[header] How to tell if a foot is broken [title] Note if it is too painful to walk on your foot. [step] The major symptom of a broken foot is overwhelming pain when you try to put any pressure at all on your foot or walk on your foot. [substeps] If you have a broken toe, you can usually still walk and not be in too much pain. 
A broken foot will be overwhelmingly painful to walk on. Boots will often mask the pain of a break by providing a degree of support; removing them after a suspected fracture is the best way to diagnose the injury.