on my right foot. Although I think mine was from too much drunken dancing in heels that may be a bit too small for me. Boo! x
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
    That seems to be a rather common thing with distances runners. I have yet to experience it.
    Some people say bumping up a half shoe size helps to avoid it.

    At least you have the option of painting your toes, guys really can't go that route. ;)
  • Atlantique
    Atlantique Posts: 2,484 Member
    Okay what's with the black toenail? I don't remember doing anything to my toe. It doesn't hurt. But one of my toenails has been black for a couple of weeks now. It's the middle one. Not even the big one, which makes no sense. I have heard long distance running will do it. :noway: Wth is that all about? Great, now I'm gonna have to paint my toenails for the rest of my life!:ohwell:

    Your shoes don't fit. When you run (often this occurs on downhills) your toe is hitting the end of your shoe, causing trauma. Eventually that toenail will fall off.

    Most people need a half to a full size larger in their running shoes than their street shoes. This is particularly true for women, as so many of us are used to cramming our feet into shoes with tiny, pointy toeboxes that we've completely lost sight of what a good-fittin shoe feels like. My running shoes are a full size larger than my street shoes.

    Running shoes should be snug around the arch, comfortable and non-slipping around the heel and have plenty of room in the toebox. You should have one full thumbwidth between your longest toe(which is the second toe for many people) and the end of the shoe when standing. This gives your feet room to swell and to slide forward a bit on downhills without hitting the end of the shoe.

    I used to run 25 miles a week and did several half marathons. Never had a black toenail, a damaged toenail or a toenail that fell off.
  • Atlantique
    Atlantique Posts: 2,484 Member
    me too, left foot, 4th toenail. It doesnt hurt or feel bruised, and ive no idea why its gone black

    When it's a toe toward the outer edge of your foot, it's usually a different problem. Some possibilities:

    -It's not your running shoes, but your high heels that are causing pressure and trauma to the toe.

    -It is your running shoes, but not necessarily because the toebox is too short. The toebox could be too snug, or you may be a supinator(foot rolls out) and you're in the wrong type of shoe.

    -You're a supinator in the right type of shoe, but the shoe has worn out and is no longer controlling the outward roll of your foot.
  • Bob_Sugar
    Bob_Sugar Posts: 61
    I got my first one six weeks ago...I feel like Mr Deeds.

    I already wear a size 14 shoe and I'm sure im not a 15.
  • jmgj27
    jmgj27 Posts: 531 Member
    Yep - it's as the others said - your shoes are too small. I wear a UK7 in regular shoes and UK8 in trainers. Works fine - no more black toenails!
  • helloiloveukitty
    helloiloveukitty Posts: 448 Member
    yup, runners feet...I get this from time to time and usually end up losing the toenail but its always grown back. I wear a shoe thats half a size too big already.

    great advice in this thread!
  • bunchesonothing
    bunchesonothing Posts: 1,015 Member
    A lot of times it's small shoes, but not always. After awhile you can only get shoes so big. Even with the 1/2-1 size bigger, I've still been known to get them them. And I've done everything I can to loosen the toe box of my shoes as well, due to some strain it used to put on my forefoot. If your foot is going to hit the front of your shoe repeatedly, no matter the size of the shoe, it is going to happen.

    The organizer of my running program even still gets them and he's been doing this at least as long as I've been alive.

    For me though, I have noticed that I don't get them when I wear my toe shoes. If I wear anything else, I'm prone to toe problems.
  • JMCade
    JMCade Posts: 389 Member
    Thank you all for the great advice! Isn't it crazy how you do something good and you get something kinda bad in return! Geesh, having fun running and it's good for ya, but be careful on the shoes! I feel like instead of a personal trainer, ya need a personal shoe expert! I've never had a bit of trouble with my feet my whole life, until I started up running again. Ah well, stretch marks are battlescars of being a mother, so I goes this is a battlescar of being a runner.
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