Running - losing a toenail!

[Itscurtainsforyou]

. I'm really squeamish! I've started running, did my longest ever run a week or so ago and now my toenail is turning black

Any experienced runners please give me tips on how to prevent this and if I can keep running while it's looking grim? My shoes are usually fine (not too small/tight).

Eek, me too, I’ve lost a few over the years. Clearly not the person to ask advice from! It gets me when I do tonnes of running.

i've lost 3!

there might be a lacing technique to help with this (shoelaces)

Me too. I’ve lost a couple and have currently a dead opaque one not quite ready to drop off. Just a casualty of the activity as far as I see it.

Me too! They do grow back though! Not particularly attractive for summer

I got a size up and seems ok now, apart from I've been wearing trail shoes and got black nail from them. I found it worse on long runs when I ran downhill.

Loads over the years - keeping them trimmed helps

I have always lost toenails. So much on that I have no nails on my little toes. They just haven't grown back. I once only had to pay half price for a pedicure as I only had about 6 nails left

yes mine was exacerbated by doing 3 peaks challenge! up and down 3 mountains....didnt dare take my boots off!

Oh man! I’ve done a fair bit of running in the last few years and never lost a toenail!!!! New trainers??

A running shoe with a wider toe box will generally help with this.

Thank you all! I don't feel so odd now

I'll have a look at wider shoes, I did have some half a size bigger but my heel kept slipping out. Maybe need to lace them differently?

as a former ballet dancer keep your nails trimmed as the bruising is probably being caused by the nail jamming into your trainer (even if it doesn't hurt when you run). Keep the nail trimmed as it grows out and cover the bruising with a nice nail polish!

I've been running for years but only lost toenails once (three at the same time.)

It was when I forgot what I was doing and bought new trainers in my usual shoe size instead of one bigger. They didn't feel uncomfortable so I ran in them for a few weeks and only realised once my nails went black.

I did have some half a size bigger but my heel kept slipping out. Maybe need to lace them differently?

Different shoes can have a wide toe box, just getting larger doesn't work as you say it just means you move around in the heel.

This choosing running shoe business is so complicated! I need support shoes, wear insoles and now need a wider toe box

Don’t cut your toe nail to short or curved as this can cause in growing nails

Instead trim neatly straight and then file the nails, I use a hard skin file from the body shop and only file in one direction ( would hurt to file in both) to file the nail shorted and keep smooth edges

Your shoes are too small of your toe nails are going black.

I normally wear a size 7.5, but my running shoes are all 8.5 ( apart from in my first year of running when I just got 7.5 shoes and got black toe nails).

It really makes a difference. Now I also size up for hiking and other outdoor shoes and it's so much more comfortable.