Shoe dilemma

Running first HM in just under 2 weeks and in last couple of weeks have been having problems with shoes attacking my toenails. I think it started with buying new socks that were a little bit thicker so switched back to old ones but sadly think damage has been done.

Seems to be that toes hit top of shoe so took insole out but made no difference! The shoes seem to be the right size i.e. there is room

Guessing new shoes this late are a bad idea so any tips of things I can try? Or should I try a size up? Not keen on this as planning on competely reviewing my shoes after HM. Am running in Asics GT 2160s. Lacing strategies? Anything?

I think you should go to a running shop and ask them, black toenails are a symptom of having too small a size I think. I always get a half size bigger than my regular shoes. I know all the advice is not to but I think if you get new shoes maybe today or tomorrow and wear them for a few shorter runs you'll be fine for the HM really

I have no idea about lacing strategies, so I'd be interested if anyone knows what they are how that helps

I already have half a size bigger in fact was told that was what I should do!

Stop wearing socks. Then there will be an extra millimetre for your tootsies.

Colin McLaughlin wrote (see)

Stop wearing socks. Then there will be an extra millimetre for your tootsies.

Oh that's worth a try!

C

Well mystery solved. My feet have grown! I am 38 btw!

It also explains why I felt that all my shoes not just running ones were tighter!

I was in Asics size 6 and now in Brooks Size 7.5!

I have had weird things happen with my foot size before i.e. my feet got smaller post pregnancy! Think the only explanation can be that my when I am fitter and thinner my claw toes are less clawsy and therefore stretch out!

Just got to run them before my HM in 12 days! Wish me luck!

For me, keeping toenails short is really important.

Good luck

Out of interest, did you wash your running shoes before the problem started?

I gave a pair of mine a hot wash (because they were starting to smell) and the fabric shrunk, rather irritatingly. This meant a pair of shoes that formerly fitted okay no longer do. They got smaller.

I try not to wash running shoes unless I absolutely have to, because of this sort of problem.

Colin McLaughlin wrote (see)

Out of interest, did you wash your running shoes before the problem started?

I gave a pair of mine a hot wash (because they were starting to smell) and the fabric shrunk, rather irritatingly. This meant a pair of shoes that formerly fitted okay no longer do. They got smaller.

I try not to wash running shoes unless I absolutely have to, because of this sort of problem.

No not been washed. Have been wet though but I had two pairs in size 6 one which had done about 250 miles and another about 30 and both had same issue!

Brooks didn't agree with me so was back to running shop today to swop for Asics 2170s is 7.5 even though assistant said Brooks better for me!

Hi Crimson

Try this 'lace locking' technique

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWRUSbX4y5I

thanks for that. tried it out this morning and it really did help 

It does - I've been using the technique for years, picked it up when I complained about my squash trainers hurting my feet so took them back to the supplier . . . to be told I didn't know how to tie my shoe laces!

LOL 

Crimson wrote (see)

Well mystery solved. My feet have grown! I am 38 btw!

It also explains why I felt that all my shoes not just running ones were tighter!

I was in Asics size 6 and now in Brooks Size 7.5!

I have had weird things happen with my foot size before i.e. my feet got smaller post pregnancy! Think the only explanation can be that my when I am fitter and thinner my claw toes are less clawsy and therefore stretch out!

Just got to run them before my HM in 12 days! Wish me luck!

Keep an eye on that.  I had a mate called 'Buckets' 'cos of the extreme size of his massive hands.  He went to the docs complaining about his bad knees from rugby and the doc noticed his hands and asked him if he'd noticed any increase in the size of his feet or hands, and my mate told him, "Well, not really, but the biggest size of army glove used to fit me, and now they don't!"

Well they brain scanned my mate and found a cancer the size of a walnut pressing against his pituarity gland (does something to our growth), and that accounted for the hand size increase.  He nearly died 'cos of it.

I don't mean to spread fear and despondancy, but I'm sure it's not normal for grown adults to have increases in foot size; so just be aware!

Ha Easy, you've not been preggers then. Everything grows not just your boobs and you tum. 

Crimson, your feet expand during the day, as your feet get hot, which they do when running, they will expand a very noticable amount. I was told to go look for trainers to run in at the end of the day and to wear the socks that you run in.

I bought my last pair of trainers thinking that they were very comfortable and that the size up was too big. After wearing them for a few months I have started to wonder if I should not have gone for the size up after all. Even though I have a good fingers distance between my toes and the end of the trainer I'm still bashing my toenails and the trainers are feeling tight.

I'm not preggers though.