Walking on a broken pinky toe: what’s safe and how it heals

Can you walk on a broken pinky toe?

In most cases, yes. A broken pinky toe (the fifth toe) is one of the most common foot injuries, often from stubbing it on furniture in the dark. Unless the bone is badly out of place, it usually heals well without a cast, and you don’t need to stay off your feet.

What matters is how you walk while it heals:

• Wear a post-op shoe or fracture boot. Your podiatrist fits one at the office. It keeps the toes from bending with every step.
• Buddy-tape the toe to the fourth toe for support. Our guide shows how to tape a broken toe step by step.
• Take shorter, slower steps, and let pain guide how much you do.
• Avoid going barefoot and wearing flip-flops, tight shoes or heels.
• Skip running, jumping and sports until walking is pain-free.

Have the toe checked by a podiatrist, and go right away if you can’t put any weight on your foot or walking gets more painful instead of less.

How to tell if your pinky toe is broken

Common signs of a broken pinky toe include:

• sharp pain right after the injury, sometimes with a snap or pop
• swelling and bruising, which may spread to nearby toes or the side of the foot
• pain when you walk or put on a shoe
• a toe that looks bent, crooked or out of line

Being able to move or wiggle your toe does not mean it isn’t broken. A bad sprain and a small fracture can look and feel alike, and only an X-ray can tell them apart. Our guide to telling a fracture from a sprain explains the differences.

If the pain is along the outer edge of your foot, behind the pinky toe, rather than in the toe itself, you may have broken the fifth metatarsal, the long bone that leads to the toe. That bone needs an X-ray and often different treatment, so see a doctor.

What to do for a broken pinky toe

For the first 2 to 3 days:

1. Rest and raise your foot above the level of your heart when you can.
2. Ice it for 15 to 20 minutes every 2 to 3 hours, with a thin cloth between the ice and your skin.
3. Buddy-tape the toe to the fourth toe, with a small piece of gauze between them.
4. Take an over-the-counter pain reliever such as ibuprofen, naproxen or acetaminophen if it’s safe for you.
5. Wear your post-op shoe or fracture boot whenever you’re on your feet.

If you have diabetes, neuropathy or poor circulation, don’t ice or tape the toe at home before a podiatrist has seen it. You may not feel if the ice or tape is harming your skin.

How long does a broken pinky toe take to heal?

Most broken pinky toes heal in 4 to 6 weeks. Here’s what recovery usually looks like:

Breaks that need to be set, that go into the joint, or that need surgery take longer. Your doctor will tell you what to expect.

Can a broken pinky toe heal on its own?

A simple, straight break often heals well with buddy taping and a post-op shoe or fracture boot. The problem is you can’t always tell a simple break from a more serious one by looking. A toe that heals crooked can rub in shoes, form painful corns and stiffen up, and an injury near the joint can lead to arthritis later.

When to see a doctor

Any toe injury should be checked by your podiatrist. Don’t wait and try to treat it yourself first. Go promptly, or to urgent care, if:

• the toe looks crooked or points in a different direction
• the skin is cut or broken near the injury, or you can see bone
• the toe is numb, cold, pale or blue
• you can’t put weight on your foot
• the pain is along the outer edge of your foot rather than in the toe
• you have diabetes, neuropathy or poor circulation

Evolve Health podiatrists have digital X-ray on site, so you can usually get a diagnosis at your first visit. You can find a podiatrist near you and book online.

How a podiatrist treats a broken pinky toe

Most broken pinky toes don’t need surgery. Depending on the X-ray, your podiatrist may:

• Buddy-tape the toe and fit you with a post-op shoe or a fracture boot.
• Set the bone. If the toe is out of line, it can be gently moved back into place after numbing the area, then taped.
• Recommend surgery in the rare cases where the bone won’t stay in line, several bones are broken, or the break goes into the joint. Pins or small screws hold the bone while it heals, and recovery takes about 6 to 8 weeks, with follow-up X-rays.

Once the bone has healed, a few weeks of physical therapy can help if the toe or foot stays stiff or weak. Learn more about how we treat sprains and fractures.

Problems that can happen if a broken toe is ignored

Most broken pinky toes heal without trouble. When they don’t, it’s usually because the bone healed out of line or the injury was more serious than it looked. Possible problems include:

• lasting pain, stiffness or swelling
• a crooked toe that rubs in shoes and forms corns
• arthritis in the toe joint
• infection, if the skin was broken at the time of the injury

Watch for pain or swelling that keeps getting worse, an open wound near the injury, or skin that turns red, warm or dark. If you notice any of these, see a podiatrist promptly.