But in Morton's foot, the line has to bend more sharply to go through the base of the big toe, as shown in the diagram.

A small (80-person) study[4] found no statistically significant difference in the frequency of longer second toes between people with and without ingrown toenails, but tight and ill-fitting shoes are generally considered to increase the risk of ingrown toenails,[4][5] and shoes are often too tight on the toes.

[11] Restoring the Morton's toe to normal function with proprioceptive orthotics can help alleviate numerous problems of the feet such as metatarsalgia, hammer toes, bunions, Morton's neuroma, plantar fasciitis and general fatigue of the feet.

[medical citation needed] Rare cases of disabling pain are sometimes treated surgically.

[15] Morton's toe, especially the second-toe-is-longer versions, has a long association with disputed anthropological and ethnic interpretations.

Morton called it Metatarsus atavicus, considering it an atavism recalling prehuman grasping toes.

[18] Some famous Classical and Renaissance art works featuring Morton's toe include Boxer at Rest, The Birth of Venus, Laocoön and His Sons and Diana of Versailles.