Toes are one of those funny things that one often does not even remember they have until they have a problem with them. Oddly enough a good stubbing of ones toe in the middle of the night against a leg of a chair is considered by many to be one of the most excruciatingly painful experiences they have ever had. What is funny about it, is that other than the pain, it is of practically no significance.
That is of course unless it is.
If there is trauma to a toe, one toe bone can become literally stuck to the next one. If this happens you lose the normal motion between the bones when you walk. This has happened to almost everyone I know at some point. If you are lucky, just continuing to walk will unstick the bones. For some people this does not happen. If the bones continue to stick together and you continue to walk that joint, and other joints in your foot will be forced to take more and more pressure that is not being absorbed by that joint that is stuck. If this continues those joints can become more and more painful, and it can cause you to walk strangely which I have seen start to effect knees, hips, low backs and even necks.
If you end up in this position, the easiest thing is to have it evaluated by a chiropractor and fixed. Toes are often one of the easiest joints for a chiropractor to fix, and help you get back on the road, literally.