Morton's Toe

Morton's Toe is a very common forefoot disorder. A person with a Morton's Toe has a second toe that is longer than the big toe. The joint of this toe is in lead position and therefore becomes a weight bearing joint for forefoot loading during the gait cycle. Excessive pressure is placed on the second metatarsal joint in the ball of the foot resulting in pain similar to the discomfort associated with Metatarsalgia. This constant pressure can result in heavy Calluses forming under the second metatarsal joint, breakdown of joint structure, and biomechanical dysfunction of the foot.

Proper treatment for Morton's toe starts with a custom fitted ezWalker to redirect the loading force of the foot into the big toe joint for a proper biomechanical step. It may be necessary to use a Morton's Toe Extender to achieve complete redistribution of weight to the big toe. This is a firm lightweight plate added to the ezWalker™ to give more loading power to the big toe. A shoe with a broader toe box is also recommended to allow better placement of the big toe within the shoe. Over time the metatarsal joint of a foot with a Morton's Toe can become stiff and lose mobility. In this case a shoe with a rocker toe is recommended to reduce stress on the joint and ease gait.

Feet are constantly changing throughout life. Have your fit checked regularly and remember the size on the measuring device is only a reference. Mass manufactured shoes are NOT all created equal. Refer to the Shoe Fitting Reference Guide for proper guidelines on how to best fit your shoes.

If you are following these guidelines and pain persists you must seek the council of a physician for diagnosis and treatment. Morton's Toe pain left untreated can lead to serious breakdown of joint structure and result lack of mobility and arthritis conditions.