Further information about hyperextension of the distal phalanx

Hyperextension of the distal phalanx or, for us non-foot experts, overextension of the big toe. It is often the body’s way of compensating for the reduced movement in the main big toe joint area. The problem of big toe holes in your footwear is not the sort of topic brought up in conversation, so people are not aware of the number of the population that suffer from this problem. Experts estimate that as many as 1 in 5 people have this issue and it can be an annoying and expensive problem.

A few of the regularly mentioned reasons for big toe holes are explained below:

Cut your toe nails: Surely it’s your Hobbit style toe nails that cause big toe holes. Not true: Even short, neatly trimmed, toe nails will still cause big toe holes to form – it is the big toe continually rubbing against the fabric that causes the hole, not a sharp toe nail.

Correct size: Your footwear is too small. Go half a size bigger to solve the big toe problem. Not true: Half a size bigger will put the big toe hole half a size further from the end of your shoe.

Laced / fastened securely: When walking or running, if footwear isn’t laced / fastened securely enough, the foot can move down your footwear and the big toe can hit the end, causing a hole. Not true: However, correctly laced / fastened shoes are important to ensure you have a comfortable time in your footwear.