toes always hurt no matter what

[chueh]

I'm not even a serious hiker, but only hike 3 miles each trip on weekends or only one Saturday.  When there are holidays, I hike longer about 7-8 miles the most each time, which only happens once every few months.

My husband always hikes with me together, yet his feet and toes are baby-like.  At first, I thought that hiking boots must have been the faults, so I kept changing shoes.  I do wear the correct size shoes.  However, shoes do not seem matter to my feet and toes.  Nothing improve.  As I hike regularly on the weekends, the tenderness has become worse.  I did not have any injuries to my toes, yet as you can see from the pictures, my big toenails have become with a trauma-like growing condition.  I don't really care about how my toenails look like, yet the pain and tenderness getting worse with the proof of the toes being traumatized makes me worried.  I don't want to take a break; I love hiking.  However, my toes seem getting worse.

Are there ways to protect my toes??  I pretty much just need some advice to protect them and prevent them from getting hurt.......  Does applying Vaseline help?  My husband has always used it every time right before he puts his socks on.  I tried yet it did not seem helping me...

Any input will be appreciated.  Thanks

[Aaron Zagrodnick]

Sorry to hear! What kind of shoes and socks? Are you sure they have enough space for your toes? I like to have say, about an inch or so of space from the end of my big toe and a wide toebox.

[balzaccom]

Aaron is right.  For hiking, you need more room at the end of your shoes for your toes.  The fact that you have bruising on the ends of your toes and on top of your toenails tells me that your boots are too short! Note that it is the longest of your toes that is taking the brunt of the damage.  

Step up a size in boots, and I bet this problem will disappear.  

One additional suggest--lave up your boots nice and tight.  That will keep your feet from sliding forward and hammering into the toes of your boots.  Most hikers do this as a habit when they start a long downhill stretch, for exactly that reason.  

So get larger boots, lace them up snug, and I bet your problems will be solved. 

Edited January 29 by balzaccom

[ppine]

Bigger shoes and tighter laces.  Your feet swell with exertion and gains in elevation.