How to Keep Toes From Rubbing in Heels

High heels with narrow toes put abnormal pressure on toes and the ball of the foot.

If your toes rub in your high heels, you can develop bunions, corns, blisters and ingrown toenails. Also, high heels affect your posture, which can cause misaligned bones in the ball of the foot, causing a bunion or hammertoes. The pressure on the joints can contribute to Morton's neuroma, a painful condition between the joints. Normally, in flat shoes or barefoot, the center of gravity runs through the legs and spine, and your body weight is balanced between the heel and the ball of the foot. When you wear high heels, the ball of the foot carries up to 90 percent of your body weight and there is more stress on your toes. If your shoes don't fit correctly, your toes can be compressed in a tight toe box, causing rubbing.

Instructions

1. Wiggle your toes inside your shoes while standing. If you can't wiggle them, the toe box is too narrow and your toes will rub against the shoe. Choose high-heeled shoes with a wide toe box. Even if they have a sharply pointed toe, you should have room to wiggle your toes.

2. Wear shoes with a high toe box so that when you are standing the top of the shoe doesn't rub on your toes. This can prevent corns, blisters and ingrown toenails.

3. Buy shoes with cushioned insoles. Padded insoles, especially in the toe area, cushion the force of each step, reducing the pressure on the toes.

4. Change your shoes during the day, and notice whether your feet are swelling. If your feet are swollen, it can cause your toes to rub inside your high heels. Elevate your feet for 15 minutes if they are swollen, or change to slightly larger shoes later in the day when your feet are more likely to be swollen.

Tips & Warnings

• Try shoes on every time you buy new shoes, because your foot size can change. Even in the same size you usually wear, shoes can fit differently and cause your toes to rub.

• If your feet hurt, see a doctor to rule out arthritis and other harmful conditions. If you develop a bunion, arthritis, corns or a neuroma, early treatment can prevent a worsening of the condition.

References

• Podiatry Associates of Belleville, P.C.: Common Foot Ailments
• Cleveland Clinic: Common Foot Problems
• Daily Mail Online: I Had My big Toe Bones Fused Together -- and Now I Can Wear Stilettos Again

Resources

• The Foot Book: A Complete Guide to Healthy Feet ; Jonathan D. Rose and Vincent J. Martorana