View Full Version : black big toenail cure ???
Crazy_Al
12-23-2008, 13:06
What do you do to prevent getting black, bloody toenails ???
Would switching to longer shoes help ??
I get bloody toenails from walking downhill.
i always whack'em with a hammer
seriously tho this is news to me i didnt know something like this happend
Make sure your boots/shoes fit properly - should be able to get a couple of fingers behind your heel when boots/shoes are unlaced and your foot slid forward towards the toe.
Cut your toenails prior to hiking. Long toenails will bruise and fall off. Will also be very painful.
Lace your shoes/boots tighter for extended steep downhill. Will keep your foot from sliding forward and jamming your toes.
As with most problems, much easier and less painful to prevent the problem than it is to treat it.
Longer boots could just make it worse, as it is caused by brusing when your foot slides forward. Make sure your shoes fit, wear heavier socks, lace tightly.
I had this happen to me this past July while section hiking. My boots fit properly,but i think my feet werent adjusted to the miles I was covering,and I ended up losing 4 toe nails. 2 little,1 middle,1 bid. The right little one was the worse...my nail actually brike through the skin at the back of the nail and came off!! :eek: That hurt like hell. I may try a different pair of boots and see if I get a different result.
Pedaling Fool
12-23-2008, 13:52
It's no different than sore muscles after weightlifting or running. It's just weakness leaving the body. I get it all the time, I'm about to lose 3 nails from this year's hike; I'd probably wouldn't lose them if I didn't run so much at home.
Big Daddy D
12-23-2008, 14:40
This happens to me every time I hike, no matter what shoes or boots or lace techniques I try. Maybe, some folks have a propensity for this malady, while others get blisters or have knee problems.
Who knows, but I hike on!
Big Daddy D
PS-Looking to continue my section hike of the PCT this summer going north from Walker Pass.
i've had this happen in several different kinds of shoes. i always cut my nails down super short before a hike - that helps alot, but i also tried lacing them tighter around the top to keep my feet from sliding forward on the downhills, but that didn't always work. very frustrating since i'm attached to a couple of pairs, but finally went to merrell siren sports (softer shoes) and haven't had it happen since. thinking about getting a goretex pair of those for the nasty wet winter weather now too.
Blissful
12-23-2008, 15:25
Get boots or runners properly fitted by someone who knows what they are doing - an outfitter or running shop.
Only time it happened to me I was wearing Vasque boots that were a size too large. I've since switched to trail runners (NB 8?? series) I've had no problems.
Jack Tarlin
12-23-2008, 15:36
Some good advice so far.
Lots of hikers lose toe-nails on a long hike and it's nothing to get overly alarmed about.
Usually this happens because of pressure put on the feet (it's worse on steep downhills), and this pressure is exacerbated by boots that don't properly fit. If your shoe isn't wide enough or long enough, or if the front end of the shoe(called the "toe box") is too confining, the pressure will be worse, and eventually, it'll affect your toenails.
How to avoid this:
*Get properly fitted by someone who knows what the hell they're doing. This
will most likely happen at a small independent outfitter and not at a chain
where turnover tends to be high, and employees less knowledgable.
*If the clerk merely takes your word on your size, find another clerk. You
want to be properly measured with a Brannock Device (that black and silver
thing you see in shoe departments).
*Make sure you're wearing the type of socks you'll be hiking in.
*Go boot shopping later in the day, as your feet will actually be bigger then
than they are in the morning. When you shop, try as much as possible to
replicate what your feet are gonna be like on the Trail.
*Give yourself time at the store. Try on a bunch of different things. Never
be in a hurry when you buy boots.
*Don't buy hiking shoes or boots on-line.
*Don't buy all your shoes ahead of time, thinking you can send yourself
the second pair when you need them. This is a nice idea, but it usually
doesn't work out, as several hundred miles down the Trail, your feet will
most likely be at least half a size bigger than they are at the beginning of
your trip. If you buy all your shoes ahead of time, you're likely gonna end up
stuck wearing boots that don't fit anymore.
*If you start to lose more than a few toenails, you might be able to get away
with a thinner sock or insole, but more likely, you'll need to think about a
boot that's a bit longer or wider. Upgrading just a half-size larger can make
an incredible difference to how your shoe fits and feels.
Who needs toenails anyway.
garlic08
12-23-2008, 17:09
All the above, plus try the "heel lock" lacing technique shown here: http://www.activetravelvietnam.com/adventures/hiking/lacing.html
Good luck.
Don't worry about it, it's a hikers badge of honor
buckwheat
12-23-2008, 22:54
All the above, plus try the "heel lock" lacing technique shown here: http://www.activetravelvietnam.com/adventures/hiking/lacing.html
Good luck.
Awesome tip!
My hiking shoes have always felt a little like my foot was moving around too much in them, no matter how tightly I tried to lace them using only a normal everyday lacing technique. These locking techniques really provide extra snugness and seem to keep the shoe tied tighter throughout the hike.
Another poster on another thread was wondering how come hiking boots come with such long laces, and here we find the answer - there are many different ways to tie hiking footwear and some of the ways use up additional lace!
Again ... great tip, dude! You get a dancing banana for that one!
Enjoy:
:banana
I've only had this happen to me once. Long downhill, cold weather, old boots. I was trying to get a few extra miles out of a pair of old comfy boots. I wore them on a weekend trip, and came home with the black toenail as a souvenir. I wore those boots one more time for a day hike at Lehigh Gorge. By the end of that, the second toe on my right foot was throbbing. On my way home, driving southbound on the Northeast Extension, I decided to just keep going and stop at REI with my bad boots and my swollen, hurting feet. I spent some time getting my boots fit properly. Went home and did a web search and learned some different lacing options. Wa-La. No more problems.
But I have to say, I did consider losing that toenail to be a pretty cool thing. It was fascinating watching it turn colors before it rotted enough to just fall off. Must be a hiker thing.
berninbush
12-24-2008, 01:42
I also got a black toenail from shoes that were too big.
I think you get them from shoes that are too small because your toe is always pressing the end, or shoes that are too big because on downhill your foot slides all the way forward and puts pressure on the toenail. So either extreme is bad.
My toenail never fell off. The black part just grew out, with healthy pink nail growing up from the base, until all the black part was gone (about a year later). It was just a short hike so I guess I didn't completely kill it.
Another suggestion I've seen is getting some kind of supportive foot bed for your shoe that keeps your foot from sliding around on hills.
Or you can do what I do... hike in sandals!
mkmangold
12-24-2008, 01:45
"Only real men trepinate their own subungual hematomas"
All the above, plus try the "heel lock" lacing technique shown here: http://www.activetravelvietnam.com/adventures/hiking/lacing.html
Good luck.
I agree that locking the heel in place is probably the most important factor, not only in keeping the toes from bruising, but also for helping to prevent blisters. HERE (http://www.inov-8.com/Lacing.asp?L=27&LID=20) are some excellent ways, well displayed, on the Inov-8 site. The one that shows directly from the link is the one I use.
Here is what some people in the ultra community suggest: TOENAIL REMOVAL SURGERY :eek:
(Warning: Slightly graphic photo...)
http://www.ncultra.org/article.php?story=20070222023829598
WalksInDark
12-28-2008, 16:45
Had enough black toe nails to be able to say that probably a total of 4 toe nails have not recovered.
Many of the above solutions can help...but here are two that really helped me: if you have high arches use (at least) an over the counter arch support----yes, they come in various arch sizes---; if you have any issues with your feet at all & can afford it (about $100) buy orthodics. Lastly, don't ever tie your shoe strings around your ankle....every time you move you tend to loosen the strings.
Lastly, at the beginning of the day, tighten.....2 miles later re-tighten...recheck every couple of hours.
Good Luck!
P.S. Boot manufactures use different size lasts (shoe molds) and have very different shoe boxes; so you might want to find a boot that has a larger shoe box.