Toe box

[6] Toe boxes come in a variety of shapes and styles of construction, some of which are a matter of fashion, and some of which are designed for specialized functions.

A simple way to test if a toe box is too tight is to take out the insole of the shoe and stand on it.

[8] With each step, ankles and feet bend, toes spread and flex,[8] and the arches of the foot flatten and rebound.

A foot with a higher longitudinal arch will lengthen more in use, and more room in front of the toes may be needed.

[9]: 82–83 When running, weight is shifted onto the ball and toes of the foot, with the heel barely touching the ground.

[12] Narrowed toe boxes may also be linked to metatarsalgia (pain in the midfoot), metatarsal stress fracture, Haglund syndrome, Freiberg infraction, and Morton's neuroma.

[13] Too-tight toe boxes can permanently deform the foot,[11] weakening it enough to significantly impair function.

Bunion prevention requires a shoe with a sole which does not taper on that side, so that the big toe can point in its natural direction.

Of women who wore shoes that were more than 0.5 cm narrower than their feet, 80% had foot pain and 73 percent were orthopaedic patients.

[11] Women over 50 who remember wearing narrow toe boxes in their 20s and 30s are more likely to have foot pain and bunions.

If left, eventually the soft tissue scars and tightens, and it becomes impossible to uncross the toes.

[12] Ill-fitting toe boxes can rub against the foot, causing blisters,[12] and eventually calluses and corns.

[9]: 52–53, 135 Narrow pointed shoes (or tight socks) can be a factor in causing ingrown toenails.

[16] Toes boxes are either structured (with a three-dimensional shape, often produced with a thermoplastic interlayer) or unstructured.

[citation needed] Most toe boxes, at a point 5 cm (2.0 in) from the tip, are roughly 44 mm (1.7 in) deep, regardless of style.

[9]: 101–102  The toe boxes of the new military-issue shoes were therefore designed to fit mildly deformed rather than undeformed feet.

When the dancer stand with the feet pointing straight ahead and parallel (sixth position), and bends their knees deeply without raising their heels from the floor (a demi-plié), the feet lengthen; the toes should just touch the platform when in this position.

The top of the toe box should be long enough that the throat (edge) falls a bit beyond the far end of the third phalanx, covering it entirely.

A group of people stood with one foot outstretched, forming a circle. They wear a variety of shoes and sandals.
Shoes with a variety of toe boxes
If the toes overhang when standing on the removed insole (right), then they will be cramped inside the toe box (left)
Roomy toe boxes
  • Right column: the shoe is loose, and when walking, particularly downhill, the foot slides back and forth within the shoe.
  • Center: there is too little ease for arches to extend when walking, and the shoe is too tight.
  • Left: a properly-fitting shoe.
Toe box of a ballet shoe, a rigid shell tightly covered in satin. The flat platform at the end of the toe box bears the dancer's whole weight when en pointe .