Uncommon wear/abrasion: Toe nails scratching through toe box of high class shoes

[tetzlaff2]

Long time lurker, first time poster - now starting a topic with a rather ridiculous question.

The problem is such: I have prominent and uncommonly sharp toe nails which despite being cared for on a regular basis rub and scratch through the lining of my better shoes (largely Vass and John Lobb - you get the point: I don't want these shoes to be wasted).

I already lost a pair as eventually my big toe's nails had scratched through the toebox lining and even the leather uppers of the shoes :-/ This is how I first noticed the problem with my toe nails which I had previously been unaware of.

I don't need any advice on taking care of my feet, I was just wondering whether anybody else experiences this problem and what he does about it.

Is there, for example, sheet metal that you can apply to the area most strongly subject to abrasion from toe nails? What else could you think of? Annoying question, I know - feel free to laugh ;-) My cobbler couldn't give me any recommendation.

 

[Mr. Moo]

 

[GBR]

Never heard of this before but it would seem that your shoes are too small for your feet. The toe and its accompanying nail are simply part of your foot to be taken into account.

 

[Patek14]

• cut your toenails super short?
• wear thicker socks?
• do u have a cat in your family tree?
• coat your toenails with liquid bandage/latex?

 

[Caustic Man]

Have your toes removed.

 

[tetzlaff2]

Did anybody check his shoes upon my post? I am close to certain I am not the only guy around suffering from this disposition and that at least a fraction of SFers will have thin toe box lining where the big toe hits the toe box top ... Thing is, only few will notice. I only did by chance, though...

That said, I am still looking forward to a recommendation as to glue something protective on the inside of my shoes... Can you think of something here?

 

[Mr. Moo]

Only these shoes will work.

 

[SeaDweller]

What are you, part bear?

 

[GBR]

Did anybody check his shoes upon my post? I am close to certain I am not the only guy around suffering from this disposition and that at least a fraction of SFers will have thin toe box lining where the big toe hits the toe box top ... Thing is, only few will notice. I only did by chance, though...

That said, I am still looking forward to a recommendation as to glue something protective on the inside of my shoes... Can you think of something here?

Why do you persist in thinking that they are the correct size? They patently are not: if your toes (of whatever type they actually are fangs perhaps?) abrade the linings, the shoes are too small for you.

If a cobbler (who better?) has no idea then it would seem he has never fallen upon the issue so I would aver that you are unique in this and should not kid yourself otherwise. I can't be bothered using that useful option - 'search' (have you?) but I have never read of or seen such an issue anywhere, anytime.

Trolling perhaps?

 

[KobyBerk]

Funny you mention this because I have been noticing in a few of my pairs of sneakers by the top of my big toe there are small holes and they keep growing. Could be because of my nails. What have you done about it?

 

[useless_username]

Troll confirmed. Nothing to see here, move along. Though I have to admit, this was quality trolling. More imaginative than the usual.

 

[KobyBerk]

Troll confirmed. Nothing to see here, move along. Though I have to admit, this was quality trolling. More imaginative than the usual.

Lol. I think he's being genuine.

 

[MyOtherLife]

All the best threaks occur when I am eating. Thanks pal.
Welcome to Styleforum.

 

[tetzlaff2]

Certainly no trolling - I don't have time for such activities. I am looking for help/recommendations here. Again, this is not related to a lack of body care. If you walk around, you'll notice that some folks wearing Vans skate shoes have their big toe scratched through the canvas... This is the same problem I have, only with more expensive shoes.

And my cobbler actually had a solution which is reparing the lining locally. He also let me know upon request that I am not the only person in the world with this disposition. But why would one go for a reparation when protection/prevention possibly is an option, too? This is where he fell short of ideas.

And just for the sake of completeness: Nowhere did I mention that I insist my shoes are the correct size - this notion seems to have formed in your mind exclusively, GBR. But to ease your mind, I do in fact believe them to be correctly sized as I comfortably wear my shoes and was fitted by very experienced shoe professionals in store.

 

[BigBadBernard]

If your toenail keratin is sufficiently hard to scratch into and possibly through a robust leather shoe upper, then any substance or mechanism applied to the inside of the shoe or the exterior of the toe is going to be similarly worn through, and probably quite uncomfortable.

Personally I would suggest toenail extraction is a more beneficial solution.