I definitely have runner's toe - more specifically three toes. They really doesn't cause me pain other than if I bump one of them just the wrong way, so I am not overly concerned about it from that perspective. They are obviously not pretty to look at but not really worried about that either.

What I am more mindful of is completely losing toe nails and any longer term effects other than the aesthetic piece of it now. I have done some research and see that most of the recommendation is rest and recovery time. I have previously followed the recommendation of making sure that shoes fit properly (went up a half size) and keeping the nails clipped. I also do make sure to keep them as clean as possible as I know that the risk of infection is increased with them in the state that they are.

Does anyone have any experience or recommendation with any other methods of getting some healing without taking a considerable amount of time off? Or at least just keeping toe nails attached? The idea of taking that kind of time off doesn't really sit well with me, so I would love to find alternatives if they exist.

When I started running pretty high mileage last January, my right big toenail turned black/blue and about 2/3 of it ended up falling off. It wasn't really painful. My rule of thumb is: if it doesn't hurt then there's not much to worry about.

I've been running pretty consistent high mileage for about 18 months now, including several months of much higher mileage than when I lost the toenail, and that was the one and only time that I experienced that. Maybe my toes and feet have just adapted to the stress.

I would say that if it doesn't hurt, then just keep going. I have not experienced any long term negative effect from losing that nail. It just grew back like normal.

Good to know, sounds like I am in a somewhat similar boat. Started running in January and am starting to log some pretty considerable frequency and mileage (at least for me) here recently. I really have no intention of slowing down (barring considerable pain), so I guess purple toenails it is!

Anytime my mileage starts getting high, my toenails are a disaster. They hurt, they turn purple, sometimes they fall off. It's inconsistent and unpredictable. Sometimes I have no problems. It might be the shoes you wear, the socks you wear, or it might just be the way your foot naturally strikes the ground. I've been dealing with it for years, and just accept it as part of running.