Why are there holes in my shoes underneath my big toes?

May 2, 2009 6:38 AM

Most shoes I wear tend to wear out rapidly underneath my big toes. To the point that a hole wears through the insole and, on some shoes, the footbed cracks or collapses.

It has happened with various styles and brands of shoes. The Doc Martens I had were the worst case. There was no insole to wear out first so when the footbed cracked and caved the shoe was worthless. I have some pretty big calluses on the inside edges of my toes. I have to assume that this might be part of my problem. I'm working on those and on one foot it is mostly gone. In thinking about it I suppose it could also just be a function of how I walk.

posted by ericales to health & fitness (11 comments total)

There isn't actually a question here. Do you want advice on how to keep this from happening?
posted by ocherdraco at 7:29 AM on May 2

You have the calluses on your toes for the same reason your shoes wear there--it's the way you walk. You can have a gait analysis done--either at a podiatrist or at a boutique sports store or any retailer and have insoles made that balance your gait and prevent this from happening.
posted by liketitanic at 7:36 AM on May 2

Yes, I would like to figure out a way to prevent this from happening.
posted by ericales at 8:17 AM on May 2

Have you tried a pair of inserts? At the very least replacing them would be cheaper then replacing shoes. It might also help balance your foot more and keep you from rubbing/pressing more with your toes.
posted by royalsong at 8:34 AM on May 2

How about - could you glue a piece of something flexible that would resist abrasion over the bottom of the sole? I'm thinking Tyvek, fiberglass cloth, kevlar cloth, et cetera. (The last two can be bought online or from some auto and marine supply stores, because they're used for body work.) And maybe spray over it with some sort of rubberizing or other grip-creating substance.

I've never tried this but I have a similar problem with the heels of my shoes wearing away so I'd be curious to try it.
posted by XMLicious at 8:36 AM on May 2

I ought to note that with my preceding idea, unless you re-applied something to make it grip regularly, the shoes would probably cause you to be especially liable to slip on ice and other slippery surfaces.
posted by XMLicious at 8:39 AM on May 2

royalsong, even with good inserts, I have some Spenco ones that are great, the footbed will still collapse underneath it. The insole/insert will likely be a bit worn in the same spot but there's a cavity that develops below it.

XMLicious, if I'm reading your answer correctly it's not the exterior sole that is the problem, it's the inside of the shoe that breaks down.
posted by ericales at 8:41 AM on May 2 [1 favorite has favorites]

I wouldn't recommend going to a shoe store, but I will second the recommendation to seek help from a podiatrist. Shoe inserts, special training exercises, even Yoga can help; the best thing is to get the best advice from someone who deals with foot related issues all day.
posted by TeatimeGrommit at 9:08 AM on May 2

You are over-pronating, probably to a degree that normal over-the-counter inserts won't help. This isn't a problem with poor-quality shoes, this is a matter of you wearing shoes that are designed for a neutral gait, which you don't have. On the one hand, you could buy specialised supportive shoes, but unless you really don't care about fashion and are 98 years old, that probably isn't the best option. You probably need orthotics. They're expensive, but they are often covered by insurance.
posted by Kololo at 9:20 AM on May 2

I was looking at myself walking just now and remembered that I my feet tend to point outward, like a duck, as my wife would say. Perhaps this compounds things.
posted by ericales at 10:26 AM on May 2

my feet tend to point outward, like a duck

If your feet evert, it's a good sign that you're out of physical alignment. Your shoes wearing unevenly would tend to confirm it.

I've gotten amazingly good results from Egoscue-method physical alignment therapy. Your local library may have a copy of one of his books (either Pain Free or The Egoscue Method of Health Through Motion, which would let you try it for free.

(I love Egoscue. It's made such a difference for me that I have to bite my tongue not to go evangelizing it to total strangers. After 15 years of recurrent back pain, it was the exercises in Pain Free that let me finally get off the Vicodin six weeks into an immobilizing bout of sciatica. Haven't had another round of back pain in the year since. My feet used to evert, too. Now they don't. And I look taller. I don't want to be obnoxious, but really, check out the book.)
posted by Lexica at 6:19 PM on May 2 [1 favorite has favorites]