8 Tips To Prevent Sore Toes After Running

Sore toes after running long distances really hamper a training schedule. Solve your toe pain from running w/ 8 simple tips to get ready for race season!

Every runner has issues with their running toes at times.

When you first start running, developing calluses on your toes is unavoidable. These calluses help protect toes from blisters in those areas.

When I ran my first full marathon, I ended up with horrible throbbing in my first two toes on each foot. I could not wear shoes for days.

After experiencing this, I dived into articles about running and toe problems, and I asked questions at the local running shoe store. I came up with some information to help, along with trial and error.

I am so happy to say that after running my second marathon– following these tips- I had zero toe problems. I was pain-free and thrilled. I hope they help you too.

8 Tips To Prevent Sore Toes From Running

1. Make sure your socks are big enough
   • Your socks need to cover your foot with extra room to stretch and still not be tight. Your feet swell, especially with long runs. Pay attention to how your feet feel in your socks. Make sure there is room in the toe area to accommodate for swelling.
2. Keep your toenails cut short
   • Make sure your toenails are short and square.
3. Buy at least a size up from your regular shoe size
   • Go to a running shoe store and get sized if possible. Due to your feet swelling as you run, you need to go up at least one size in your running shoes. I have found that 1 1/2 sizes up work best for me.
4. Check to make sure your shoe toe-box area does not have stiff trim or other stiff areas running across the vamp portion of the shoe over affected toes.
   • Change brands of shoes if needed to avoid this issue. There was a seam running across my second toes that may have contributed to sore toes.
5. Check your laces
   • While you do not want to have your shoes tied too tightly, you want to make sure your shoelaces are tight enough so your feet don’t slide forward. Finding the right way to tie your shoes is an important item to consider.
6. Vaseline
   • While applying Vaseline to other problem areas (Vaseline is cheap and works just as well as all those other fancy anti-chaffing products) also put some on the toes that blister.
7. Check your posture
   • Concentrate on making sure you are looking ahead, not down at your feet. This causes a lot of added pressure on your toes. Adjust your posture and stand tall with your shoulders relaxed. Continue to think about this and check your body posture at each mile marker.
8. Relax
   • Make sure to let your feet relax. As you tense up during a race, your toes tense up as well. Uncurl your toes and let your feet do the work the way they should.