Causes

Hammertoe and mallet toe have been linked to:

• Certain shoes. High-heeled shoes or footwear that's too tight in the toe box can crowd your toes into a space in which they can't lie flat. This curled toe position might eventually persist even when you're barefoot.
• Trauma. An injury in which you stub, jam or break a toe can make it more likely for that digit to develop hammertoe or mallet toe.
• Abnormal balance of the toe muscles. The imbalance leads to instability, which can cause the toe to contract.