The shoes you choose to wear are important for a number of reasons. Shoes are an expression of personal style, are a support system for your feet, and can even hold cultural value. Shoes are also an important medical tool; properly fitting and supportive shoes can both prevent and treat a number of issues all over the body. Your toenails are parts of your body that are especially impacted by shoe choice because they are in direct contact with each other! The footwear that you choose can help prevent ingrown toenails from forming, and help them heal if already formed.

Ingrown toenails are formed because of the nail pushing into the side of the toe as it grows. This is more commonplace when the skin of the toe is constantly pressured onto the nail. The most common reason that this happens is because of improper footwear. This makes sense: when shoes are too tight, it can often feel like they’re pushing against your toes. This pressure makes the skin and nail in close contact with each other. When the nail grows while being pressured against the skin like this, it will often grow straight into the skin.

Proper footwear is even more important while playing sports. With repeated physical activity like walking, running, and jumping, the pressure put onto the toe from tight shoes is increased. These short bursts of pressure while wearing tight shoes can injure the toe and increase the likelihood that the nail will puncture the skin. Make sure that you prioritize comfort and fit for shoes used during sports and physical activity. If you have an ingrown toenail or are worried about developing one, you should be advised by a licensed podiatrist. To schedule a consultation with a podiatrist, give us a call at (424)-299-4627 or visit our website for more information.