Ways to Stop Stubbing Your Toes

Avoid Darkened Rooms

• When the lights are dim or off in a room, you're likely to lose track of your surroundings as your spatial awareness is reduced. Household objects as well as larger pieces of furniture are suddenly hazards just waiting for you to crash into them and cause yourself a toe-based injury. So if you're aware that you're entering a room filled with obstacles and clutter, or an unknown area, turn the light switch on or at least employ a flashlight to guide your way.
  
  

Wear Shoes

• Wearing shoes won't prevent you from crashing your foot into objects and walls, but it will cushion the blow somewhat, thanks to the protective layer of material between your skin and the obstacle. This means that while you might feel a stab of pain upon a particularly hard impact, the chance of breaking your skin or causing more serious damage is lower than if you walk around barefoot.
  
  

Furniture Positioning

• Even when you've got the lights on, you're still faced with the possibility that you'll stub your toe on an object or item of furniture that you just didn't see. After all, if a room is strewn with discarded equipment, chairs and tables, for example, you're going to have a tough job maneuvering through the furniture without an accident. So clear junk away, remove items after use and ensure that you position furniture so that you have a safe path through it all.
  
  

Running Shoes

• When you're wearing shoes, you're mostly protected against outside obstacles, but the shoe itself can be a threat to your toes, especially when you're running. As you run, your toes can collide with the front of the shoe, leading to bruising in some cases; this is particularly a problem when you're running down a hill. The solution to this is either to run especially slowly or, more sensibly, to buy shoes that are professionally fitted or at least half a size bigger than your foot. This gives your toes more room within the shoe. Try to keep downhill sprints to a minimum, too.