How to prevent toe holes in shoes? Getting a pair of well-fitted footwear, wearing good socks, keeping the toenails trimmed, wearing shoes with wider toe boxes, etc. are some of the infallible ways to stop toe holes in your favorite footwear.
Whether it’s a pair of running, walking, or athletic shoes, after a certain period they might develop holes in the toe boxes. And the primary cause is friction.
Two of the most common areas where shoes develop holes are the toe box and the heel collar lining. Generally, longer toenails in combination with ill-fitted footwear create holes through the top of your shoes.
Whatever the reason is, we have some tempting hacks below to resolve this issue once and for all.
So, let’s jump in!
How to Prevent Toe Holes in Shoes- 10 Simple Tips
As already mentioned, there are several causes behind those small toe holes in your shoes. So, first, you need to figure out the reason that causes the toe to peep out from the shoes.
According to the causes of the holes, you can take the following preventative measures to save your favorite footwear.
1. Buy the Right Pair
First thing first, you need to pick the right pair of shoes that fit your feet well. So, always gauge the length and width of a pair before you buy one.
Getting footwear that is too small for your feet wouldn’t do any good. Rather the toes will come in contact with the front edge of the shoes and render holes.
That’s why you must make sure the shoes have a thumb’s width of space between the toes and the shoe front.
Also, the shoe shape matters. Some footwear is designed with pointier or tapered toe boxes whereas others have round or squared-off ones.
If the foot shape doesn’t match the toe box design, the toes are most likely to wear holes through the thin mesh upper of your footwear. This is particularly true for running shoes.
2. Go for a Deeper Toe Box
Another way to prevent toe holes in shoes is to wear footwear with wider toe boxes.
This will allow some wiggle room for the toes not to come in contact with the inner layer of your shoes.
Naturally, there will be no friction. People with bigger toes can try this method to get rid of those annoying toe holes in shoes.
As deeper toe boxes allow plenty of space in the front foot area, your toes will not collide with the toe box lining even if they swell.
3. Wear High-Quality Socks
How to fix toe holes in shoes? Try wearing high-quality socks with enough padding.
Yes, you read it right! Buying a good pair of socks is specifically important when your toes frequently rub against the shoe linings.
Truth be told, a well-padded pair of socks work as a shield between your shoes and the toenails.
Moreover, durable high-quality socks distribute the toe pressure evenly. That’s how they help stop seams in the toe boxes from wearing.
One gentle reminder, if you wear padded socks in summer, make sure to wash them more often to avoid unpleasant odors.
4. Shoe Quality Matters
Invest in a good-quality shoe and rock on the road like a king. If you go for a cheaper price tag or buy a knock-off pair, it won’t last long.
Unless the shoes are made with durable materials, they can’t resist friction on the road.
Resultantly, the flimsy shoe upper will be subjected to wear and tear sooner than you expect.
Therefore, buy a premium pair made of high-quality material to enjoy the longevity of the shoes.
Nevertheless, you should focus on flexible footwear to avoid toe holes.
A popular belief regarding shoes is that hard materials are the best. Quite the opposite actually.
Hard materials are more prone to wear and tear. If the shoes are not flexible enough, they cannot conform to your foot shape.
As a result, they can’t support your foot movement accordingly.
That’s why try choosing flexible shoe material. Otherwise, you can use a shoe softener/ conditioner to increase the elasticity of the shoes.
This will surely reduce toe hole development.
5. Trim Your Toenails
One of the primary causes of getting holes in the shoes is the sharp toenails.
You must keep them trimmed so as not to rub them against the inner shoe lining.
Basically, too long toenails with sharper edges continuously hit the toe box region only to damage the structure.
That’s why you need to cut them straight and shape them smoothly with a filer to avoid friction.
Okay, you might be thinking we all trim toenails. So, what’s the big deal? Actually, you need to pay attention to the length of the nails so that they don’t exceed the end of your toes.
Of course, you shouldn’t cut them too short to feel uncomfortable.
6. Try Shoe Armour
Now, let’s talk about the Shoe Armour hole prevention method.
If you ask how to fix toe holes in running shoes, Shoe Armour is highly recommended.
This is basically a shoe toe hole protector made from a ballistic material.
Having ballistic fabric in the manufacturing mechanism it can easily be attached underneath the shoe’s toe boxes.
Thus it helps the toes from wearing through the top of the shoes.
Honestly speaking, the Shoe Armour is quite expensive. There are cheaper alternatives like plastic inserts.
But this type of shoe hole prevention insert is mainly designed to stop creases in the toe area. They are not as comfortable as Shoe Armour in the form of toe hole prevention inserts.
If budget isn’t an issue for you, try investing in a quality insert to lengthen the lifespan of your footwear.
7. Change Your Walking/ Running Pattern
An often overlooked issue that can take a toll on your shoes is your walking pattern.
Wondering how? Okay, let us explain.
Tell me how you walk. Is it your heels to hit the ground first? Then your toes turn upward when you take a step, right?
This is what we referred to as walking style. If the toes turn upward while walking, they will hit the inner shoe lining on the forefoot area.
As a result, the inner shoe area will be harmed and gradually, will develop small holes.
Now, what’s the solution? Work on your walking pattern. You can try to make your toes strike the ground first while taking a step.
Similarly, you should avoid heel striking while running. Because heel strike makes the toes excessively bend and hit against the shoe top.
If this happens frequently, no wonder you will see toe holes in the shoes in a few days. So, work on your running form and try landing on your midfoot instead of heels.
8. Go for an Alternate Lacing Style
In order to prevent toe holes in shoes, all you need to do is to stop the big toe from going beyond the toe area and colliding with the upper toe box, right?
Then you can try changing your lacing style to make it happen.
In terms of relieving pressure on the toes, the Crossover lacing style works the best.
9. Try Toe Yoga
If you have hallux rigidus, which refers to limited motion range in your big toe, you need to try toe yoga. This will help maximize your range of motion in the big toe.
Apparently, hallux rigidus makes the toenails ram against the flimsy mesh upper of your shoes.
Thus the toe box area falls victim to extreme toenail pressure and causes holes.
Here are some toe exercises to make your big toe work better.
10. Do Not Walk on Sharp Objects
As Vicky Gupta, a famous shoe researcher suggests, you should avoid walking on sharp objects wearing your shoes.
If the shoe hits a sharp metal object, naturally it will be affected and you will see a hole in the shoes, whether it’s on the toe areas or in the heel linings.
You can check this video out to know the potential causes and possible solutions of toe holes development.
FAQs
Why do I get holes in the toes of my shoes?
Frequent rubbing of your big toe against the toe box upper causes small holes in the toes. Also, poor material quality, ill-fitted footwear, wrong walking pattern, etc. make the toes pressurize the shoe upper repetitively. This eventually leads to shoe holes.
How to prevent toe holes in running shoes?
You can work on your running form to prevent toe holes in running shoes. Try to land on midfoot instead of heels while running. Also, go for a well-fitted pair that leaves at least a thumb’s width of space between your big toe and the shoe edge.
Furthermore, toenails with sharp edges could badly affect the flimsy mesh upper of running shoes. So, keep them trimmed and smooth with a nail filer.
Why do I get big toe holes in my fabric trainers/ footwear?
Well, it’s a medical condition that every 1 out of 5 people suffer from. To put it simply, every time you take a step, your big toe lifts and hits the mesh/fabric upper in the big toe area.
Thus you get dreaded big toe holes in your fabric trainer.
How do I stop my toes from making holes in my socks?
Holey socks are annoying and we all want to get rid of the issue. Firstly, you have to buy high-quality socks made of durable materials.
Secondly, trim your toenails regularly so that the sharp edges don’t wear the socks out.
Thirdly, air-dry the socks and keep them flat. Hanging them will make the elastic wear out quickly.
Can I sew the torn toe area of my shoes?
You can but you shouldn’t do so. Sewing is not a solution to those embarrassing toe holes on the top of your shoes. It will only minimize the space in the toe box to make your feet uncomfortable.
Plus, the sewed front area will look messy.
Final Words
In essence, it’s better to prevent shoe-toe holes rather than fix them. So, take the necessary steps to stop those small holes that destroy your expensive footwear.
Hopefully, this guide about how to prevent toe holes in shoes helps you understand what causes the holes and how you can stave them off. But if your shoes have already got a hole, you can use duct tape to conceal it.
However, which of the techniques above you found most useful? Let us know by commenting below.
