Hammer toes can be caused by heredity, arthritis, or a tight tendon that won t allow the toe to flatten. Most often, however, it s due to ill-fitting shoes. A narrow shoe with a tight toe box aggravates the condition, forcing the toe to bump up against the upper part of the shoe. High heels force the foot down, bending the toes against the shoe. Corns sometimes form on top of the hammertoe and at the tip of the toe, providing another source of pain.
Conservative treatment begins with wearing shoes with soft, roomy toe boxes.
You can also purchase cushions, nonmedicated corn pads and straps, and orthotics that fit inside the shoe. When conservative measures fail, hammer toes can be surgically corrected under local anesthesia by removing part of the bone so the toe can return to normal position. For most people, recovery takes four to six weeks and requires you to wear a splint and surgical shoe. More than half of American women have bunions, which are blamed on wearing tight, narrow shoes and high heels. Nine out of 10 bunions, in fact, occur in women and nine out of 10 women wear shoes that are too small, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons .