Stability while running?!
Take the Big Toe Test
With this simple test you can find out how good the structure and mobility of your big toe is, which is responsible for 85% of the stability in your foot when running.
Test with toe stand
- Stand barefoot or with socks at a distance of about 55cm in front of a wall and support yourself with your hands on the wall.
- Now lift one leg and get up on your tip-toes with the other leg. Try to lift the heel as high as possible. Your foot should be at a 90° angle to the wall (never at an angle).
- Stop briefly at the highest point and then lower the heel again. Repeat the process again; after a maximum of 10 repetitions, switch feet and start the test again with the other foot.
Tip on how to make pronation and supination visible:
To support this, you can use a ballpoint pen to draw a dot at the root of the second toe and in the middle of the anterior ankle joint and connect the two dots straight with a ruler. This simplifies the visualization of the result.
The Big Toe test simulates the propulsion phase during. The tip-toe test simulates the propulsive phase of running, in which you push yourself forward with one leg on the ground in the push-off phase and the other in the air in the swing phase. Here, two to three times your body weight acts on your foot.
You can easily tell if instability in your forefoot is limiting the stability and strength potential of your big toe:
Overpronation in the propulsive phase
In the video you can see the overpronation (red line). At the highest point, your midfoot bends inward over the metatarsophalangeal joint instead of staying straight forward.
Supination in the propulsive phase
In the video you can see the supination (red line). At the highest point, your midfoot bends outward over the four smaller toes instead of staying straight forward.
The running shoe industry ignores the big toe!
In order to be able to use the full power potential of your big toe in the propulsive phase, your foot should roll straight over the big toe when running. In conventional running shoes, this is not possible in the vast majority of cases, because the toe box already influences the angle of your big toe noticeably in the direction of the little toe. Since we runners have high forces acting on the forefoot during the propulsive phase, the negative effect on the structure and the muscles of your foot is all the greater.
From Knowledge to Power:
Unleash Your Full Potential.
You now understand the critical role your big toe plays in stability and propulsion. But theory alone won't transform your run. To translate that biomechanical knowledge into real-world performance, you need targeted, progressive training.
That’s exactly why we developed the Big Toe Power System — a series of science-backed tools designed to specifically strengthen your foot muscles and help you get the most out of every single step.
