Big toe pinch in high heels

[May]

Does anyone have any tips to avoid the pain?
My closed tie stilettos are causing some pain on the sides of both my big toes when I wear them.

Is there some kind of way to elevate the pressure?

[Eryn]

Does anyone have any tips to avoid the pain?
My closed tie stilettos are causing some pain on the sides of both my big toes when I wear them.

Is there some kind of way to elevate the pressure?

They make an adhesive pad that goes in front of the ball of your foot to help keep your toes from being jammed into the toe box.

However, there are many shoes that simply don't have enough room for your (or anyone else's) toes. It's called "style" and it hurts.

After a bout of toe numbness that lasted for months I am much more selective about my heels. They don't have to be Hush Puppies, but if they hurt when I first put them on I don't expect them to get any better so I put them back on the shelf no matter how wonderful they look!

[AllieSF]

I second Eryn's recommendation. I also suggest a good pedicure and have them really clean out the edges of each big toe. I thought I was getting an ingrown toe nail once and mentioned it to my nail tech. She went to work on my big toes and eliminated the pain. Now when they start hurting I get a good pedicure. Only thing is, that does not make a bad fitting shoe fit better. Good luck.

[suzy1]

Yes, open toe stilettos.
I wear nothing else.

[Tina B.]

We must suffer for beauty, or bad fitting shoes! Some shoes are just so cute, women put up with the pain for fashion, most men don't have that much dedication to the art of dressing.
Tina B.

[ronda]

i agree with Suzy open toe strapy sandels work very well Hugs Ronda
p.s. nice legs Suzy

[Krististeph]

You have to do this only a little at a time- but i've slit the leather down by the seams on tight shoes- let the leather stretch out. If you look close- you can see what was done, but unless you plan on modeling in the shoes- minor changes like this can 'open' up the shoe and ease the pain- and if you do not overdo it at first- you'll find the right amount balanced with a barely noticable change.

Women do this more than we realize- look at the girl in th blue dress in this video- this must have been her prom dress or something- look at how far it is zipped up in back- not all the way- this dress is too small for her, sound like a familiar story? But she wears it in a music video none the less.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yYAOUc7YBE

You can always cover up any exposed edges with a colored marker to match the leather, or shoe dye....

[Stephenie S]

Price often has something to do with quality. And quality has something to do with comfort. Are you shopping for shoes at Payless? What do you expect? Are you transferring nothing from your guy life? A good quality men's shoe cannot be had for $29.95, and neither can you get a good, cheap women's shoe.

I don't wear heels at all anymore, but I don't own a shoe that costs less than $120. I am on my feet for most of my workday, and there is no way I could wear a cheap pair of shoes. There is a reason why a stylish and well made pair of heels can cost $400.

Open toes can give you a bit less pain and a good pedicure can help a lot. Those are both good suggestions. But nothing can substitute for quality in a shoe. Be good to your feet. They hold you up all day long and you want them to last your whole life.

S

[Wildaboutheels]

High heels or running shoes makes no difference. That is simply your bodies way of telling you BAD CHOICE! Wrong shoe.

Would getting a blister and having to limp around for 2 or 3 days make it worth it?

I have heard that real leather can be stretched somewhat, but rarely anything that is synthetic.

[Cindy M]

I always wear open toe shoes just because of toe crowding. Always wear them around the house for a while to make damn sure you can wear them for extended periods. I wore shoes similar to the ones in Suzy's picture last week. I went to the mall and wore capris and the shoes with no hose. I had a blister across both big toes before the shopping trip was over. I feel our feet are shaped differently and we have to allow some extra room.

[sterling12]

I have been told by a GG I know that those pumps with the elongated toe area actually pinch the feet more than standard pumps. She thinks they deliberately narrow the front of the shoe to make it look even longer and more elegant.

And, a Tip if you can't buy $300 Shoes as a regular thing. Whether at WallyWorld, or El-Cheapo Shoe Outlet, they make a wider version of most of the available styles. Normal width on a woman's shoe is a "B", and that's very narrow for most men. If you get the same size with A "W" next to the number size, you might have a lot less pain. The W's for women are at least a "C" Width, and sometimes as much as a "D". Women's feet are getting bigger and wider, but I think they know about us, and that's a further inducement to increase all the dimensions in their lines.

Peace and Love, Joanie

[Lorileah]

If they are real leather you can stretch them 1/2 width with a shoe stretcher. If they are pointed I would get rid of them (but that is personal...do we really need to make our feet look like skis?). The pointy toes thing has been around for a long time. Usually only your g people wear them. In the Mexican cowboy culture the longer the toe the better to the point where they actually curl. Round toe pumps are sexy. open toe pumps are sexy. peep toe pumps are sexy. With all those choices why hurt?

[RainyNightGirl]

If they are real leather you can stretch them 1/2 width with a shoe stretcher. If they are pointed I would get rid of them (but that is personal...do we really need to make our feet look like skis?). The pointy toes thing has been around for a long time. Usually only your g people wear them. In the Mexican cowboy culture the longer the toe the better to the point where they actually curl. Round toe pumps are sexy. open toe pumps are sexy. peep toe pumps are sexy. With all those choices why hurt?

I totally agree, especially the part about skis LOL. Thats exactly what I thought. I like rounded or almond toe pumps, although peep toes are growing on me (or my bunion LOL).

I think Ninewest shoes are reasonably comfortable for a little bit more than Payless, there normal width is sufficient for me and they have a good selection on wide widths as well in a size 12.

Also one other trick I have seen, is to get a little plastic bag (like you use at the airport for liquids), fill it with water and make sure it seals, then place that into the toe part of your shoe and place in the deep freeze. As the water freezes it will expand and stretch the shoe a little. Just remember to leave out for a few moments to defrost before you remove the baggie.

Good luck
Natasha x

[Sophistic8d_grl]

For Those About To (Stretch), I Salute You!


I am sure you mean to "alleviate" the pressure ;p The absence of spell-check here (in combination with nails) has caused me to return to more than one post! Not everyone will have the ability to spend alot of money on shoes they may only wear occasionally. Even those that do have the ability, may still choose not to. I believe that if you search around, you can find good to great quality at significantly less than full price (plus you can buy more!). Last season's, poorly selling and other surplus stock may still be just what you're looking for. In my area, Nordstrom Rack and Off 5th (Saks) have the very same brands/styles some pay 5x as much for elsewhere (they also have fantastic return policies!). Here is a link for product which may be helpful in addition to actual shoe-stretcher devices: http://www.asseenontvguys.com/liquid-shoe-stretcher.aspx .

As I've not tried this, I would advise seeking the customer reviews of such a product (eBay, Amazon...).

[Persephone]

We must suffer for beauty, or bad fitting shoes! Some shoes are just so cute, women put up with the pain for fashion, most men don't have that much dedication to the art of dressing.
Tina B.

I think Tina is right. We aren't blessed with the strength of dedication to looking nice and retreat far more often in the face of minor annoyances.

Hugs,
Persephone.

[suzy1]

Following on from the post I did above with the picture of my open toed heels. I often wear these very heels [4” stilettos] for several hours without any discomfort at all.

The right style and fit and you should have no trouble. I am nothing special but I have no problems.:strugglin

[Esteafanie]

Been there, felt that. Like earlier replies, the perfect shoe makes matches confort. Although anywhere from 4-6" are my favs, they doe get painful after a night's out wear. The only advice, stick to frozen stretching, works like a charm!!!

Love the site!!! XOXOXO

[Eryn]

Price often has something to do with quality. And quality has something to do with comfort. Are you shopping for shoes at Payless? What do you expect? Are you transferring nothing from your guy life? A good quality men's shoe cannot be had for $29.95, and neither can you get a good, cheap women's shoe.

I don't wear heels at all anymore, but I don't own a shoe that costs less than $120. I am on my feet for most of my workday, and there is no way I could wear a cheap pair of shoes. There is a reason why a stylish and well made pair of heels can cost $400.

I used to have this philosophy, but that was before the manufacturers figured out that you could make the shoes cheaply in China, slap the same brand label on them, and sell them for the same high price as before. That's what happened to the Vasque shoes that I used to happily pay $160 for. As soon as they stopped making them in Italy shoes that used to last two years of regular wear started to fall apart in six months. They are essentially making Chinese knockoffs of their own product but selling them for full price!

Unless she is full-time or quite wealthy a CDer is unlikely to buy expensive fashion shoes. I have found comfortable women's shoes that weren't expensive. In fact, my most comfortable pumps came from Payless!

The only "secret" I've found is to hit the shoe racks and try on a lot of shoes. Eventually you'll find that "perfect storm" of style, fit, and price. I recall one time I was just browsing at DSW and I found a pair of calf-high Anne Klein boots. Just for the heck of it I slipped them on and found to my amazement that they fit me very well! They were priced at $27 or so! Mimi was with me and said "If you don't buy them you will regret it!" so I took them home. She was right, I've worn them several times since even though I don't often wear heels when I'm out in public.

[drushin703]

for stephenie s. In defense of Payless. I too suffered mightily this past saturday night with those 5 inch heeled, 1 inch platform, black, opened toed,
paten-leather,size 13 cuties from payless. I got so many compliments on my tall heels and my short, short skirt. When I finally got home and walked from
the garage to the side door of my house, tears were streaming down my face they hurt so damn bad...Sorry, no advice from me..beauty hurts..dana.

[cathie pantyhose]

1/2 a size bigger but i wear a womans 10 so its easy for me
shoe stretch
round toe heels although the pointy toes are so much cuter and sexier
open toes are great except when its 15 outside
figure out the right heel size. not all heels are created equal

[Lori B]

I got these for the Summer and they are real comfy>

[May]

Thanksfor the input.
Mine are round toed 5 inch heels. What is the padding called and where can i buy one?

[AllieSF]

I do not know where you live (country) but in the USA any large drug store chain will have a section for foot care. In that section you will find ointments and other over the counter medications for foot care, as well as a good section of shoe inserts for men and women, for heels, flats, plus moleskin, a beige padding that can be cut to fit and stuck to your skin or the inside of the shoe to pad specific sore spots when wearing certain shoes. The pads for the ball of your feet are sometimes a stiff foam, sometimes gels pads. I have a plastic shopping bag filled with an assortment of products, shapes and sizes, that I search through when a pair of shoes are giving me trouble. Sometimes one works and another time it doesn't. It is just a matter of trial and error and putting up with an imperfect situation (painful too).

[ChristineM]

We just recently had a thread where some sang the praises of Insolia. I've bought a pair but haven't tried them out yet. They are supposed to shift you weight off the ball of your foot and onto your heel.

http://insolia.com/?gclid=CIXc4bGJ77ACFWyHtgodsBQbxg

[May]

Ooooh, could you please let us know how it goes?
Im thinking of perhaps putting a little tape at the front of my big toe to pad it. Little

[bimini1]

for stephenie s. In defense of Payless. I too suffered mightily this past saturday night with those 5 inch heeled, 1 inch platform, black, opened toed,
paten-leather,size 13 cuties from payless. I got so many compliments on my tall heels and my short, short skirt. When I finally got home and walked from
the garage to the side door of my house, tears were streaming down my face they hurt so damn bad...Sorry, no advice from me..beauty hurts..dana.

These are the exact same shoes I was talking about in another thread. Made by a company called brash or komet for payless. Only my pair is closed toed. Bought a stretcher and some liquid but these gems won't give a millimeter. I have been wearing them around the house still no dice. But they are soooo friggin' HOT I cannot bring myself to resell them on ebay.
I know, pathetic right?