6 Traits of Bunion-Friendly Shoes

At first, you could ignore the bony bump at the base of your big toe, but these days it’s become more problematic and painful. And when your bunion becomes inflamed and swollen, even the pressure of a bedsheet at night can be too much.

Bunions are progressive, so the degree of the bunion you have now is here to stay unless you opt for surgery. If you're not ready for this step, we suggest that you do what you can to slow the progression of the bunion, which comes down to choosing proper footwear.

To help, the team at Babak Kosari, DPM, has pulled together a few footwear tips for troublesome bunions. 

Why the bunion?

Look down at your feet for a moment and appreciate everything that these relatively small appendages do when it comes to carrying you through the world. Behind this effort are the 26 bones, 33 joints, and more than 100 connective tissues that you’ll find in each of your feet. 

Many foot problems arise when there’s an imbalance in any of these structures, which certainly describes a bunion — a condition in which your big toe starts to angle toward your second toe when your metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint gets pushed out of position.

While bunions are largely hereditary — about 70% of people with bunions have a family history of the foot issue  — there are some factors that speed up the process, namely footwear. This is one of the main reasons why women outpace men by 10-to-1 when it comes to bunions — many women wear shoes that aren’t exactly feet-friendly.

Being kind to your bunions through your footwear

Now let’s get to the focus of this blog — what shoes you should be wearing if you have bunions or you’re trying to prevent them.

1. Give your toes room

Shoes with pointy toes are one of the biggest bunion culprits. If you crowd your toes into a small space, you’re creating a major imbalance in your feet by overloading certain areas.

In an ideal world, your toes should be able to spread out so the weight of each step is also spread out evenly across your foot. Shoes with roomy toe boxes tops our list of bunion-friendly shoes.

2. Yes, you should avoid high heels

The other major risk factor behind bunions are shoes with heels, which place too much pressure on the fronts of your feet. If you want a little height, we suggest that you ditch the heels and opt for platform shoes that keep your feet elevated, but uniformly so.

3. Orthotic support

Another great trait of a bunion-friendly shoe is one that’s outfitted with orthotics that support your feet in the right places. We’re happy to help you find the right orthotics or, even better, we can get you a customized set of shoe inserts that can help better balance your feet.

4. Snug shoes can help

When you have a bunion, you don’t want to wear shoes that create friction around the bony protrusion, which can lead to painful inflammation. Make sure your shoes fit snugly enough that your feet don’t move around too much inside the toe box.

5. Soft shoes with ample soles

If you have large bunions or you’re dealing with a painful flare-up, you want to wear shoes that are soft and that have a good deal of sole depth to cushion your feet, such as sneakers. 

6. A word about sandals

It’s sunny and warm year-round here in southern California, so sandals are another option for dealing with bunions. Open-toed shoes certainly give your bunions (and your feet) room to breathe, but make sure you opt for sandals that provide great support all the way around.

Steer away from flip-flops, and get sandals that strap to your feet comfortably and snugly and that offer plenty of support.

Putting your best foot forward

One final point: You don’t have to give up fashion for your bunions. Thanks to the prevalence of bunions, plenty of shoe companies make feet-friendly shoes that offer support as well as style.

If you have more questions about dealing with bunions, we‘re here to help. Simply contact one of our offices in Northridge or Santa Clarita,  California, to make an appointment.