Can outgrown running shoes cause a purple bruised toenail ?

You are getting what we call "black toe". The reason is that your toes are rubbing against the uppers of your shoes. The reason might be that your shoes are not properly fitted for you.

One thing that is extremely important: Running shoes have a useful life of no more than 500 miles. Once they reach that point, you might as well throw them into the Goodwill bin, and then go buy a new pair. Shoes are our only contact with the road, so it makes sense that they will take a beating. If you are running as little as 10 miles per week (which is virtually nothing!), you will NEED to replace them within a year. If you run 20 miles per week, get rid of them every 6 months. If you're not sure, then the best thing is to keep a running log which will show your daily workouts. Indicate on your log just how many miles you've run, and which pair of shoes you ran them in. Keep a running total (and yes, I highly suggest having two pair of running shoes at all times. That's why you will need to keep a running total of mileage for each pair).

As for which pair of running shoes, I'm pleased to be able to suggest Nike Air Pegasus. I had my first experience with them during 1991 while I was training for the Marine Corps Marathon. The owner of the local running shoe store gave them high marks, so I tried a pair. Once I got to Washington, DC for the marathon, I noticed that almost all of the Marines in the race were wearing the same shoes. I asked why, and they all told me the same thing: "That's what they gave us in Boot Camp!" Well, if it's good enough for the United States Marines, it's good enough for me, too.

I cannot vouch for being able to find pink when you look at Nike, but I suggest forgetting about minor things such as color, and pay more attention to wearing the shoes that will protect your feet! That is far more important, in the long run.

Good luck, and good running!

Bruised Toenail Running

Yes, but there are several diff causes for a bruised toenail! If you run downhill the toe is forced to the front of the shoe and can cause it to bruise. You do need to make sure your shoe is properly fitted to your foot, a local sports store should be able to help. Some things to check before buying a new pair of shoes is make sure your laces are tied tight to prevent your foot from sliding around, and to make sure your toenails are trimmed properly. If you don't get the problem fixed it is most likely going to happen again, thus causing the nail to ultimately fall off and a new one to grow in.