Runner's Toe

[m1and1m]

Or in my case, because I skate instead of run, "Derby Toe".

About 3 months ago I did a weekend boot camp with lots of toe stop work, and my skates don't have an ideal fit in the toe box plus it was so cold I didn't feel how bad it was on my toes. Now my big toes are both mildly sore (but no longer painful and there is no pressure), and they both appear to be separating from the nail bed. One has the air bubble and a little blood underneath it but not much (at first I thought I just did a crappy job of removing dark purple polish, ha!), and the other just has the big air bubble. It's about a third of each nail, on the outside of the left nail/inside of the right nail so it's pretty clearly from skating/my boots and not an injury. The bubbles go from the end of the nail all the way down to the cuticle.


How do I take care of them while they are growing out? What should I look out for or be aware of? Is there anything specific I should not do? Can I paint them?? 

Is there anything I can do to relieve some of the pressure in the toe box? I already skip the first two rows of eyelets when I lace and have appropriate arch support. If I lace any tighter over my arches to keep my feet from slipping I get hot spots on top of my bony foot, even with a padded tongue. I know ballet dancers do a bunch of stuff to minimize damage to their feet when they dance en pointe, do you think an of that will help?
New skates would be the ideal answer, but the ones that fit me properly are $400 and that's not an option right now. What I have now basically has a toe box that is too short from top to bottom.

[valetgirl]

Other than a skate with a bigger toe box (which you said isn't an option), I have no suggestions. I seem to have some kind of air bubble or hematoma on at least one of my toes at all times. This is why I'm never without polish! There's no harm in polishing them.

[runaways]

This happens to me when I run high mileage. Just keep them clipped short while they grow out, and you can totally paint them. As far as alleviating the pressure, I don't really have a good answer.

[m1and1m]

Good to know I can still paint them! If I'm going to have ugly toes for the next year or more I would at least like to cover it up. I do keep them really short to start with because it's just always been more comfortable for me, but I wasn't sure if that was good or bad with this going on. Most of my googling gave me info on nails that are actively falling off or full on black.

Getting the right fit is such a PITA. They have to be tight on your foot for transfer of power from your body through to the floor, but not TOO tight or else you get problems like this. Add to that being unable to actually skate on them before you buy them and not being able to return them once you drill holes in the sole (to attach your plate and wheels) makes it so difficult. Last summer I was able to try on boots from every major manufacturer in the world so I know what I need now, but dammit that's a lot of money!