Toe pads and roomier shoes are both common suggestions for a hammertoe. Before buying either, read what the guidance says each one is for.
What the guidance says
Both appear in the American Podiatric Medical Association's hammer toe guidance. The American Podiatric Medical Association advises applying a commercial, non-medicated hammer toe pad around the bony prominence of the hammer toe to decrease pressure on the area. The same association advises wearing a shoe with a deep toe box.
The stated job of each
The pad's stated job is to decrease pressure on the bony prominence. Nothing in that sentence says it straightens the toe, so do not buy one expecting that. The word "non-medicated" is also in the sentence, which means a medicated corn product is not what the guidance describes.
The deep toe box is advice about the shoe. Check it with your toes inside the shoe you actually wear, not by the label on the box.
For wider reading on toes and footwear, there is OrthoInfo's page on tight shoes and foot problems, APMA's page on corns and calluses and the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital patient guide to bunions and lesser toe deformities.
Who should look at the toe
Ask a foot doctor whether a pad suits your particular toe and where it should sit. Bring the shoes you wear most, so the doctor can see the fit for themselves. Readers in Itasca or a nearby village can put both questions at the same appointment.
The claim to discount
A pad is described as a way to decrease pressure. That describes relief at one spot and says nothing about the toe's position. Keep that in mind when a product box promises more than the guidance does.