HikeArizona.COM

Quick health question. Is it okay to hike with missing toenails that are trying to grow back? I've recently lost 2 toenails and have a few more that are badly bruised, although pain-free at this point. Curious if anyone who's experienced this has any suggestions or remedies (from a hikers POV). Thanks.

The N wrote:Is it okay to hike with missing toenails that are trying to grow back?

Yes it is. If it wasn't, I would have gone a LONG time without hiking...

Case in point:
Thanksgiving Friday in 2007 I did a ~9 mile 3100' AEG up-down-up-down hike with Darth Stiller and lost ALL TEN toenails! It took over a year for MOST of them to grow back. And I was NOT about to stop hiking for any length of time like that.

It took almost 5 years before my left big toenail grew back, and while it's still there, it's an ugly thick thing that has not grown at all in the last three years. Oddly enough, the ONLY nail that grew back halfway normal was the right big toe nail, the rest are misshapen and/or curled up.

While folks might say I shouldn't have hiked with a new pair of shoes, that had NEVER been the problem before or since, and in this case it wasn't the shoes themselves (Merrell Chameleons). The problem was the LACES. The 'cool' thing was that you could just yank on the tab and they were 'tied' in a split-second.

Ok, well and good, only I didn't realize the laces were somewhat elastic, so whenever I was walking downhill my feet were sliding up to the front of the shoe box, which eventually caused enough friction to get blisters under all 10 toenails.


I still have the shoes and still wear them from time to time, but I cut out the elastic laces and replaced them with heavy-duty laces and there is no longer an issue with them.

I've lost a toenail or two. As long as it doesn't hurt, go for it.

@CannondaleKid
Wow! Guess I can't complain. They've had 2 weeks to heal up and not be so open to infection but that ends tomorrow as I'm in need of some trail therapy. I can live with ugly toenails if that's what it's gonna cost me. Thanks for the input.

Yes, you can hike but make sure that after the hike you take extra care to get the toe clean, as it will be more prone to infection. If it hurts, then stop.

By the way, stubbing a toe when you have no toenail is an all new kind of pain!

@nonot
Thanks, shoes are definitely staying on this time. The toenails fell off right when we got back from Chevelon. Not looking forward to stubbing them.