An ingrown toenail could be the reason you feel that weird discomfort when you wear those closed shoes. And for all you know, that closed shoe could be worsening your ingrown toenail condition further. Recognize the problem before it gets serious and treat and control it before you feel much pain. An ingrown toenail occurs when the nail of a toe, especially of the big toe is growing or has grown into the skin under the nail. Though it is only discomforting and painful at times and not dangerous, ignorance and no treatment will lead to serious damage to the skin and that part of your foot. Therefore, it is important to care for your feet and toenails and in case of any ingrowth on nails, you must treat them. There are a few causes of ingrown nails. Improper trimming is one of the most common reasons for ingrown nails. When you trim your toenails too short or when you shape them round, you give way for ingrowth. Wearing tight socks or shoes can lead to the same problem. This happens because the pressure of those tight socks and/or shoes on the toes causes the growth in the inward direction leading to ingrown toenails.