Socks! I was getting blisters, granted I'm not a distance runner, but I buy the overpriced running socks and I have not gotten blisters in months!

It's called runner's toe. Have lost several toenails already and only 18 months into being a runner. If you're increasing your speed, you're particularly prone to it as you try to dig in with your toes to go faster. Make a conscious effort to keep the toes relaxed. Good luck.

Anonymous wrote:Thanks. It's the toe right next to my big toe - is that the one you have trouble with? I will try thicker socks and lacing my shoes tighter - that tends to hurt the top of my feet but I will find the right balance.

Does it impact your toenail as well?

(Sorry for the delayed response.) Yes, it's my #2 toe that gets punished too. For laces, the trick might be not just making them tighter all around, but just snugging the bottom section of laces. The goal is to hold the front of your foot in place, so it's less likely to slide forward when your foot hits the ground. That's what I think is happening to me when I have that same problem -- I am landing in a way the causes my foot to slide forward in the shoe and presses the long toe against the front, which ultimately leads to pain/blister/callous.

You also could try experimenting with your running stride and foot strike, to lessen the problem. For me, that means taking shorter strides and lowering my hips, so I'm not landing with as much force on each footfall. Not sure how your stride compares though. I bet if you go to a good running store, and explain the problem, they could help develop a solution. Try Fleet Feet in Adams Morgan or Georgetown Running; I've heard the most good things about them. I've also heard Pacers in Silver Spring is good.

I totally agree with the PPs that if your new running shoes don't feel right, you should take them back ASAP. There are probably shoes that are shaped a little long in the toe area, and a good running store will point you to them. I also think the Body Glide suggestion is a good one to try. If your sore spot is from the toe rubbing, then Body Glide should cure it. OTOH, if it's a toe jamming problem like mine, then Body Glide might not help. Experimentation is good though.

Here's a good website that has a nice discussion of how all this works. http://fellrnr.com/wiki/Blister_Prevention

I have similar issues. I agree that the shoes are probably not too big (if anything, the toe box might be too small). Wearing thicker socks doesn't work for me. Depending on the brand, a full size up might be just right. I wear a full size up in Adidas, but only a half size up in Saucony.

What works for me is to put body glide (or now I use a better product which I think is called Skin Strong) on my feet.

I agree that a good running store will work with you until you find the right pair. Don't be shy about taking them back if they aren't right.

Blech. I completed four marathons and lost toenails every time. The bruising and blistering were impossible for me to avoid. Definitely go to a running store and make sure that you have shoes with a wide toe box and the right amount of room. For me extra-thick socks just made everything too tight.

Good luck. This may just be part of distance running you need to learn to work with.

If you bought the shoes at a running store where the staff member helped you pick them out and watched your stride, I would absolutely take them back for a refund and have them work with you to find a new pair.

Thanks. It's the toe right next to my big toe - is that the one you have trouble with? I will try thicker socks and lacing my shoes tighter - that tends to hurt the top of my feet but I will find the right balance.

Does it impact your toenail as well?

I get that too fairly often -- a blister/callous on my longest toe. My shoes are not too big, so I doubt that's the cause. I think it has to do more with how my foot strikes the ground, and whether my foot is being pushed to the front, especially after long runs. Two suggestions:

1. Wear an extra pair of socks, or extra-thick ones.
2. Make sure your shoelaces are extra-snug. Believe it or not, there are whole webpages where serious runners trade tips on how best to lace shoes.

I recently started running pretty regularly -training for a 1/2 marathon in February. I am not a great runner but figured it was a good, doable goal to shoot for.

I'm running 3 miles a couple times a week, with a longer run on the weekends (5 miles this past weekend). I had old wornout shoes with the tread pretty much gone and knew I needed to get new ones quickly, but I was feeling fine running with no injury issues. I finally got the new shoes last week. They seem fine, the guy in the store watched me run, they feel good, etc. The guy was pulling out a bunch of pairs for me to try and embarrasingly enough I didn't realize what size I ended up buying until I got home. They are an 8.5 - I know you're supposed to go up 1/2 to 1 size but I normally wear a 7 or 7.5 and they feel a little loose. Ugh.

The two runs I've done since I got the new shoes, my toes are bothering me. One toe in particular seems like it might have a blister on the tip and seems bruised under the toenail. The toenail hurts. Could this be because the shoes are too big? Seems odd but the timing is definitely correlated with switching to the new shoes (could be coincidence with a longer run last weekend...)

I hate the thought of buying another pair of new shoes but maybe i'll have to bite the bullet.

thoughts from experience runner?