Why does hammer toe cause foot pain?

A hammer toe bends at one or more joints instead of lying flat. This changes how the toe meets the ground and how force travels through the forefoot during walking. The tip may press down, the top of the toe may press against a shoe, and the ball of the foot may receive extra load. Friction can cause tenderness, thickened skin, or a corn. Tight footwear may amplify these pressures. Foot Pain from a hammer toe can therefore be local to the toe or spread into the front of the foot.

Wear shoes with a wide, deep toe box and enough length. Soft socks and protective padding may reduce rubbing, but padding should not make the shoe tight. Rest from activities that sharply increase symptoms, and keep the skin clean and intact. A clinician or physiotherapist can check flexibility, footwear, balance of the toe muscles, and whether an insert or exercise plan is suitable. Avoid cutting corns yourself if you have reduced sensation or circulation.

Book an assessment when pain interferes with walking, the toe is becoming harder to straighten, or a corn keeps returning. Seek prompt care for an open sore, spreading redness, drainage, fever, sudden swelling, or a toe that becomes cold, pale, or numb.

Ask whether the deformity is flexible, what is causing the pressure, which footwear changes fit your foot, and whether physiotherapy, padding, or another treatment is appropriate.