A couple of months ago my big toes were very sore when I walked in shoes or slippers. The skin around the nail beds on the side closest to my second toes was a little inflamed. Bad news for my walking lifestyle. I made an appointment with the podiatrist, who was very helpful with his diagnosis and treatment.
It turns out that my second toes overlap and push up against my big toes when I stride, causing a significant amount of pressure on a small area of my big toe. So much so that it causes discomfort. The podiatrist suggested wearing toe separators with footwear, and soaking my feet in epsom salts at night.
Soaking my feet was easy, and it helped a little, but the pressure build-up in my shoes persisted, and so did the discomfort. I wasn’t keen on toe separators because my past experiences haven’t been good. But I felt I had little choice, so I began my search for toe separators that are subtle, discreet, and streamlined.
Eventually, I landed on the right toe separators for my feet. They even mention them as a way to offset toe overlap in the description. They are small, breathable, well designed pieces of foam that I insert between my big and second toe when wearing shoes. So one toe separator per foot. As soon as I used them, my big toes were relieved of pressure and the discomfort subsided. I was back to walking my fast walk in no time, and no more soaking in epsom salts. It’s remarkable how well they work. I’m impressed! I wear them daily, and in all pairs of shoes except in at-home supportive slippers and some pairs of sneakers.
I’ve gotten good at keeping the separators between my toes as I slide bare feet into shoes. They don’t slip off or move position. They stay put while I stride too. I suspect it will be easier in the colder months when I wear knee-highs with boots and loafers because the constriction of the knee-highs will hold the separators in place.
Maybe you have good experiences with toe separators too?
