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Search 69,459 Camino Questions

A camino aborted (or maybe completed) plus bonus toe question

Time of past OR future Camino
2022 SJPP-Cruz de Ferro
Well, I didn't quite go as far as I'd hoped. Done in by foot troubles just as my body was adapting to daily walking. Yet, by virtue of being on the camino, a major issue I'd been struggling with for the last two years resolved itself. I wasn't there to force my will or influence the situation, and I'm free at last from it. A camino miracle? possibly. but i'll take it either way.
Now for toe question. Left baby toe now black and blue. I felt pain the second day, but ignored it as I didn't see a blister. cause poor fitting footwear? I wore ankle high boots, keen, large toe box, admittedly not very well broken in. Will seriously research the threads re trail runners upon my return. any thoughts greatly appreciated, however.
 
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Good to hear you got something positive from your "failure". As Teddy said "The honour belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose little toe is marred by dust and sweat and blood...."
Give the trail runners a go. My ankle issues melted away. But don't do it half heartedly . Get a pair of the lightest cross country running shoes you can find. I've never looked back since buying my first pair of Speedcross runners
Ultreia
 
I love my Topo Athletic Runventures. Low stack, no rise, wide toe box. Wear with Ininji toe liners and woolen socks
 
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Well done on your achievements - and they ARE achievements, don't ever think otherwise.
Long distance walking, whether on a Camino or not, is a wonderful way think through problems and to come to terms with situations that you've been struggling with....it works for me!
Re: footwear. This year I walked in Salomon trail shoes: grippy sole, sufficiently supportive, and fairly lightweight. Personally (and it is personal) I wouldn't consider boots for anything other than walking over very rough terrain.
Have a look at the LDWA website forum for ideas on footwear.
Good luck!
 
Black & blue bruising is usually caused by one of two things, both involve trauma. It is caused by broken blood vessels or capillaries under the skin. For them to have ruptured requires trauma of some sort.

Did you strike the toe, or catch it on a piece of furniture while barefoot or in socks? Think back... Could this trauma have happened before the Camino? It sometimes can take several days for the bruising to appear. Everyone is different.

If you broke the toe, it will hurt and will be tender. But there is precious little you can do to repair it. I have broken most of my toes over the years. I walk into chests of drawers and door frames quite a lot...😱But the doctors keep telling me to just protect (cushion or splint) it until it heals.

I would resist changing your footwear until you sort this out. Final point, if you are diabetic, Type I or II, have a doctor check this ASAP. Circulatory problems are common.

Hope this helps.
 
Well, I didn't quite go as far as I'd hoped. Done in by foot troubles just as my body was adapting to daily walking. Yet, by virtue of being on the camino, a major issue I'd been struggling with for the last two years resolved itself. I wasn't there to force my will or influence the situation, and I'm free at last from it. A camino miracle? possibly. but i'll take it either way.
Now for toe question. Left baby toe now black and blue. I felt pain the second day, but ignored it as I didn't see a blister. cause poor fitting footwear? I wore ankle high boots, keen, large toe box, admittedly not very well broken in. Will seriously research the threads re trail runners upon my return. any thoughts greatly appreciated, however.
No matter how much one trains, it isn't the norm to walk those distances every day for weeks - your feet will swell. I always wore footwear half a size bigger than my normal shoe size. Never had a black toe or blister. Did complete CF and went back twice for 500km each time. Well done on what you achieved and we hope to see you back again to wish you
Buen Camino!
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
I've had toe problems from having too small shoes. My feet swell after walking about 3 hours with a pack, and my feet got bigger as my muscles got stronger after walking for a few weeks. -- So... try this. Take the inserts (insoles) out of your shoes, put them on the floor, and step on them. If your feet overlap the inserts, your shoes are pushing (supporting) your feet into the shape of the insert. Where they are pushing, they are rubbing and constricting your feet. I will hazard a guess and say that your little toe is most likely not on the insert when you stand on it. --Women are used to shoes that "support" our feet being squashed (held). If you have a shoe that fits you should be able to use all of your foot muscles for walking. You should be able to move all of your toes. Men's toe box is bigger than most (all?) of women's. (I started inspecting shoes every time I set mine with others upon entering an albergue.) Men's regular shoes in the US are a D width. Women's regular shoe width is a B. -- I now wear men's shoes for walking, US size 8. Good luck!
 
Black & blue bruising is usually caused by one of two things, both involve trauma. It is caused by broken blood vessels or capillaries under the skin. For them to have ruptured requires trauma of some sort.

I would resist changing your footwear until you sort this out. Final point, if you are diabetic, Type I or II, have a doctor check this ASAP. Circulatory problems are common.

Hope this helps.
I agree that if your little toe is black and blue and is painful this sounds like trauma. It’s pretty easy to break those little buggers, and they hurt like heck when broken. When I’ve had broken toes in the past, shoes with stiffer soles actually felt better, since they took some of the pressure off the toes when pushing off.
 
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I found my very light mid height boots protected my curly little toes beautifully as the boots were big enough for double layering of socks and wide enough to wiggle, PLUS the big bonus that wearing boots cured my pre existing ankle tendonitis completely by day 3 and I had zero injuries or blisters along the Frances. I believe that the lock lacing I tightened on every down hill helped immeasurably by holding the foot firmly back in the boot, anchored at the ankle (and not the hind foot as in a shoe) , which for me worked to stop any rubbing or movement at the front against the toe box. My Saloman trail runners just don't work the same way for me.
 
If you are a pilgrim, sooner or later you become the 'walking wounded." It, like rain and mud, is a seminal part of the Camino experience, at least in my experience and opinion.

In 2018, while in a hostal on the Invierno, I nearly chopped the final 1/2 inch from one of my pinky fingers (left). It got caught in a double-hung window sash that dropped on it like a guillotine. It was nasty to look at, a REAL pain...kept me up for several nights. But, I managed to stop the bleeding enough to see it was not severed, just VERY crushed. I was able to splint it and just CM....continue the mission...

On arrival at Santiago, I showed it to SYates, a former nurse. Even she cringed at the sight of it. I consider that a professional opinion...

Funny thing, in the end, I didn't even lose the nail... Now, it is just about all grown out and presentable. But it still tells me when rain is coming... I guess that on balance, that is a good thing.

Let's all just thank our lucky stars that medical treatment is commonly available to us. "Back in the day" we would likely hobble into Santiago possibly missing digits...
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
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Bruising ("black and blue") can result from the walking. Walking so many kms is trauma enough for many toes. I agree with the above advice to see a doctor if you have medical issues but wearing protective soft and padded shoes and resting for a month will probably see that black and blue fade away. Mine did anyway. Congratulations on your camino☺️
 
Is there anything tight around your toe that may be causing a lack of circulation? It could be a toe sock, band aid? Is there something inside your footwear that is causing pain on your toe? Did you bang or twist it? I know a lot of questions but just trying to get through the easy ones.
 
Black & blue bruising is usually caused by one of two things, both involve trauma. It is caused by broken blood vessels or capillaries under the skin. For them to have ruptured requires trauma of some sort.

Did you strike the toe, or catch it on a piece of furniture while barefoot or in socks? Think back... Could this trauma have happened before the Camino? It sometimes can take several days for the bruising to appear. Everyone is different.

If you broke the toe, it will hurt and will be tender. But there is precious little you can do to repair it. I have broken most of my toes over the years. I walk into chests of drawers and door frames quite a lot...😱But the doctors keep telling me to just protect (cushion or splint) it until it heals.

I would resist changing your footwear until you sort this out. Final point, if you are diabetic, Type I or II, have a doctor check this ASAP. Circulatory problems are common.

Hope this helps.
Well, I didn't quite go as far as I'd hoped. Done in by foot troubles just as my body was adapting to daily walking. Yet, by virtue of being on the camino, a major issue I'd been struggling with for the last two years resolved itself. I wasn't there to force my will or influence the situation, and I'm free at last from it. A camino miracle? possibly. but i'll take it either way.
Now for toe question. Left baby toe now black and blue. I felt pain the second day, but ignored it as I didn't see a blister. cause poor fitting footwear? I wore ankle high boots, keen, large toe box, admittedly not very well broken in. Will seriously research the threads re trail runners upon my return. any thoughts greatly appreciated, however.
Hi Alicia
Well, I didn't quite go as far as I'd hoped. Done in by foot troubles just as my body was adapting to daily walking. Yet, by virtue of being on the camino, a major issue I'd been struggling with for the last two years resolved itself. I wasn't there to force my will or influence the situation, and I'm free at last from it. A camino miracle? possibly. but i'll take it either way.
Now for toe question. Left baby toe now black and blue. I felt pain the second day, but ignored it as I didn't see a blister. cause poor fitting footwear? I wore ankle high boots, keen, large toe box, admittedly not very well broken in. Will seriously research the threads re trail runners upon my return. any thoughts greatly appreciated, however.
Hi Alicia
Well done and goid
Well, I didn't quite go as far as I'd hoped. Done in by foot troubles just as my body was adapting to daily walking. Yet, by virtue of being on the camino, a major issue I'd been struggling with for the last two years resolved itself. I wasn't there to force my will or influence the situation, and I'm free at last from it. A camino miracle? possibly. but i'll take it either way.
Now for toe question. Left baby toe now black and blue. I felt pain the second day, but ignored it as I didn't see a blister. cause poor fitting footwear? I wore ankle high boots, keen, large toe box, admittedly not very well broken in. Will seriously research the threads re trail runners upon my return. any thoughts greatly appreciated, however.
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
I had the same thing and I got great advice while walking. Although I also wore keens (hiking shoe version) I still needed the extra room in my toe box area. I was told that my problem was that I had developed a blister under my nail. So I was told to take my laces out and re-lace my shoes starting one row up from the bottom. It made a huge difference and the pressure around my little toes was released. I am going to lose my nail now that I am back home, but by just re-lacing my shoes my feet felt so much better!
 
Well, I didn't quite go as far as I'd hoped. Done in by foot troubles just as my body was adapting to daily walking. Yet, by virtue of being on the camino, a major issue I'd been struggling with for the last two years resolved itself. I wasn't there to force my will or influence the situation, and I'm free at last from it. A camino miracle? possibly. but i'll take it either way.
Now for toe question. Left baby toe now black and blue. I felt pain the second day, but ignored it as I didn't see a blister. cause poor fitting footwear? I wore ankle high boots, keen, large toe box, admittedly not very well broken in. Will seriously research the threads re trail runners upon my return. any thoughts greatly appreciated, however.
I wouldn't jump to blaming the shoes nor immediately move to trail runners although a plethora of people love their light weight.

A blackened toe could be caused my a no of things take your boots and your feet to a chiropodist asap and they should be able to tell you what happened. Anything else is conjecture. After 5 Camino, s in mid height boots I would not ever consider shoes running/walking I have seen to much foot bed damage and twisted ankles and the little extra weight doesn't worry me but dry well protected get are a priority.

But each to their own wear what works for you rule number one.

Footwear, attention to what's going on with your feet while walking is critical.
Well done.
Buen Camino
 
I am with t2andreo. It is likely that that poor little pitty caught a piece of furniture or something. If present toe box environment is spacey, that is a good thing. Though it may seem that it falling off would be an advantage, I doubt that will happen, maybe. SEE a Doctor quickly, Alicia.

I hope @davebugg returns soon. I know he was off on another Camino adventure but not sure when he was due home. He is the resident Med Tech, and THE BEST at it.
 
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Well, I didn't quite go as far as I'd hoped. Done in by foot troubles just as my body was adapting to daily walking. Yet, by virtue of being on the camino, a major issue I'd been struggling with for the last two years resolved itself. I wasn't there to force my will or influence the situation, and I'm free at last from it. A camino miracle? possibly. but i'll take it either way.
Now for toe question. Left baby toe now black and blue. I felt pain the second day, but ignored it as I didn't see a blister. cause poor fitting footwear? I wore ankle high boots, keen, large toe box, admittedly not very well broken in. Will seriously research the threads re trail runners upon my return. any thoughts greatly appreciated, however.
Just a thought! You can develop toe issues just as much with boots that allow you TOO MUCH space! Keens are made for wider feet. Your toes will slide around and hit the sides or front of your boot repeatedly! I had the same thing happen one time with my big toe. So, I like to buy a boot a half size larger and then make sure my hiking socks are thicker with padding in the toes. I've done great since I started this habit. You may be able to resolve your issue and keep those boots if you get a thick, padded hiking sock. I'd sure try it. Good luck!
 

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