Freaky Toes! Argh!

[ComplexTopo]

Very excited to start this program, I'm on week #2. However, I've been reminded of a biological problem I have: my second toes are slightly longer than all the others.

Last spring I tried to take up running (not with this program). After a month or so I had to give it up because both second toenails got too banged up, bruised, and I eventually lost them completely. Keeping the toenails very short didn't seem to help.

Since then, I have new shoes with a roomier toebox and this (more gradual) program to follow, but since I "felt the toes" during week #1, my question is: if I have freaky second toes, should I just give up running now? Has anyone become a successful runner with this problem?

Thanks for any advice!

[benjohn]

I've never heard of that before – thank you!

Well, you know, there are people that go for "barefoot running", and even do it on the streets and roads. There two options with barefoot running. You can either by a kind of foot glove, such as Vibram Five Finger, or you can literally go our barefoot and run along like that – hard core!

The theory behind barefoot is that our bodies are evolved for barefoot running, rather than running in a modern trainer. If you try it out (and please do, because it's very interesting, but do it on a safe surface), you'll find you run in a completely different way without shoes on. Even just running up your hall for three or four strides you can feel it's different.

If you are interested, here are a couple of articles I dug up with a google of "barefoot running":

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/stor ... =123031997
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/moslive ... money.html

Alternatively, I presume it would be possible to get some kind of custom shoe made, but that could get expensive?

I think I'd keep on running and hope I can find a solution

Hope that helps, and good luck!

[Wdk1313]

Hi. I have freaky feet too, well one foot. My right big toe juts out of my foot at about a 40 angle so I likewise can't comfortable wear regular shoes. What I did was, runners shut your ears, buy a pair of flaf, supportive sandals to run in. The previous post about barefoot running sounds pretty intriguing though...

[Oj.]

I'm going go try out the Vibram FF, I don't have freaky toes but I really like the idea of running almost barefoot.