Will Narrow Shoes Cause Corns on the Toes?
A podiatrist, or foot doctor, will tell you that they treat corns and calluses more than any other problem. A slight rubbing can become a sore area on a toe, and if ignored or left untreated, it can turn into a corn. Yes, narrow, poor-fitting shoes will cause corns--and quickly.
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What Are Corns?
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Corns are your body's reaction to pressure and friction. If a tight shoe is squishing your toes one against the other, a soft corn on the inside of the little toe most likely, may certainly follow. To protect itself against the rubbing, the skin thickens and becomes irritated, red and then painful. Without proper attention, this small chafed area could become abscessed or ulcer-like---an open sore.
Cause & Effect
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Corns are a common complaint from women who wear fashionable shoes, mainly high heels or narrow pointed shoes. The tightness of the toe box cramps the toes and pressure builds. Consequently, toes abrade against the leather of the shoe and hard corns form. Corns can build in any size or shape.
People who develop hammertoe---a bent joint within the toe---are also subject to corns because their condition can become a deformity, raising toes and pushing them against the shoe's surface. And according to footphysicians.com, "[I]ll-fitting shoes can actually cause the contracture that defines hammertoe."
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Symptoms Develop
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There are two types of corns, hard and soft. The hard corn usually forms on the top of a toe, gets sore from rubbing and develops a hard skin layer to combat the source. A soft corn, on the other hand, grows between toes---typically the fourth and fifth toe---due to toes being squished together. Because it is in a moist area, it becomes a soft bump of skin.
The potential corn starts with redness and then becomes yellow or gray as it continues to be irritated; sometimes corns form a hard kernel center called a root. Doctors refer to this skin-thickening process as hyperkeratosis.
The Root of the Problem
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In order to get rid of a corn the first thing to do is replace the shoes that created it with a better-fitting pair. Or change the style completely, from a high heel to a kitten heel or ballet flat with a wider toe area.
You can treat the corn with an over-the-counter product such as a corn remover adhesive. This is usually a soft pad with a salicylic acid dot at the center (the size of a small mole). The acid breaks down the tough skin so it can be removed, while the outside pad protects it from happening again. Care must be taken, however, because the acid will also eat the surrounding skin, so you need to place correctly.
Doctor's Aid
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A podiatrist can also remove a corn; she will most likely shave it off with a sharp instrument and then apply a gentle pad or moleskin patch for healing. If you want to avoid this, carefully monitor your feet and buy shoes for comfort instead of fashion.
The Recurring Corn
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Sometimes no matter what you do the corn will return. You could be over-pronating or hyper-pronating---turning your foot as you walk---and the abnormality creates pressure. You may need to try an arch support or an orthotic---a fitting device---inside your shoes.
Folks with poor circulation or diabetes need to be extra vigilant in regards to their feet, as a simple corn can become a serious impediment or a dangerous problem.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit Clipart.com
