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Super Contributor
Posts: 319
Registered: ‎06-28-2010

Growing Toe in 65 year old lady

Has anyone ever heard of this? My friend's friend told her she had to have surgery on her foot because her toe grew and it is pushing out through the ends of her shoes...including her Uggs. She also said she had to take her Uggs to a cobbler (her word) and he sewed some leather in the toe area. According to her she was wearing Born shoes which allowed her toe to grown into another toe and then push out through the end of her shoe. I thought will she must mean her toenail grew as I had not heard of a toe growing at the age of 65. I wondered why she use didn't trim her toenails down. What do you think?

I should say that I know a cobbler is one who makes/repairs shoes, just had not heard it said when describing taking your shoes to the shoe repair shop.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 15,520
Registered: ‎09-01-2010

Re: Growing Toe in 65 year old lady

I think this sounds quite plausible, and is most likely due to a difference in the fit within the toe box of her shoes.
Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 6,539
Registered: ‎11-23-2013

Re: Growing Toe in 65 year old lady

jj, I'm 46 and I thought the same thing happened to me!

Because I wore the same type of shoe for a few years (similar to what your friend's friend wears), my toes spread. They didn't get longer. They spread because they had the room to do so.

The fix: I bought shoes and boots that were pointy, or pointier than what I was used to. I'm back to normal now and wearing my pointy boots with socks.

Get your flu shot...because I didn't.
Honored Contributor
Posts: 14,751
Registered: ‎03-15-2014

Re: Growing Toe in 65 year old lady

Sounds strange. I've heard of feet flattening as you age, such that you graduate to a new shoe size.

Super Contributor
Posts: 2,103
Registered: ‎05-25-2014

Re: Growing Toe in 65 year old lady

I'm no podiatrist (lol), but I worked in orthopedic shoes for years. I'll just offer some general observations that may or may not be backed by hard science. {#emotions_dlg.laugh}

As we age, our arches drop - this leads to an overall "lengthening" of our feet. Most of us won't remain the same shoe size for the duration of our adult years. The same thing can happen as a result of rapid weight gain - your arch will drop and your foot will lengthen.

Super Contributor
Posts: 1,520
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Growing Toe in 65 year old lady

Your toes don't grow when you're an adult. It's more than likely that the woman is doing her best to describe a bunion (which would push into the other toe and cause a bulge out of her shoe near the front. People with bunions often have to have a piece cut out of their shoes or a piece added to cover the bulging area. It could also be a hammer toe. Similar issue. The clue to me is that she says it's pushing into another toe.

Super Contributor
Posts: 551
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Growing Toe in 65 year old lady

I have worn the same size shoe my entire adult life. Suddenly, one shoe fits, the other is too tight--not width, length. Every pair of shoes I tried on didn't fit. So, I went to a good a shoe store where they measure feet--one of them grew! He put me is a size larger and added things to help the loose shoe to fit better. I have never paid so much for shoes, but I needed the expertise. Apparently, feet can grow when we are older, mine did!

Super Contributor
Posts: 443
Registered: ‎11-16-2011

Re: Growing Toe in 65 year old lady

Judgejudith: In England the shoe repair shop is always referred to as the cobbler's shop.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 18,773
Registered: ‎03-13-2010

Re: Growing Toe in 65 year old lady

On 12/23/2014 BlueCollarBabe said:

Your toes don't grow when you're an adult. It's more than likely that the woman is doing her best to describe a bunion (which would push into the other toe and cause a bulge out of her shoe near the front. People with bunions often have to have a piece cut out of their shoes or a piece added to cover the bulging area. It could also be a hammer toe. Similar issue. The clue to me is that she says it's pushing into another toe.

My thought, too

♥Surface of the Sun♥
Super Contributor
Posts: 1,520
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Growing Toe in 65 year old lady

As we age our feet can get bigger (in length and or width) because weight and exercise loosen the muscles and the bones spread. It is not actual ""growth"".