Morton's toe

How it works

The big toe sits on the first metatarsal, a long bone inside the foot. The second toe sits on the second metatarsal. In Morton’s toe the first metatarsal is shorter than the second¹. The toes themselves can be normal length, but the second toe starts further forward, so it looks longer. The trait may be inherited, though the pattern is not simple³.

With a shorter first metatarsal, more of the body’s weight passes through the second metatarsal when you walk. Many people never notice. Some get pain under the ball of the foot, called metatarsalgia², or a callus under the second toe¹.

How common it is

Reported rates range from 3% to 22% of people, and they vary between populations¹. A survey in Nigeria found it in about 66% of people, far above other reports³.

Try it

1. Take off your socks and stand with your weight spread evenly.
2. Look down at your feet. If the second toe reaches further forward than the big toe, you have the shape.
3. Now look at the base of the toes, where they join the foot. In Morton’s toe the crease at the base of the big toe sits further back than the crease at the base of the second toe.
4. Check whether the shape is the same on both feet. It usually is.

Is it a problem?

No. Morton’s toe is a normal variation in foot bone length, not a disease¹. Many people with it walk and run without any trouble. Some get pain under the ball of the foot, called metatarsalgia, or a callus under the second toe, from extra pressure under the second metatarsal¹².

See a doctor if foot pain:

• comes with swelling or numbness,
• keeps getting worse,
• does not go away.

Other causes need to be ruled out.

History and culture

The shape is named after Dudley Joy Morton, an American orthopaedic surgeon who described it in the 1920s¹. Greek and Roman sculptors gave their statues a longer second toe, which is why the shape is also called the Greek foot¹. The Statue of Liberty has it too¹.