Blister/Callus/Bruise on pad of big toe

[Anica W]

Hello out there!

I am semi-new to barefoot/minimalist running. I started out about 5 months ago (barefoot) and am now in Vibrams. I've been working up to about an hour for long runs. I have an odd blister/callus/bruise on the pad of my big toes (more towards the outside of each toe).

Now, I had been getting these types of blisters in that exact same spot since I started running in the Vibrams. Most of the time, they would heal in a day or two and then, inevitably, would reappear the next time I ran. They normally aren't painful either. But after a 10K race this weekend, these puppies were screaming for relief. They basically felt like a huge bruise on the bottom of your foot that yelps every time you take a step.

My first guess was that they were caused by friction in my Vibrams. But the coloring of a bruise made me think otherwise. Could it be that I'm landing too hard on that part of my toe? Do I need to adjust my stride? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Abide]

Hey Anica welcome to the

Hey Anica welcome to the club. I would have to say it is probably caused by the VFF's. Usually symptoms of form issues show up on one side or the other, I haven't heard of them in the exact spot on both feet. Well you can always experiment by not wearing the VFF's for a week to see if it is still happening.

 

[Barefoot TJ]

Welcome.  Glad to have you

Welcome. Glad to have you here.

Let me get this straight... You started barefoot, then switched to shoes? Normally, people go the other way, but we always suggest people ditch their shoes completely, start out cold turkey-barefoot, then only incorporate footwear once they have a good, healthy form going and only when it is needed. Apparently, your form still needs some work. I would suggest you put aside the VFFs, and run barefoot again for awhile. Then add the footwear, only if you really feel you need/want it. Being in the LA area, you should be able to get by without shoes through the winter.

 

[Anica W]

Hi, guys!So, let me give you

Hi, guys!

So, let me give you some history. Yes, I started barefoot (slowly)and was sans shoes for about 3.5 months. I felt like I hit a wall and couldn't get beyond 20-30 minutes barefoot. My feet weren't building calluses very well so I couldn't go as long as I wanted to. I decided to try the Vibrams and they have been great because I can run longer and not worry about the soles of my feet being in agony.

The only thing that's making me hesitant about ditching the shoes is that that barefoot base is gone. I haven't run barefoot in a while and I worry about going from an hour of running to 20 minutes of running.

Thanks again for the insights.

 

[Barefoot TJ]

It's a bit tricky, Anica. 

It's a bit tricky, Anica. IMO, the best way to figure out if you are having form issues is to lose the shoes and run barefoot. Making time/distance sacrifices suck, but they're well worth it in the end.

When you say you weren't building calluses very well, what do you mean exactly? You aren't wanting to build calluses, are you? What you want is a conditioning of the skin to take place, a thickness that happens, not a crusty hardness. It takes time for this conditioning to take place. If you aren't wanting to go barefoot though, this conditioning may take a really long time, if at all.

It's really a matter of what you want in the end though. If your goal is to not run barefoot, then it will be difficult to make these sacrifices just in order to find the correct form. I told you the best way to work on your form. I am sure there are ways to find out why you are developing these bruises though without going barefoot, I'm just not the one to say how, since again, I believe running barefoot will expose your real flaws and is the best way to go about it.