Black toenails from skiing - have you ever had them?

[Chris V.]

I'd say those nails are just too long. I have to trim mine VERY close.

 

[Kneale Brownson]

Picture was taken some time after the blackening. Nails had grown some.

 

[Crank]

Never been a thing for me.

So Robin loses toenails if she forgets to trim them before skiing. Then she likes to torture me with toe updates so I can see the progress...

Now I get there here as well.

Thank you.

 

[DoryBreaux]

Never (knock wood). But like Josh I trim them stupid short.

 

[Tom K.]

I lost toenails two years in a row while skiing a total of 14 days each season due to boots that were too short lasted and gave me zero room in the toebox.

Same, ages ago. Not since then, but as others mentioned, I do trim my toenails close during the ski season.

 

[Jersey Skier]

I had two that eventually fell off. I have had ingrown toenail issues ever since. They were caused by short lasted Lange liners. Fitter subsequently sliced open the toe area of the liner and they were better. This was before neoprene was used in that area.

Love my Zipfits because the front is so stretchy.

 

[jack97]

Yes, I had them after skiing spring bumps. Liners in my boots was packing out, I was jamming my big toe into the boot shell every time I absorbed the front side of the bumps. New liners just didn't feel right so I tried the Toe Gels shown below. Seems to work so far.

 

[DanoT]

I don't know which brand but there are boots made for park rats that instead of hard plastic toes, the shells come with neoprene toes. Pros and wannabe pros don't wear these because, well, they don't need them because they don't make mistakes.

 

[AmyPJ]

Same, ages ago. Not since then, but as others mentioned, I do trim my toenails close during the ski season.

I not only trim to the quick, I also avoid nail polish. Every mm counts!

 

[Wasatchman]

Got the dreaded black toe a few seasons ago skiing in boots where liners packed out. Toes would get smashed in the bumps.

So happens not only from boots being too small but also having too much room.... Skiing can be fussy

 

[Chris V.]

Got the dreaded black toe a few seasons ago skiing in boots where liners packed out. Toes would get smashed in the bumps.

So happens not only from boots being too small but also having too much room.... Skiing can be fussy

The difficulties I've had in the past have been blistering and callouses on the tops of certain toes, apparently from rubbing on socks pressed against the boot shells. This could certainly result from excessive foot movement inside the boots due to the shells being too large, but that definitely hasn't been the case with my boots. The problem, always minor, seems to have reduced. My theory is that I'm doing a better job of staying dorsiflexed, so that my feet don't slide forward at all in the boots, something that could lead to rubbing. Anyway, I'm sticking with any theory implying that my skiing has improved, LOL.

 

[Mattadvproject]

Yes, back in 2013/14, early season, doing a PSIA trainers camp at Squaw Valley and doing a lot of Dolphin Turns. Banged up my toes really badly. Didn't feel anything initially and then both my big toenails went black a few days later and ended up falling out..... sadly I don't have pictures of that. Boots were Head Raptors that had been fitting really well and I'd had no problems with them before. I think it was the Dolphin's that were the cause.....

- Matt

 

[Jilly]

I have pictures, but not for the faint of heart....

 

[Wasatchman]

The difficulties I've had in the past have been blistering and callouses on the tops of certain toes, apparently from rubbing on socks pressed against the boot shells. This could certainly result from excessive foot movement inside the boots due to the shells being too large, but that definitely hasn't been the case with my boots. The problem, always minor, seems to have reduced. My theory is that I'm doing a better job of staying dorsiflexed, so that my feet don't slide forward at all in the boots, something that could lead to rubbing. Anyway, I'm sticking with any theory implying that my skiing has improved, LOL.

Haha.

Yes, I had them after skiing spring bumps. Liners in my boots was packing out, I was jamming my big toe into the boot shell every time I absorbed the front side of the bumps. New liners just didn't feel right so I tried the Toe Gels shown below. Seems to work so far.

Those are the toe gels, but no way that's your foot, Jack. Looks a lot more like my foot instead.