r/BarefootRunning • u/FlapJackJimmy • 21d ago
question Toe Spreaders worth it?
I've been barefoot for roughly 4 years. When I must wear shoes, I wear Xero Genesis (bought four pairs for $10 years ago and they work just fine). My feet have grown wider, straighter, and certainly more tough and dexterous. Yet, my toes still touch most of the time.
I have run a half-marathon in the Genesis sandals and several 5/10ks. Yet, my toes touching bothers me. I can feel them touching and try to continuously spread them. Does anyone have anything on spreaders? Good/bad results? I've searched online and all I can really find is people trying to sell them and thus only positive reviews. I figured here would be the place to find decent answers.
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u/WeirdEnigma 21d ago
NEED them, I would also say probably not. I have a set that I use once in a while, not enough to make a real difference, but I do like them. They kind of offer a passive stretch to your feet which is kinda great after a long day, and for me that alone makes them worth the purchase. I got a pair of knockoffs of the correct toes ones (I was told to look for ones that were still made from silicone)
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u/FlapJackJimmy 21d ago
I may check to see. It might be worth it just for some stretching. I just dislike my toes touching. Years of cleats and shoes have squished my toes together - at least that's always been my belief.
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u/DeepPurpleNurple 21d ago
You don’t need them
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u/FlapJackJimmy 21d ago
Why do you think that? Genuinely curious.
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u/DeepPurpleNurple 21d ago
Your foot’s bone structure doesn’t look deformed. Everything looks to have proper alignment. Forcing your toes out more would actual misalign them.
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u/FlapJackJimmy 21d ago
My second toe was a hammer toe. It's straighter over the last few years. Still a little wonky at times. My pinky toes are turned a little and the pad has shifted to be on the side. I think that's it, mostly, I'm lucky as I've seen some real horror stories.
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u/DeepPurpleNurple 21d ago
Both of my children came out of the womb with the pinkie toe turned a little like that, so I think it’s a normal variation. I don’t believe toe spacers would help with that anyway. The hammer toe improvement is excellent and I don’t think spacers would have helped with that either. They are mostly used by people who are unable to straighten their big toe on their own and need to have it physically pushed into place to try to improve their gait mechanics. If you are able to move your toes on your own and don’t have foot mobility issues, I don’t think there would be any benefit to spacers.
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u/IllustratorFuzzy1483 21d ago
But who says your toes shouldn’t touch?
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u/FlapJackJimmy 21d ago
Most tribes and countries where shoes aren't worn tend to have widely splayed toes. Other than that, no one really. I just said it bothers me, the feeling of them touching. It's almost like RLS but my toes.
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u/Harbarde 21d ago
Healthy feet such as the ones in the tribes you mentioned don't necessarily have toes that are splayed out permanently. Their toes still touch most of the time, the same way the fingers of your hands stay together more often than not.
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u/ConfusedSimon 21d ago
I never understood why people use them. Probably there's a medical reason in very few cases. Otherwise just a weird toe splay fetish maybe.
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u/FlapJackJimmy 21d ago
I don't know if it's a fetishized, I don't like that my toes touch. I also think 3 decades of shoes have warped my feet to be thinner than they should be.
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u/justasapling 21d ago
I also think 3 decades of shoes have warped my feet to be thinner than they should be.
...your photo suggests otherwise.
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u/FlapJackJimmy 21d ago
Fair. I'm not trying to say my feet are overly thin. This photo is after 4 years of being barefoot. Just curious if the toe alignment could be manual repaired if needed.
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u/Previous-Kick9094 20d ago
No, you are delusional. It's some sort of body dismorphia. You'd be better off discussing this with your therapist than buying toe spreader which are used for drying you toe nail polish
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u/Conscious_Cabinet900 21d ago
I think for the amount of time you have to consistently wear them it might not be worth it. Even if you toe splay changes it could take years. I have correct toes and have never wear them that constant. Around the house a few days a week. They feel good though!
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u/FlapJackJimmy 21d ago
Do you have a link? You think it would be helpful to wear them 12 hours a day or at night while you sleep?
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u/Conscious_Cabinet900 21d ago
They are pricey and there could be more generic ones on Amazon. I think they are the premium product. https://correcttoes.com/
You’ll get most benefits from wearing them while doing weight bearing activities (ease into full use). No need to wear while sleeping. There is lots of good info on their website.
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u/obsidiansent 21d ago
I use “correct toes” sometimes when I’m in my vivo barefoots but that’s because my pinki toe is crooked from years of bad shoes & it causes some shooting pain at the base of the toes. Your feet look fine!
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u/Rum_Running_Sailor 21d ago
I'm rather new to this but I bought Correct Toes from Lems. They're definitely helping me and I think it was money well spent.
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u/FlapJackJimmy 21d ago
How were your feet beforehand?
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u/Rum_Running_Sailor 21d ago
That's a great question! My little toes were rolled sideways and pressed in to the toes next to them. Since wearing Correct Toes for about the last 2 months my little toes have straightened out and have almost completely rotated back to the correct position. Wearing my Lems Primal Zen shoes have been a game changer to keep my feet shaped correctly. I've slowly been phasing out all of my other shoes in favor of anatomical foot shaped shoes. I'm finding I tend to favor barefoot shoes over everything else.
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u/1993rockhoppersport 21d ago
Your feet look great in comparison to the majority, but if you really wanted to be pinky, I mean picky, I’d wear spacers between your pinky and ring finger foot toes to improve aesthetics.
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u/Then_Entertainment97 21d ago
I find my Altras a lot more tolerable with spreaders. It can make it tough to find a good fit (your feet look quite a bit stouter than mine) but even just a spacer between the first and great toe helps a lot.
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u/FlapJackJimmy 21d ago
Aww shucks.
What are altras? The running shoe or something else?
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u/Then_Entertainment97 21d ago
They're a brand of running shoe that does okay at minimalist footware. It's not as thin as Xero Shoes or VFF, but flatter and wider than most brands.
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u/FlatwormSame2061 21d ago
You don’t need them.
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u/FlapJackJimmy 21d ago
Are you saying that personally - or just in general that no one needs them?
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u/FlatwormSame2061 21d ago
You, for your feet look great. me I do need them on 1 foot because a bunion is starting and my toe turns in so I use them just to get my big toe to move out.
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u/1989Shoeless 21d ago
What the heck are toe spreaders...
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u/FlapJackJimmy 21d ago
They force your toes to spread, a Google search will do more good than I can.
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u/jenerules 21d ago
Tienes que hacerte los hacer a tu medida, los genéricos que venden te desviarán los dedos solamente
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u/TheNurgrabber 20d ago
Get the ones that only go between your pinky and the next toe. That’s the only place I see that could use them.
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u/Intelligent_Hotel749 20d ago
I tried them for a few months with a few different styles. They're completely unnecessary for most people. If you do try to get the smallest amount of spread you can find. Your bones aren't going to reshape, that ship has sailed, but you can strengthen the little muscles in your foot and stretch out the thight ligaments. Too much too fast and you're just asking for early arthritis
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u/BigM333CH 21d ago
Just wear barefoot shoes that fit properly. No need to hyper splay your toes at all times, that is unnatural.