For instance, wearing shoes with a profile that does not accommodate a longer second toe may cause foot pain. A small (80-person) study[3] found no statistically significant difference in the frequency of longer second toes between people with and without ingrown toenails, but tight and ill-fitting shoes are generally considered to increase the risk of ingrown toenails,[3][4] and shoes are often too tight on the toes.[5] A tight shoe toebox can also cause hammertoes.[6]