Greyt scot-
the dreaded "black toes" you get are from improperly fitting shoes. You ned to find shoes that don't allow your feet to slam forward and hit the front of your shoes. You may not feel it happening but this is what causes it. Generally if you are having this problem, the shoes you are buying are too big. Often a pair of nice insoles (like superfeet) help to fine tune the fit of your shoes.