One of the most common unusual fit problems, to use a complicated expression, is that the shoes pinch on top of the big toes when walking in them. A not always permanent problem, thankfully, about why this is the case and about why and how to avoid the problem if it stays, is what today’s article is about.
I have been mentioning the topic in some previous posts about fit, but here I thought I would delve into it a bit more. It’s probably something that many recognise, at least based on all the questions I have received about it over the years, that you feel that your shoes are pinching on top of the big toes, which happens when the shoe bends in the step. However, what I reply to people who are saddened by this when they bought a pair of new, nice shoes is that in most cases it will pass. It’s about the leather being hard and quite inflexible on new shoes, and creases “unflexibly”. When they are used, the leather softens up more, and it’s a living material which if it encounters resistance like a big toe it reshapes and creases in a way that means less resistance, thus without digging into a toe.
You should always break in new shoes carefully, both for your feet and for the sake of the shoes (more about breaking in shoes carefully in this post), but if you notice that they pinch on your toes as described above you should be even more careful and use them shorter periods over a longer period of time, so as not to have unnecessary pain. It’s also excellent to put plasters in the area that hurt when you break in the shoes. If you get it pinched so badly that it almost becomes sore, it will take longer before you can use the shoes properly, even if they now soften and become good, which is usually the case.
However, there are times when this problem doesn’t go away, the shoes continue to squeeze your big toes (although usually not as bad as in the beginning). Then the most common problem is that you have too much space at the widest part of the shoe where it creases, there will be excess leather that has nowhere to go other than to dig into your poor toes. What is usually the best cure in such cases is to put in a thin insole that helps fill out. Sometimes it can also be due to more or less bad luck, in how the toe stiffener is placed in relation to one’s own foot, for example, and that unfortunately is not much one can do. On my first bespoke pair from the Main d’Or, I have a small tendency of pinch on top of the big toe, which can be a noticeable if they have been worn for a whole day, even though they have become less and less. On the other pair the toe stiffener was moved a bit and I don’t notice any of the problem. Moving a toe stiffener on an existing shoe is obviously less easy though.
This is also caused by how first creases are formed on new shoes – and very often pain happens when crease(-s) are diagonal or whatever, but not horizontal. One option is to take two traditional pencils and “help” leather to form two horizontal initial creases by gently pushing and guiding leather where to bend while taking first stemps.
Joe: Yeah it can help, but absolutely not certain, the problems described above are likely appear in the same manner. Wouldn’t say that it has too much to do with diagonal creasing, the stiffness of the leather is as described above the main issue, and if the fit isn’t working and being the issue placing the creases with pens doesn’t really help much, in almost all cases. I’ve been writing about how to place the creases with pencils in this article: https://shoegazing.com/2016/03/20/the-tip-place-the-creases/
Great article! What about a case where the pinch is on the tip of the big toe? On the big toe nail? In one pair of shoes I sense that the tip is shallow and the toe nail rubs the tip.
width of the shoe is fine
Joshua Benzadon: Cheers! If the big toe hits the front, sides or upper of the toe stiffener, there’s not much one can do unfortunately, since the stiffener is of plastic and can’t be reshaped (unless it’s a bespoke shoe with leather toe stiffener, basically, where small changes can be done). The shoe is too small for you.
Thanks ! Interesting that it is the same size as derby or monks but in an Oxford and it changes completely the fit….it is a tlb artista in van gogh btw…
Joshua: Sizing can feel different on derbys and monks compared to oxfords with closed lacing, but shouldn’t differ in the toe box, so that’s a bit weird indeed. You mean you have the same size in monks and derbys on Van Gogh that works well in that area, but not the oxfords?
I don’t have Van gogh in monks , but as I understood from tony , all lasts had same dimensions and the only difference was the shape of the toe.
I have a derby and a monk in Goya and Velazquez , size 10 and they fit fine , even ample. Van Gogh in Oxford, size 10 , and it feels tight
Is the Van Gogh different height at the front?
Thanks
Joshua: I see, yeah base last is exactly the same but toe shape is different, and since you seem to have long feet that goes far forward in the shoes, the toe shape will affect fit for you. Van Gogh heads downwards a bit steeper in the toe tip, which seem to affect you here unfortunately.
Great Jesper! Lesson learned for next time! thank you
Hi Jesper – thank you for this very useful article and for the many others that you write. This continues to be a problem for me – even on some bespoke pairs. The pinching is particularly pronounced with cap-toes but still exists at times with brogues and loafers. I have also had 2 pairs of bespoke shoes from a maker, but despite multiple fitting pairs, this seems to persist. Should I be advising the maker to move the cap forward or bring it closer to the instep? Should I be pushing for these to be re-lasted?I am really not sure if there is a huge amount of excess space – an extra insole does not seem to help. Thanks!
I should add that it is really hit or miss. I have some pairs off the rack – from Edward Green, Crockett, Meermin that fit. Then there are others from the same brands or other expensive brands that have been very painfu on the toes. Particularly on my left foot, my toe is bony and quite sensitive. I have tried breaking them in with gel pads on the toes with plenty of renovateur after initial wears. Still, its an issue. Thank you again for the guidance.