We don’t always pay much attention to our toes, but we hope that’s about to change. A couple of weeks ago, the Wall Street Journal ran an article that focused on the rise in popularity of the toe spacer. As the name implies, the toe spacer helps to provide some extra space and support between your toes.
Athletes like George Kittle and Novak Djokovic have publicly praised toe spacers for helping them gain a competitive edge, and the recent Wall Street Journal article recently profiled some professional surfers who have been gaining strength and mobility in their toes after adding toe spacers and toe exercises to their daily routine. However, the benefits of a toe spacer aren’t exclusive to athletes. Whether you struggle with balance issues, mobility problems or bent and crooked toes as a result of poor footwear choices, you may notice a monumental shift in foot function and appearance by using a toe spacer and pursuing some mobility exercises each day.
Oftentimes our toes end up a bit misshapen as a result of our footwear choices, and this can affect our overall balance and mobility. Our feet should act like a tripod, with our body weight evenly distributed between the center of the heel, the ball of the big toe and the base of your little toe. When your toes get scrunched, this natural tripod narrows, which can compromise your balance and also lead to the onset of painful bunions.
How Toe Spacers Work
Toe spacers are little devices that are made from foam, silicone or felt, and they insert between each one of your toes. These spacers help to spread the toes out from one another, which realigns the toes and helps to reduce pressure and friction between them. You won’t notice a major shift in your toe positioning overnight, but regular use coupled with daily toe mobility exercises can help you regain strength, balance and flexibility in your toes.
Toe spacers can be a great compliment to a foot strengthening program, which is something we recommend frequently. We give almost every patient instructions on intrinsic foot muscle exercises, and we refer some patients to a special physical therapy group that knows how to address specific muscles in the foot that have been affected by injuries, poor footwear or similar issues.