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| Overlapping Toes |
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If your toes appear crooked or misshapen, especially the big toe, chances are you have hammertoes, also known as clawed toes, crooked toes or mallet toes.
Some people may also be diagnosed with a different form of hammertoes called overlapping toes, which can form on your feet regardless of age or sex.
Overlapping toes, when your toes rest on top of each other, can cause discomfort due to friction. Sufferers can relieve pain by wearing shoes with a wide toe box, or by adding supports like gel toe straighteners, gel toe caps and toe comps to keep toes separated.
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| Causes of Hammertoes and Overlapping Toes: |
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A muscle imbalance from an unnatural walk can cause overlapping toes.
Other common causes of overlapping toes include:
- Ill-fitting shoes that put pressure on the toes in an unnatural way.
- High-arched feet where the tendon on the top of the foot pulls back on the toes.
Another factor that can contribute to your development of overlapping toes is genetics. Find out if your mother, father, siblings, etc. have overlapping toes, and – if so – take precautions to avoid them. |
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| Relieving and Preventing Overlapping Toes: |
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The easiest way to avoid developing hammertoes and overlapping toes, especially if you have flat feet, is to make sure your shoes have a wide toe box. Shoes that provide extra depth and more room help relieve the pressure put on feet from standing and walking.
Other ways to treat hammertoes and overlapping toes include:
- Use corn pads and cushions for temporary relief from pain caused by friction.
- If your hammertoes stem from flat feet, shoe inserts and orthotics can help provide support, encouraging the muscles to work together as a team.
If you have overlapping toes or hammertoes, and your toes look severely bent and cannot be straightened out with treatment, surgery may be required. See a podiatrist for a consultation.
Information on foot, leg and lower body health conditions provided by The Podiatry Institute, dedicated to advancing the standard of care in podiatric medicine and its effects on muscoskeletal health. |
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| Disclaimer for Health Content Pages |
FootSmart lower body health condition content pages describe general principles of healthcare that should not in any event be construed as specific instructions for individual consumers. This material is not intended as a guide to self-medication or as a substitute for proper medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. This healthcare content is for reference only and should not be used to determine treatment for specific medical conditions – only a healthcare provider can do that.
You should discuss the information provided with a podiatrist, physician or other licensed healthcare professional, and make sure to read any product information (including package inserts) regarding dosage, precautions, warnings, interactions and contraindications before administering or using any device, support, brace, compression hosiery, shoes intended for use by diabetics, skincare product, herb, vitamin or supplement discussed on this site.
Proper treatment of lower body health conditions depends upon a number of factors, including, but not limited to, your medical history, diet, lifestyle and medications that may be taking. Your healthcare provider can best assess and address your individual healthcare needs. |
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