For many people who have abandoned their shoes – especially the ones made by Converse – because of how it hurts their toes, this article could just be what you need.
Different ways to stop your Converse rubbing the little toe
Table of Contents
That Converse shoe that hurts your toe can be redeemed. Here are a few tricks and hacks that can help you stop the hurt.
Buy Converse that fits perfectly
The best and simplest way to stop your Converse shoes from hurting your toes is to wear shoes that are actually your size.
You should not wear a shoe that is a size or sizes smaller as that could make your feet fit awkwardly when you wear it.
Wearing a perfect-sized shoe means that your feet sit right where they should, and this causes no pain whatsoever to your toes.
Wear Socks
Another easy way to stop your Converse shoes from hurting your toes is to wear socks. Wearing socks helps to reduce the friction that occurs between your shoes and toes.
Socks go a long way in reducing, or ultimately, stopping your shoes from hurting by acting as a toe protector and providing a cushion between your toes and the shoe.
Use Shoe pads or insoles
As an alternative for socks, using shoe pads or inserting insoles in your shoes can as well provide the protection your toes need.
Shoe pads and insoles provide great help in preventing abrasion in your feet area.
The advantage of using shoe pads or insoles over wearing socks is that; shoe pads and insoles do not protect your toes alone, they equally ensure that the shoes do not hurt your heels or any other part of your feet.
Apply Paper Tape
According to a 2016 study, participants of an ultramarathon discovered that using paper tape on your feet or toes is actually a very effective blister prevention measure.
So, if you have shoes that hurt your toes and you want that to stop, paper tapes can work. To do this, make sure you apply a smooth, single layer of mildly adhesive paper tape over the painful area of your feet.
Make your shoes more comfortable
If you want to stop your shoes from hurting then you should try to make those shoes comfortable for your feet.
Most times when our shoes hurt our toes, it is because the shoes are still new, and may need to be worn a few times to break or soften the initial stiffness.
Making your shoes comfortable and getting your feet familiar helps in reducing the pain you feel to the barest minimum.
Oil your shoes
A very uncommon and quite unknown method to reduce the pain caused by your shoes is to use oil. Oils like massage oil, neatsfoot oil, mink oil, coconut oil, or olive oil work like magic.
Apply any of these oils into the edges of the shoes – especially leather – that hurt your feet. After you do these, you will notice in a few days that the shoes are now softer and less abrasive.
However, many people are skeptical about trying this method because they are concerned about the effects of these oils on the color or durability of the shoe.
If you are also concerned about this then you could try to use a leather conditioner instead of oils.
It can be really frustrating when your favorite Converse shoe causes you pain. How do you manage the pleasure of wearing that stylish and classy shoes and the pain that also comes with them?
I believe that the tips provided above will help you in eliminating the pain that comes with wearing that footwear.
Now is the time to wear that Converse shoes without any worry.
What are the reasons why Converse hurt little toe?
Almost every one of us has worn a shoe that has hurt our toes at some point in our lives, but have you ever wondered what causes this? Why exactly do Converse shoes hurt our little toe?
Here are some answers:
Wrong Size
This is a no-brainer! Once you wear a Converse shoe that is smaller than the size of your feet, your little toe.
In fact, all your toes – will be crammed together and thus cause you pain. Not just smaller shoes, any shoe that is too loose or too tight is capable of hurting your feet. Always ensure that you select a shoe that fits your feet perfectly.
Wrong Shape
This is an area that is often overlooked. If you do not want your shoes to hurt your toes then you should go for shoes that are shaped just like your foot.
People who have a wide foot should ensure that they only wear wide shoes and not pointed shoes, they could end up with shoes that squeeze their toes together and thus, cause pain to the little toe.
Health Issues
A lot of times, people blame their Converse shoes for the pains they feel in their feet or little toe whereas that is not the case.
Sometimes, these people actually have health challenges that they are yet to diagnose or discover.
Health issues like; Diabetes, Plantar fasciitis, Calluses, Metatarsalgia, Morton’s neuroma, Tendinitis, Arthritis, and many more are a few of the medical challenges that can cause pain to your feet or little toe.
Shoe Construction
This is a bit similar to the wrong shape reason but this one is different because while the wrong shape reason talks about how the nose of the shoe is shaped, the shoe construction reason actually refers to the material used in making the shoe.
That pain in your little toe may be from the fact that you are sensitive to some of the materials that were used to make the shoe.
For example, insoles that are too hard or are extra padded may actually irritate your skin and cause you pain because what you need is a firm but soft base to walk perfectly with the shoes.
New Shoes
Your Converse shoes could be hurting your little toes because they are still new. It is normal for shoes to hurt you because they need to sit on your feet for the materials of the shoes to stretch.
While they are stretching and getting into shape to fit your feet, it is possible for them to hurt a little.
Wrong kinds of shoes
This is one reason that people do not pay attention to. A lot of people do not realize that different shoes are created for different activities so it is just appropriate that you match the shoes you wear to the activity they were designed for.
High-heeled shoes can be really cute but they are the wrong shoes to wear when you need to do an exercise. Shoes are only comfortable when they provide the needed arch support and proper shock absorption.
We need not explain that high-heeled shoes can not provide the necessary shock absorption activities like exercises might require.
This just invariably means that your Converse shoes will cause pain for your feet and little toe if you wear them for the wrong kind of activity.
The reasons listed above are just a few of the reasons why your Converse shoes can hurt your little toe. You can, however, avoid dealing with a painful little toe if you would just wear properly sized Converse shoes.
How to make my Converse less tight
What do you do when your Converse shoes become tight? Throw them in the bin or give them out? Or do you continue to wear them whilst enduring the pain that comes with wearing tight shoes?
Well, you do not have to lose your Converse shoes anymore, nor do you have to endure the pains because here are simple ways you can make your shoes become less tight and more comfortable.
The thick socks and hairdryer method
This is a proven and tested method that has helped many people enjoy wearing their shoes. To do this, you need to put on a pair of really thick socks and tie the laces comfortably.
After that, put the hairdryer on medium heat and place it on the tight areas for 20-30 seconds. Ensure that the hairdryer is kept in motion so that you do not burn the leather or excessively dry out one particular area.
If you choose to adopt this method, make sure you apply a moisturizer to the shoes right after.
The frozen ziplock bag method
This method is a really cool, homemade solution to your tight shoes. It is a brilliant solution, although it works best on non-leather shoes.
To do this method, fill a ziplock bag with water halfway and place it inside the shoe. Carefully place the bag inside the shoe near the tight spots and put the shoe – with the bag in it – inside a freezer overnight.
The water in the ziplock bag will turn into ice and expand. The expansion will add a stretch to your shoes.
The Shoe stretch spray method
Having tight shoes has become a normal thing and an almost unsolvable problem. This led to the creation of shoe stretch sprays.
These liquids and sprays help to stretch any shoe material – leather, fabric, or even vinyl. All you have to do is to spray them on the tight areas of your shoes and walk in them.
These are not all the methods but these three (3) are the best, easiest, and fastest.
What should I do when I just buy a new pair of Converse?
Getting a new Converse shoe can bring a different level of excitement.
This excitement and giddy feeling must however be contained because wearing new Converse shoes can come with discomfort and pain.
Not to worry, these are the best tips to help you break into the shoes.
Spray your shoes with water and stain repellent
It does not matter the material with which your Converse shoes are made, it is very good that you do this before you wear them.
Spraying your Converse shoes with water and stain repellent is important because it helps to make stains easier to wipe off, and also ensures that stains do not seep into the fibers of the material.
Repeat this step often, maybe every 2 months, depending on how often you wear the Converse shoes.
Adjust your shoelaces
This might seem like a small and unnecessary activity but it can actually make a huge difference. When you get those new Converse shoes, loosen the laces all the way down and then insert your foot.
Start to redo the laces from the bottom and work it up towards your ankle. After fixing the laces, pull them up until you feel snug (it should not be too tight) fit around your foot.
Adjusting the laces is helpful because it guarantees a secure fit around your foot and also prevents your foot from slipping forward in the shoe.
Break the shoes in the evening
We have to blame gravity for this. Our feet are much smaller when we wake up than in the evening when they will be much bigger and a bit swelled due to our standing on them all day.
The evening time is the perfect time to break your shoes in because this will ensure that your shoes are shaped and molded to the maximum size your feet will be.
Use Shoe-Shapers or shoe trees
If you want to get the best out of your new Converse shoes, you can put shoe-shapers or shoe trees in them at night time.
Shoe-shapers perform the duty of expanding the shoe material in the right spots. Some brands of shoe trees come along with a shoe stretching spray to help expedite the stretching.
Now that we have what to do out of the way, let us slightly mention things to not do;
- Do not rub alcohol on them.
- Do not hit them with a hard object.
- Do not let people with bigger feet wear them.
Converse shoes are a really nice and exotic brand of shoes, although, they hurt our feet sometimes.
However, with this article, we have learned the right steps to take to tackle the pain and help us enjoy our favorite shoes for a long time.
Related topics: