Mallet and claw toes

These are both similar in their causes and treatments to hammertoe. A mallet toe occurs when the joint at the end of the toe can’t straighten, so that the top of the toe rubs against the shoe.

A claw toe bends up at the joint where the toes and the foot meet, and down at the other joints, causing the toe to curl down toward the floor. Like the hammer toe, both conditions are often caused by ill-fitting shoes, as well as genetic factors, and can be treated by similar surgical and non surgical approaches.