Why Your Big Toe Might Be the Secret to Better Running
When you think about running performance, what comes to mind? Shoes, mileage, maybe strength training. All of those are no doubt important for runners to focus on in terms of improving performance but you don’t want to overlook the small details. What if I told you one of the most underrated keys to running faster, staying injury-free and feeling smooth on every stride is… your big toe?
Yep. The humble big toe (also called the hallux) is kind of a big deal. It might be small but it plays a huge role every single time you take a step. And when it’s stiff, weak or unstable, your whole stride can suffer.
Let’s break it down in a way that actually makes sense for runners like you.
Your Big Toe Is Basically Your Launch Pad
Every time you run, your big toe has to bend upward as you push off. This isn’t just a random motion; it sets off something called the windlass mechanism (don’t worry, you don’t need to remember the name).
Here’s what happens when it’s working well:
Your foot turns into a springboard to launch you forward
Your arch stiffens so you don’t lose energy into the ground
Your push-off feels smooth and powerful
When that motion is smooth, running feels easy. When it’s not, things can get messy pretty fast.
What Happens When Your Big Toe Can’t Move
If your big toe doesn’t bend enough (ideally around 60° for running), your body will still figure out a way to move forward but it won’t always be pretty. The human body is innovative (or stubborn) so if you ask it to run even without the available mobility, your body will compensate which can lead to injuries down the road.
Common compensations we see in runners:
Rolling onto the outside of the foot (hello, peroneal tendon pain)
Shortening your stride (goodbye, efficiency)
Collapsing the arch (plantar fasciitis, anyone?)
Turning your leg outward (extra stress on knees and hips)
These small changes add up and before you know it you’ve got calf tightness that won’t quit, a cranky Achilles or IT band pain that shows up late in long runs. Many runners make the mistake of chasing the symptom but never look to figure out the root cause of the injury. Working with a running specialized PT can the key in making sure every little detail is looked at to ensure a timely return to running.
It’s Not Just Mobility, Stability Matters Too
Let’s say you can move your big toe. That’s great! But can you actually control it when you push off?
When your foot is on the ground, it’s supposed to turn into a stiff lever so you can get a strong, efficient push-off. If your big toe collapses or wobbles, you lose power and stability.
That’s when you start to see:
Energy leaks (you work harder just to keep pace)
Overloaded calves and Achilles (because they’re doing extra work)
More stress on knees and hips (your body is searching for stability elsewhere)
Stable toes = stable feet = stable stride.
Quick At-Home Big Toe Check
Here’s a 60-second test you can try right now:
Mobility Test: Sit down, cross your ankle over your knee, and gently lift your big toe upward. Can you get at least 60° of motion without pain or stiffness? Try it on both sides to see if one side has better mobility than the other.
Stability Test: Stand on one foot and do a slow calf raise, keeping your big toe pressed into the floor. Did your ankle wobble or did you feel you weight fall to your outer toes? That’s a sign of instability in your big toe.
If either of these feels limited, your big toe might be quietly sabotaging your stride and increasing your injury risk.
How to Fix It
The good news? Big toe issues are fixable. Here’s where we usually start with our runners:
Gentle mobility work: Anytime we note a big toe limitations, we will start with manual joint mobilizations to improve joint mechanics and range of motion. At home, you can also stretch your big toe or massage the bottom of the foot.
Strengthening drills: Strengthening exercises for the big toe and foot are great because they can essentially be done anywhere! Whether you’re sitting at your desk or standing at the counter making dinner, you can perform toe yoga, toe scrunches and “short foot” exercises.
Addressing the chain: Don’t make the mistake of getting fixated at the big toe, make sure you look at the entire lower body as it all works as a system. Maybe you need to work on calf flexibility, hip mobility or glute strength to fully resolve your running injury.
Even a few minutes a day can make a big difference!
The Bottom Line
Your big toe might seem like a small detail but it’s a big player in how efficiently you run. Limited mobility or poor stability can set off a chain reaction all the way up to your hips.
At Tempo PT & Performance, we’ve seen Atlanta runners optimize their stride (and get rid of nagging pain) just by restoring big toe motion and control.
If you’ve been dealing with recurring calf pain, plantar fasciitis or hip tightness, it might be worth checking out your big toe. If you are a runner local to Atlanta, book a free discovery call with us to see how we can help.
Want to know if this is affecting your stride? Book a Running Gait Analysis at our clinic We’ll take a look at how your foot moves, check for compensations and give you a plan to keep you running strong.
Written By: Dr. Morgan Kamau
