Your feet are your foundation. What does your foundation look like? Is it collapsing inward like a sinkhole (over-pronation)? Are your toes curled up like a buckling sidewalk (hammertoes)? Does it look like you are standing on a mudslide (foot smear)? Would you build your dream home on a foundation like these? Of course, you wouldn’t. If you did, your home would experience unnecessary stress not only to the foundation but to the walls, the roof and everything in between. With the human body, if your foundation (feet) are compromised, your knees, hips, and the pelvic floor all suffer. When your toes are spread, you have a wider foundation to support the whole body. Your feet weren’t designed to have all your toes crammed together.
Your feet are kind of like a bridge in the way that a bridge isn’t supported in the center of the arch (think arch support insole). Like with a bridge, the ends help support the arch by working in relation to the whole structure. Your feet are beautifully designed, and if you give them a chance to do what they were designed to do, there is no need for expensive orthotics or arch supports.
Did you know that 25 percent of the muscles and bones are from the ankle down? Unfortunately, we don’t utilize this amazing design because our feet are usually stuffed in stiff narrow shoes! The feet are dynamic and should be able to respond to stones or other uneven terrains without causing stress on the knees and hips, but since our feet are confined in stiff shoes, they’re not able to respond to what’s beneath them. Instead, the whole foot moves as one unit and the ankles, knees, hips and even the pelvic floor suffer.
Correct Toes™ Toe Spacers
Correct Toes™ toe spacers are designed by Portland podiatrist (foot doctor) Dr. Ray McClanahan. I started wearing the Correct Toes™ which, in addition to changing my footwear to a wider toe-boxed shoe, eliminated my foot pain. It has also helped with my balance and “rooting” in my Chi Kung practice. I’ve tried other toe spacers that were made out of plastic, but I couldn’t wear them in shoes, and it was impossible to walk in them. You’ll get the most benefit out of toe spacers if you wear them while walking, that’s why Correct Toes™ are so great. They are meant to be worn while weight-bearing, walking and even running. They are made out of a medical-grade silicone so they are very comfortable.
Correct Toes™, if used properly, are used to correct or prevent:
- Bunions
- Corns
- Ingrown toenails
- Heel pain
- Plantar fasciosis
- Neuromas
- Lower leg pain
- Runners’s knee
- Capsulitis
- Tailor’s bunions
This is what I love about the Correct Toes™:
- Correct Toes™ places your toes in the correct position relative to each other and the ground.
- Correct Toes™ are different from other toe spacers because they are designed to be worn during weight-bearing activity and can be worn in shoes. Note: you must transition wisely to a wide toe-boxed shoe.
- You can wear them in shoes, barefoot, under your socks, or with toe socks.
- Correct Toes™ are constructed with medical-grade silicone, which makes them comfortable, flexible and durable. Trust me, restrictive clothing makes me crabby and makes me want to smash things! But, the Correct Toes™ don’t bother me one bit. I have zero urge to punch someone when I wear Correct Toes™.
- Correct Toes™ promote balance.
- Correct Toes™ are made in the USA!
- Correct Toes™, when used as instructed, helps to correct your foot ailments without having to resort to custom orthotics or surgery.
- Correct Toes™ are a tremendously reasonably priced alternative.
- What I really love is that they can be worn in a wide toe boxed minimalist shoe, so you get the benefit of spreading the toes without having to walk around with toe shoes that make your feet look like a gorilla’s. I love gorilla feet, but not on me.
Correct Toes™
Are you serious about maintaining healthy feet? Do these three things as directed and I think you will be golden!
I have been trying to decide if these are going to help my foot, I have Katy’s book and it really did help with the plantar fascia pain.Still trying to get my toes working correctly on one foot, my big toe and 4th toe “take over” and the others just kind of sit there. They also have a very slight curve, as in, perhaps I always wore a half size too small! Would these correct toes help that issue?
Hi Lisa, This is one of the things they are designed to correct. It will take time though, it probably took years for your condition to form. Also wearing shoes with a wide toe box is very important. CT were designed to wear while walking, you get the most benefit while weight bearing. It’s not going to work if you wear them once in a while and then stuff your feet in tight shoes all day.
I have switched to barefoot merrell shoes, nice wide toe box. It’s very challenging to find shoes that have no heels and have the wide toe box, any good options you have found? The ones you are wearing in the hip video are cute!
Thanks they are called Jambu barefoot shoes.
Hi,
Are these available internationally (South Africa)?
I have been having a hell of a time finding shoes with a wide enough toe bed for my left foot (bunion and a neuroma). I end up having to get shoes that are 2 sizes bigger than I need. I have even found men’s shoes in 4E to be restrictive feeling. And I always have to remove the insoles that come with them because they take up more precious space. I have recently ordered and return– I kid you not– 9 pairs of shoes from several different manufacturers (New Balance, Aetrex, Uggs) and finally settled on a pair from Aetrex that are barely wide enough at 4E as long as I remove one of the two insoles and use my own Superfeet insole. it’s been a real nightmare.
My question is, since the shoes I’ve settled on (the ugliest dorkiest looking shoes ever designed) pair of shoes with not much room to spare, will adding the Correct Toes spaces going to leave my feet really squished?
I assume they are not returnable if they don’t fit for me. Is that correct? Thanks.
It’s frustrating isn’t it. So many shoes have a narrow toe box. My guess is that since your new shoes are “barely wide enough” now that with the Correct Toes (CT) your feet would feel squished. A good way to tell if your shoes are wide enough, is to take out the insole, place your barefoot on it and then really spread your toes (you might need to use your fingers to spread the toes to their ideal position). If your toes fall over the edge of the insole, your shoes aren’t wide enough. I do offer a 30 day return policy if the CTs don’t work out, but I would advise to either keep searching for a wider shoe, or wear the CTs around the house barefoot or with socks. Here is a shoe list from Dr Ray McClanahan’s website,https://nwfootankle.com/resources/111-Shoe%20List. Have you tried SoftStar shoes, or Campers? Have you tried to use a shoe stretcher to widen or break in shoes?
i have hammer toes and am getting ulcers on the tips of a few of them. i use toe spacers, but the ones i use are too thin. i believe that if i bonded two together, they would be adequate. can you please recommend an adhesive product to do the job properly?
I’m sorry, I don’t know of adhesives to use with toe spacers. If you have the Correct Toes there is a little slit the first and last spacer and you can put a piece of cloth in them to make them bigger.
thanks so much for the review. i’d been looking at those and trying to decide if I should get them. Funny and well written post!
Finding the correct shoes is sooo hard! I’ve bought and returned about 30! Best ones so far for me are vivobarefoot Kali. They are the ones I’ve kept. Roomiest zero drop I could find so far. Even the various Earth shoes I tried were uncomfortable and stiff feeling and I felt wobbly in them. Very disappointed as I’d like something with a thicker sole for hiking (I know you can hike with barefoot shoes but not as a beginner!) but zero drop. Impossible to find!
can i wear the toe spacer all the day in the house without waering any shoes or slipper?
Yes. Depending on how tight your feet are, they may wiggle off, so wearing socks over them may help keep them on. You do however want to start with just 30 minutes and work up to wearing them all day.
My right 3rd toe has begun to cross over my 4th toe. It is uncomfortable. I am considering TS but, I have wide feet and have worn orthotics for years inside wide and double wide NB sneakers with balance bar. One year ago, I had double knee replacement and the orthopedist lengthened my right leg a bit to make it even with my left leg. I find that my balance has improved and wonder if that has helped. I know that I fall much less now than I did pre-surgery. I do not know if Crocs will fit my feet and I am concerned about the cost of other shoes that would fit using the TS on my feet. Can you recommend a shoe brand? What size would I take in Crocs if I am an 8 1/2? They come in full sizes only. Will the TS actually correct the cross over problem? My right big toe has been curved to the right since I was born so it contributes to the problem.
Barbara,
I purchased correct toes small and medium and they just don’t seem to fit right like yours do. I recently developed a bunion and trying to fix. I was told correct toes will have small size soon? They seem to bunch together and not look right. Anything I can do?
How does correct toes manipulate the bone to realign itself, especially if you have a bunion?
Bunions are usually caused from wearing shoes with a narrow toe box and incorrect gait pattern. After years of wearing restrictive shoes and inappropriate loads placed on the feet, the feet become shaped like the shoe. A narrow tapered shoe pushes the great toe toward the second toe. Correct Toes™ return your toes to their natural position relative to each other and to the ground. When you walk while wearing the Correct Toes™ you receive the greatest benefit by increasing circulation and proprioception which improves muscle function, balance and improves gate patterns. Overtime, walking with your toes in the correct position allows your body to return to its natural state. Make sure you wear shoes that are wide enough to wear the Correct Toes in them comfortably. Ditch the positive heeled shoes and tapered shoes. Also follow the directions that come with the Correct Toes™ and work into them slowly. You may also want to have a session with a Restorative Exercise Specialist™ (RES) in your area to have them help you with your gate. Weak lateral hips and where you carry your center of mass will definitely have an affect on your feet. You can find program graduate here. If you can’t find a RES in your area, I’d be happy to do a SKYPE session with you.
I have had bunions since my 20s. I am now 58. My big toes cross over the top of my next toe. I have also been going to a pain clinic for lower back pain, SI joint pain, knee pain, orthopedics do not seem to think my feet are the issue, but cannot give me a definitive diagnosis. When I wear silicone spacers for an 8 hour day my calves, knees, hips and lower back are so painful I cannot sleep without pain medication. Am I doing any good by wearing the spacers at my age or am I just aggravating the problem? The toes do continue to get worse.
Thanks for any information — Sandy
I am wondering about wearing flat shoes. I have plantar fasciitis and I have always been told it is important to wear a bit of a heel. I have also been told to never walk barefoot and to always have something on my feet to support my arch. What are your thoughts on this? I am on my feet all day! Thanks.
Hi Tara, I recommend reading Katy Bowman’s Every Women’s Guide to Foot Pain Relief book. There is no easy answer, it always depends on where you are at. As always, gradual transitions are best and increasing the mobility of your intrinsic foot muscles and lengthening calf muscles is the first step. In addition, if you have fallen arches, it could be related to weak lateral rotators of the hips or how you’re carrying your pelvis. As you can see, not easy questions to answer.
Hi Barbara
I appreciated your review of the toe spacers.
I am a physiotherapist but this is about my toes!
I have valgus 2nd and 3rd DIP’s on my left foot. Approx 45 dgerees on the 3rd toe.
I’m very active and have zero pain from the toes but at 43 yrs old think it cold be worth correcting the valgus at least when I’m running.
Simple question … Do you think the product could correct this distal alignment rather than the MTP only?
Many thanks
Paul
Hi Paul, That’s an interesting question. My guess is that it would help in an indirect way. When the toes are in the optimal natural position relative to each other and to the ground AND the foot is aligned (not turned out, for example), then the distal toes would receive an evenly distributed load as your center of mass passes over the foot. When toes are aligned the lever system of the entire foot (toes included) is working together. If the toes are too close together, we loose our foundation and the lever is skewed.
Dear Barbara,
The product looks very interesting, but I am nonetheless a little confused. Apologies if the question sounds kooky.
If natural feet should splay out so that they are much wider at the toes than at the heel, where on earth would you buy shoes? I have never seen a shoe with those dimensions, and certainly none without a heel. Who sells business shoes without heels?!
Would I need to get my shoes specially made after fixing my feet? Or am I missing something here?
Shoe manufacturers are catching on and now making wide toe box shoes and shoes with zero drop. The shoes are usually classified as minimalist shoes, although not all of them. Of course you want to gradually transition into a flat or minimalist shoe if you’ve been wearing heeled shoes most of your life. I like the Lems Primal 2. Keen, Merrell, Crocs, Patagonia also have styles with a wide toe box. Check out this list, these tend to work with the Correct Toes™. https://nwfootankle.com/resources/111-Shoe%20List
Hi Barbara,
I am wondering if these Correct Toes can help me. My baby toes sit sideways and when I walk they are always under the 4th toe partially (even without shoes). Part of the baby toe is squeezed to a callused thin point on the edge, and part of it always feels tender/bruised inside.
I noticed the Correct Toes spacer does not have a hole for the baby toe so I don’t know if it will help my baby toe to to sit in an aligned position. I don’t know if Correct Toes will help because my other toes are fine. What do you think?
Barbara,
TY so much for the informative video!
Very beneficial, and I enjoyed it.
I have hammertoes on just my(l) and (r) 4 toes of each foot.
I am going to purchase this product and see. I also will incorporate my Vibram five fingers w/ the CT device.
Thanks again Barbara, “happy feet”.
How can I buy these over in the UK?
Many thanks
Kathryn
I was diagnosed with Morton’s neuroma, which is painful AND results in weird toe movement, i.e. as I raise the toe on my left foot, it eventually “notches” over as if the bone is moving around a marble. Correct toes feel great, but are uncomfortable at the end of the day and as soon as I am not wearing them, the MN pain returns, i.e. if I switch to hiking boots for a day hike. I have been wearing them for 4 months and even bought Lem & Altra shoes…should I keep wearing them for a bit? will the MN go away? Next option is surgery, which I want to avoid. Not asking for medical advice, but more for your perspective on timeframe to reach maximum benefit (in your opinion).
Hi JT, It depends on many factors. I would advise talking to a podiatrist who is bent toward natural movement. If you are in the Portland, OR area, I would see Dr Ray McClanahan, the podiatrist who created the Correct Toes. For me the Morton’s neuroma resolved as soon as I started to wear the Correct Toes and changed my footwear. You may want to check out Katy Bowman’s “Every Woman’s Guide to Foot Pain Relief” book (the exercises in the book apply to men as well). Her Fix Your Feet dvd is another great source.
Hi Kathryn, Check with NW Foot and Ankle, https://nwfootankle.com, I’m pretty sure they ship to the UK. I also did a google search for “correct Toes UK” and found this website. http://theemperorsnewshoes.bigcartel.com/product/correcttoes
So I’ve been wearing minimal shoes for a while now probably almost close to a year. My toes aren’t really spaced that far apart but are definitely better then they were before wearing the open toe box. Will my toes become spread more the longer I wear them without the spacers or is wearing the spacers the only way to really get that?
Don’t/ can’t get PayPal, can I call to order please? Need these asap.
Thanks for any help with this.
sure.
Wondering if these will help my 7 year old daughter. She has 4 toes starting to curl under like mallet /hammer toes. No pain, just noticed it. I want to correct now if possible.
My guess is that a starting approach would be to look at her shoes and how much time she spends in shoes. Decrease time in shoes if appropriate. Look for shoes that are flat, wide toe box, no toe spring and flexible. Vary the terrain she walks on. (Edited to include)…Check out Dr. Ray McClanahan’s video documentation of using Correct Toes™ with a 3.5-year-oldhttps://youtu.be/rWX4ITxGm1o So, yes the Correct Toes™ can be used with children.
I’m wondering did these ever help people with shin splints?
I have lost my second toe on my right foot i have a deformed foot with a drift to the right which led to staph infection. My doctor recommended spacers. how would they work with four toes/
You can cut them to custom fit.
Hi Barbara – I am a Postural Alignment Specialist, level II, from the Egoscue University. A study mate of mine directed me to your site and I very much appreciated your writing, how you explained the benefits of Correct Toes. I was wondering if you have had the opportunity to be introduced to the Egoscue Method of postural alignment. Using Correct Toes is recommended by the Egoscue University; I find the toe spreaders tremendously useful, I want to say, almost necessary, as one goes about the business of correcting ones posture. At any rate, if you are interested in learning about the Egoscue method, please feel free to contact me. Maybe we can talk on the phone a bit. Pete Egoscue, who developed the method, has the Correct Toes as a part of his program; however, its just a piece of the puzzle. In his book PAIN FREE, Pete works to first get people out of pain (in whatever part of the body they are experiencing it), and then he says, NOW LETS GET STARTED! A very important part of the method is to teach everybody how to take care of their human tires at least as well as they do the ones on their vehicle. Problem is, nobody in our culture even knows how many tires the human body has. In a vehicle, the load/weight is equally distributed to all four tires. If a person is standing, they have… how many tires? Eight. The load/weight should be equally distributed to the shoulder joint, hips, knees and ankles. Pete directs people to regularly take their photos, standing up, from front, back, side to side, learning how to spot when their tires are low in air, out of balance, and out of alignment. Then, his books tell people ways he has found to correct for those conditions. Correct Toes is just the start – a VERY GOOD START – in the right direction. Correct Toes may relieve pain; the question is… have the other tires been assessed to make sure the person still isn’t walking around, an accident waiting to happen, with a shoulder so low in air, it’s ready to blow? If Correct Toes doesn’t work to relieve pain, I would almost bet my life that if I checked the other tires that person is driving around on, anybody looking at the photos would spot what else needs attention. I’m working in Hawaii to make the postural assessment/evaluation common place at gyms, in athletic programs, at doctor’s offices etc. Its a huge cultural insufficiency that lead us to degenerating, and then ended up at a doctor’s office – and at the doctor’s office – we are under such a cultural insufficiency that they don’t even know how to put air in low tire anymore… they only know how to replace the whole front end…. surgery! That’s the Egoscue take on the way things stand. There is an Egoscue clinic in Portland. And people can sign up for Egoscue University, on-line. The campus is in San Diego. Like I said, if you want to chat, please drop me a line. I didn’t take the time to visit your entire site, but I do appreciate your writing and will direct my students to review your site. Aloha.
Hi Barbara!
I’ve been dealing with flat feet for 10 years. Everything seems to be internally rotating and I was getting so frustrated with doctors who didn’t understand what I was going through. I knew my body wasn’t right but all they could prescribe were orthotics. You are the first person I’ve come by who seemed to address everything I’ve gone through. Due to my flat feet, my knees and femur have rotated in. Weight is placed mostly on my toes, where I step on and push off my big toe area. My toes also seem to bunch together there. Do you think Correct Toes is something for me?
It’s hard to say without seeing you, but in general, for bunched up toes, I would say yes. With internally rotated femurs I’ll address the problem from both ends. From the feet with Correct Toes™ and foot exercises and at the hips to strengthen the lateral rotators…https://alignmentmonkey.nurturance.net/2014/a-simple-test-to-evaluate-your-femur-position/
Hi there.
For the individual toe spacer is the smaller end inserted first? I would appreciate yhe help
Hi Heather, I’m not sure I understand your question.
Hi Barbara!
Is it possible to train for marathons with these? Will they give blisters? I have a neuroma in my left foot and looking for something to relieve the pain. Thanks.
Hi Elise, It’s hard to say. Athletes do wear them while training. It really depends on your unique feet and the shoes you are wearing. I would start small. Wear them around the house for 30 minutes while barefoot and work up from there. Eventually wearing them with shoes and walking. As always, listen to your body. The Correct Toes™ come with a user guide to help you transition and perhaps modify the Correct Toes™ if needed.
HELLO BARBARA!
MY TOES ON MY RIGHT FOOT ARE SHIFTING TO THE RIGHT! WILL SPACERS IN DUE TIME REPOSITION MY TOES!
THANKS!
JT
Typically, yes. As long as they aren’t fused in that position which it sounds like they aren’t. Shoe choice is also a factor as well as how you are loading your foot.
Hello, I purchased this, in an effort to improve the discomfort of hallux limitus in my left foot, and I have been wearing Correct Toes on average 8 hours per day for approximately 40 days. I make a point to wear them when I play tennis and exercise. Last week, I noticed some pain on my foot, located below/between my third and fourth toes. I freely concede it may be an injury from tennis, and I have no complaints regarding this product. I believe this pain to be from a “stone bruise,” though I am not a doctor. I am not seeking medical advice, the discomfort can likely be ameliorated by taking a break from the spacing, but I am wondering whether you have known product users to experience this sort of metatarsal discomfort in the process of correcting their toe issues. Thank you in advance for sharing any experience you have with this sort of discomfort with me.
Hi Nathan,
Not that I have heard, but it’s possible you may not have given your tissues time to adapt. Using the Correct Toes™ should be a gradual process. Or perhaps they are sliding and irritating the foot with the quick stops in tennis? Do you still have the booklet that came with the CTs? There are some troubleshooting tips in the booklet and ways you can modify the Correct Toes™. For instance, if it’s irritated in the area of the tab, that can be trimmed off (see video or booklet for how to do that). Here is a video explanation is you no longer have the booklet: https://youtu.be/ZNJb1u36J_k