Toe Spacers – A Guide and Review of 7 Different Pairs

A hot-button topic in the arena of barefoot shoes is toe spacers. Do you need them? Do you need expensive ones? How do you wear them? Which ones are best? Read on to answer these questions and more.

Disclaimer: I bought all toe spacers shown here myself, over the course of 2 years. Amazon links and Earthrunners link/code are affiliate, meaning that if you use them they will cost you nothing extra but a small portion will go toward supporting the blog.

Do you need toe spacers?

For most people, the answer is no, you don’t. They are very helpful to those with bunions to help realign feet damaged by shoes and/or gait, but if your toes are straight already then you will get a lesser degree of benefit. It’s probably not zero, though, especially as you’re starting out and if you came from the point of constantly wearing shoes. Toe spacers don’t give you active control over your toe space or movement, but they do help stretch out constricted tissues and give you a good start. For lasting change, active exercises are better, but active-use toe spacers may be a good additional tool for your journey.

Are the expensive ones better?

Yes, and no. It depends on a lot of factors and what you want to use them for. I’ll discuss each version below with their individual pro and cons.

How do you wear them?

This depends on heavily on which type you buy, and somewhat on your feet, gait, and lifestyle. Some are meant to be (and safe) to use under active conditions, while some have the potential to harm you if used actively, and others won’t let you walk at all. Most do not fit inside shoes for most people.

Which ones are best?

Lets get into the nitty-gritty here and go through 7 different versions. If I say unlikely it means definitely not for me, but smaller/narrower feet may be able to do those things. This is not an exhaustive list, but then neither is my bank account, so, off we go…

Correct Toes

• Cost: $65 from Correct Toes direct (sold by some retailers, and sometimes discounted)
• Wear: Everything, and performs best when active. Also works for most people inside shoes.
• Sizing: 4 sizes, from x-small to x-large (EU 32-45)

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These podiatrist-developed Correct Toes are the primo option, in both cost and functionality. They are pretty much twice the cost of anything else (not counting the knock-offs of this model that are easily obtainable but not very ethical to use) but are unmatched in functionality. They do not wrap around toes at the ends, which has the plus of improved comfort, but the drawback of occasionally having some issues with them flipping up or down during use. They are the only ones that allow you to increase the splay at the ends by inserting materials into the splits, and, if you’re inclined, you can also cut off pieces, such as the pinky separator, to suit your needs.

These are meant for active use and designed with that in mind, and they are also the best option for wearing inside shoes because the posts between the toes are not as thick as others. At my size, the options are few for which shoes allow me to wear them (Insta post covers 4 here) but if you have smaller/more narrow feet, you may be able to wear them in most shoes.

You may need to wear toe socks to get a secure fit.

Yoga Toes

• Cost: $29.95 for 1 pair from Amazon
• Wear: Inactive use only, not possible to walk in them.
• Sizing: One size, listed as 6-11W / 7-10 M

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These are definitely the neatest looking ones. Who wouldn’t like the thought of some bedazzling while improving your toe splay?

They’re marketed for a specific size range and I’m just above that. I can see how I am higher than the intended overall width, but what I don’t get is how thick the posts are, considering they’re meant for feet smaller than mine. They are the thickest of all, by far, and not compressible, so they will definitely give you the most splay. But they are very likely to cramp your feet while doing it. There is such a thing as too far, especially when you have any chance of hypermobility.

Below your toes is an equally thick attachment band that makes it pretty much impossible to walk in these, and advisable that you not try. If you go this route or any of their sister options, be prepared to just sit and look pretty while wearing them.

Awesome Toes

• Cost: $16.95 for 2 pairs from Amazon
• Wear: Active and barefoot. Unlikely to work inside shoes.
• Sizing: One size

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These Awesome Toes win for presentation, coming inside a nice wooden box that is now storing several pairs of my toe separators. You also get 2 pairs in one order, which ups the value to these being the 2nd most cost-effective option.

The posts between the toes are not compressible, limiting them to likely not working inside shoes for anyone, but I find them very comfortable for walking around in and a potential for more active use. The holes are not very large, though, and I have toes that you might call finger toes, and even mine begin to feel squashed after awhile. They’re going to fit best for small men’s feet or mid-range women’s feet, but note that they provide a lot of splay, which may become uncomfortable on small feet. They are not going to work well on very large feet.

Relax Tony

• Cost: $18.49 for 1 pair from Amazon
• Wear: Claim is that they’ll work on active activities, but I disagree (more below).
• Sizing: One size

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These were the first spreaders I bought and they are by far the worst. They make my feet cramp with the effort due to several factors – 1) the spread is too large on the pinky toe, even at my above-average foot size and 2) they are impossible to keep centered on my toes and frequently flip up or down, like, constantly. You can even see in this relaxed picture above (sorry about the Earthrunners strap marks) they are trying to unseat from the big toe of my right foot. I can’t say anything good about these. They’re overpriced for what they are, they work very poorly, and they make the muscles that control my big toes cramp deeply.

Earthrunners

• Cost: $10 from Earthrunners alone, or $18 as part of a foot restoration pack with a ball and rubber bands. You can save 10% with my affiliate code OWBSHOES.
• Wear: Pre-trimmed to wear actively with Earthrunners sandals.
• Sizing: One size

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These spreaders are very similar to the Zalik discussed below, but are pre-arranged for you to be able to wear them specifically with Earthrunners sandals, as you see here, because the pinky section has already been removed. If these went over the big toe as well, that would technically work but would not be comfortable. As-is, the counter pressure of the strap against the spread between toes 2 and 3 can become uncomfortable after awhile, but you can lower this a little by putting the trimmed area here. They’re very reversible in different directions, such as band close to your foot, or on the outside, and which end you put where.

I highly recommend the ball that comes in the pack, so you wouldn’t go wrong to tack on a Foot Restoration Kit when you buy some sandals and give these a go. The ball is fantastic! These are okay. My mini review of ERs is here, but a mondo Full Review is in the works.

Zalik

• Cost: $6.99 for 5 pairs from Amazon (4 pictured colors, plus an extra white pair in my bag)
• Wear: Walking around and other light activities barefoot. Unlikely to work inside closed-toed shoes, but may work with non-toe post sandals.
• Sizing: One size

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These are, by far, the least expensive model tested and the best value. They’re not likely to last very long, but they hold well and aren’t painful in their spread. They’re also usable while walking around, but very unlikely to work inside closed-toed shoes. Might work in open-toed sandals with no toe post. I do not find them comfortable for long-term wear, but that might be less of an issue with smaller feet so that the ends, especially the big toe part, are not as tight. But the trade-off is a higher splay for the size, and that might be uncomfortable, especially if you’re just starting out.

Both my older kids are currently wearing pairs, now that my review is done. One is about a women’s 6 but has a very wide natural splay, while the other is about a women’s 9 with a pretty good toe splay, and both like them a lot. Middle is arguing with me about which direction to wear them, and using them like a rubber band when he takes them off. So, lots going on here.

Happy Feet Socks

• Cost: $20 per pair from Amazon or directly from company. Sometimes bundled or otherwise discounted.
• Wear: Relaxed time only. Very difficult to walk in and not advisable to do so.
• Size: Small to XL – From 4-16W and 2-15M

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I bought multiple pairs of these early in my barefoot shoes journey and spent almost a year sleeping in them. They are not for active wear at all, and cannot be worn inside shoes. The posts are adjustable up and down and you need to get used to wearing them. They can be especially comfortable if you have tightness, such as tight calves or tendons from running or during the adjustment period to barefoot shoes where your alignment and gait are still changing. I don’t wear them much now, but I found them very good for this during the early months, and still will pull them out if I revert to old habits and get tightness from a bad gait day.

Free Options:

Don’t want to spend money on toe spreading socks or spacers? No problem! You can get some of the relaxing benefits by winding a regular sock through your toes while relaxing, or interlacing your fingers with your toes for short periods. But be careful you don’t overextend your toes in the process. This is going to help most with general tightness, but will not do much in the long-run to help with issues such as bunions, or give you active control over your toe splay. Bit more explanation of some toe splay options here.

Final Thoughts

How much your toes splay is a complex issue, involving your history with shoes, your gait, your anatomy, and your muscles. Toe spreaders used actively, can help realign and retrain your feet, but they’re not a replacement for active stretching and exercises such as toe-ga, CARS, and Pails and Rails. Toe spreaders can remind your feet what’s natural, but it will take work for your feet to regain or gain whatever control they can.

Many people will get little benefit from toe spreaders, and I have not found any great benefit from most of them, but have gotten a lot of use out of the socks. Don’t get them purely for aesthetic reasons, or because other people wearing barefoot shoes have them. Look at your individual feet and bunions or bunion potential, and see if they’re truly necessary for you, your lifestyle, and your feet.

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