The last thing you’d want in your shoe after investing a good deal of cash on it is the development of holes on it. Unfortunately, the toe section is probably the weakest part of your shoes and certainly the most prone to wear and tear.
Aside from the fact that shoe holes can be immensely uncomfortable, they can also wreak havoc on your feet. Toe holes are disturbing and can even make your shoe irreparable. Not to mention that you can actually harm your toes too.
When your feet slide around inside your shoes, your toes constantly scrub the fore part of the shoes. This mostly leads to wearing out of the section making contact with your toes. Thus, it is better to have preventive measures and combat the creation of these holes rather than fixing them.
These holes are caused by various reasons as mentioned below:
- Slightly bigger toes than normal
- Unreasonably longer toenails
- Friction between your toes and the front end of your shoes
- The shoes have been open to extremely tough conditions.
- The shoes have been in use for quite a long time.
- The built material of the shoes isn’t durable enough.
Whatever the case, these toe holes will make your shoes look old, ragged, and obsolete such that you may not want to wear them outside anymore. They also give room for dirt, dust, and water to pass through, making your shoes even more unpleasant.
These shoe openings may presumably appear irreparable, but luckily, there are several ways in which you can prevent toe holes in your shoes, manage wear traces, and even fix the holes that have just shown up as well. To protect your shoes against toe holes, you can check the tips stated below:
Consider Shoes with Toe Hole Protection
If your feet are shaped somewhat strangely with special sizes, then you might want to consider corrective insoles or orthotics to avoid contact between your toes and the shoes. It’s also an effective way to protect your toes against injuries.
When shopping for your shoes, try to consider those options with toe hole protection inserts. Orthotics are meant to occupy the room inside the shoes. Custom orthotics are prescribed to give support to the feet and enhance even weight distribution.
When using orthotics or insoles, keep in mind that the extra padding or fabric will change the shoe’s fit. For instance, if you put gel liner to your shoes, it will take up some space, which could end up pushing your toes closer to or against the fore part of the shoe, thereby increasing wear in other areas. Alternatively, you can take the shoes to a professional cobbler if they are not designed with these inserts.
Also Read: How To Disinfect Used Shoes?
Choose Shoes With Accommodative Toe Boxes
One main reason for toe holes is poorly sized shoe sections often thin and inadequate to accommodate your forefoot. This is particularly the case if you have bigger and wider toes.
Therefore, you might want to choose shoes with deep toe boxes to give enough room for your toes to avoid friction. An accommodative toe box allows your toes to get proper landing space in the footwear.
It will also enable a better settlement of the toe within the shoe’s forefoot section. Moreover, it will reduce the contacts between your toes and the shoe preventing the occurrence of toe box holes.
Trimmed Toenails
This might not be the most prominent idea, but it is a fact: unreasonably long toenails and composite shoe’s toe box are two things that never go together. Untrimmed toenails or excessively grown toenails will definitely lead to toe box holes.
They might seem very obvious at first, but they keep hitting the front end of the shoes, reducing the shoe toughness and eventually wearing out the toe box. Thus, we recommend trimming your toenails to prevent avoidable holes in your shoes.
Wear Your Shoes With Quality Socks
Good quality running socks will serve as a barrier between the shoes and the toes. This will not only bring more comfort but will also support the longevity of the shoes. Most socks out there, especially those designed for runners, usually have ample padding, which will work well for this purpose.
Nonetheless, any pair of socks will serve well, though, to some extent. The point is to choose a pair of breathable and comfortable socks for the season or occupation and make sure they feel comfortable on your feet.
Moreover, you can wear multiple pairs just in case your existing ones aren’t that much padded. However, this is mostly applicable during wintertime as multiple socks during summer can lead to sweaty feet and unpleasant issues.
Properly Fitted Shoes
Lastly, make sure your shoes fit in your shoes properly. Getting a perfect size shoe can be really tricky, but when you do, your feet will be in heaven. This will also help prevent toe holes in your shoes and enhance the longevity of the shoe.
Shoes that don’t fit properly will cause pain in the feet. They won’t just compromise your posture or subside toe holes, but they will also contribute to pain in your feet and lower back.
It’s also important to maintain your shoes properly. Don’t expose your shoes too much unless designed to bear all the beating in tough conditions and temps. Have the right gear for the right purpose.
For instance, using walking shoes for high impact activities will definitely subside their functionality. Different shoes are designed for different purposes. Therefore you should keep this in mind, so you don’t end up damaging your shoes.
Bottom Line
Now you have the tips at your disposal. By considering all the methods described in this post, you can surely prevent the creation of toe holes in your shoes. This way, you will not only feel comfortable and satisfied, but it will also help you to keep your shoes in good condition and serve you for a greater course. You don’t want to go shopping anytime again sooner due to embarrassing toe holes.