Toe deformities

Hammer toe

A hammer toe occurs when the toe's first and middle joints are straight but the last joint, the one closest to the tip, is bent. The hammer toe does not fit the shoe properly, and this will cause skin thickness and hardening. The fat layer under the ball of the foot typically also slides forward, and the area of the ball of the foot gets sore due to the lack of shock absorption.

Claw toe

A claw toe occurs when the first joint of the toe is straight but the middle and last joints are bent. This will cause skin thickness in the tip of the toe. There will often be problems also in the toenail of the claw toe, and the toe's shape may change towards angular.

Mallet toe

A mallet toe occurs when the first and middle joints of the toe are straight but the last joint is strongly bent. This will cause same symptoms as the claw toe. Mallet toe may be caused simply by wearing too small footwear, because the longest toes touch the tip of the shoe and are forced to bend.

In many cases, the underlying cause of toe deformities is an imbalanced foot and an ankle that has a tendency to rotate inward (overpronation). The toes try to dig into the sole to keep the balance, and with time, this will cause a poor toe alignment.

Unnecessary motion of the toes can be prevented with orthotics, which guide the ankle towards the right position. Wrong patterns of motion can also be unlearned with the help of appropriate exercises, as long as the toe's joints can move freely. Persons who suffer from any toe deformity should take good care of their feet's skin either themselves or by visiting a podiatrist.