You are mostly likely not getting to your big toe at push-off if you are doing this.

You are mostly likely not getting to your big toe at push-off if you are doing this. And, if you have a painful big toe, you will do it as well. Oh, and Head-over-foot related, yup. Read on . . .

Yes, the cross over gait. Yes, when you are into a cross over gait you are most certainly head over foot. And that is most likely not a good thing.

If you are not closer to stacking the hip over the knee, and knee over the foot (like in the photo "SUI" bib runner) you are not likely getting to much of your big toe at terminal stance loading, when you could be getting more power at push off.
Said another way, if you are attacking the ground with the feet closer together, as if you are running on a line (as in the photo) you are going to be more on the outside of the foot (note the lateral foot contact), show a similar wear/loading pattern as in these shoes, and hardly load the medial foot tripod effectively.
Go ahead, walk around your office or home right now . . . . with a very narrow step width and see how little you can load into the bit toe-medial foot tripod (note how little effective glute engagement you get as well). Then, walk with a wider step width, note the easier more effective big toe-medial tripod loading, and, not the glutes come into play.

Thus, head over foot/cross over gait is foolish for effective gait. You have a big toe, don't you wish to use it ? One has to find that balance between an economical step width that still allows an effective toe off event in walking and running. A very narrow cross over-style gait does not afford us this.
So, should it be any surprise to any of us that someone with pain in the big toe or medial tripod complex will choose a narrow step width to avoid the painful loading ? No, no surprise there at all.
We have been writing about the cross over gait for 10 years, bringing little pieces of research to the forefront to prove our theories on it as the research presents itself. We first brought it to you with our 3 part video series here. Search our blog, type in "cross over gait" into the search box on the site www.thegaitguys.com and get a LARGE coffee before hand, you are going to be reading for several hours.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LG-xLi2m5Rc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WptxNrj2gCo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJ6ewQ8YUAA