<p>Really, weren’t the varicose veins, gray hair (and white (!) eyebrow hairs), crows feet (and those are some huge crows…), postmenopausal mustache and flabby upper arms (that my D calls my “wings”) enough? Now it’s those nasty sideways bumps at the base of each big toe that are reminding me constantly of the march of time. (Apparently they are the result of wearing heels for years and years–well, nobody told me…) They aren’t painful, so I’m not a candidate for surgery, but they do mean that it’s now really hard for me to find comfortable shoes. The bunions make shoes fit too tightly across the front, and I have a narrow heel, so getting a wider shoe doesn’t solve the problem. In summer, I can easily find a sandal whose straps skirt the problem area, and for some reason a number of Clarks styles (the clunkier ones) work for me in the winter, but it’s almost impossible to find a pair of simple, stylish flats or low heels that can accommodate my nasty feet. I had to attend a wedding last week and couldn’t find a pair of heels that I could wear for more than 10 minutes–ended up wearing a fairly ratty old pair that had apparently stretched out with the bunions as they grew. </p>
<p>Has anyone found a brand/style of closed shoes that has enough give in the front to accommodate smallish bunions, but is still attractive?</p>
<p>If I’ve grossed anyone out, my apologies. “Bunions” is an ugly word, isn’t it?</p>
<p>"(Apparently they are the result of wearing heels for years and years–well, nobody told me…) "</p>
<p>What? How could you not have known?<br>
Hobbling your feet into unnatural shapes for decades is fine because you started doing it when you were young and agile?</p>
<p>It is an ugly word and an ugly condition. I’ve had one on my left foot for about twenty five years. Nothing on the right. That one is still cute :)</p>
<p>I have found that buying shoes a half size bigger than my size is helpful. If I need to, I put an insole in to fill the gap. Also, suede is good because it conforms to the shape of your foot, eventually.</p>
<p>My bunion does hurt sometimes. I am on my feet all day and there are days when I can’t wait to take my shoes off. I have a friend who had the surgery on both feet. She’s glad she did it but it does need a long recovery.</p>
<p>I heard that the tight shoe thing was a myth. That bunions are hereditary. I’m not sure what the truth is on that. You have my sympathies.</p>
<p>Sorry, my last posts sound rude. I was lucky enough to have gone through early adulthood at a time and place that never required me to torture my feet. I am now in a career that requires long hours on my feet but not in torture foot ware. High heels and pointy toes (for either sex) are destined to ruin one’s complex system of bones and tendons and ligaments that make up our complex foot.</p>
<p>If that’s true, why do many people like me get a bunion on one foot and not the other and why do some people who wore heels with pointy toes get bunions and others don’t? There must be at least some genetic component.</p>
<p>My friend, the one who had the surgery, never, and I mean never wore heels or pointy toes. Nothing but berkenstock style shoes or Merrills.</p>
<p>It can’t be just the shoes because neither my mother nor I wore high heels much at all and we both got bunions. I only wore heels on very rare occasions for an hour or two and not ever when I had to be standing. I have not worn anything but “comfort shoes” doe decades. My mom had one on each foot, mine is only on my right, which is my larger foot. It is not painful. Hers were at times. </p>
<p>OP, I have had good luck with Easy Spirit, Merrells, and Softwalk. I also have a pair of Ahnus that I like. All are pretty costly but I get them on 6pm.com or the outlet mall or Nordstrom Rack. I have one pair of dress shoes-flats-from Easy Spirit. They DO make heels though, if you want them. And real leather can be stretched by a cobbler to custom fit.</p>
<p>I have two friends who have had the surgery (one is a hippie mama who has NEVER worn heels) and they both said as above-well worth it to end the pain and long recovery.</p>
<p>I just googled it and it appears that it is a combination of genetics and bad shoes or foot mechanics. </p>
<p>I know that I had foot issues as a kid and turned my left foot out slightly when I walked. I think this contributed to the fact that I got a bunion on my left foot only. That and the pointy heels that I wore in the eighties when I went dancing!</p>
<p>check with your podiatrist. Mine has a list of shoe brands (and some styles) that meet with his approval. O.K., not all on the list are in the realm of “stylish”…but it did open my eyes to a few brands I had not heard of before. Have had much success with Romika! </p>
<p>Also, I’ve gone to some specialty walking shoe stores…expensive, but when you can’t find comfort elsewhere, it is worth it. Also, second the suggestion to take shoes to get stretched… for me, just one shoe.</p>
<p>In my defense, I never found heels to be uncomfortable at all, never squeezed my feet into anything too small, and never wore anything higher than three inches. As for pointy toed shoes, if they fit properly, your toes aren’t actually in the pointy part, which is meant to extend beyond the toes. I did dance en pointe as a kid (now I think it’s abusive to put feet that are still growing into toe shoes and I doubt it’s even done any more), but for a very short time. I’ve also haven’t worn heels regularly for twelve years, and the bunions only started growing a few years ago–so I also wonder if the connection to heels is all that clear.</p>
<p>Okay, Easy Spirit, Merrells, Ahnus, Romika. Suede is a smart idea. Keep 'em coming. Looks like I have a few Zappos rounds ahead of me.</p>
<p>There is a genetic component. I wore Birkenstocks and had a bunionectomy on one foot about 20 years ago when I was 35.
They cut in three places & used screws to put it together.
That was nothing compared to the knee replacement I had 4 months ago, which again is nothing compared to what I was dealing with before the surgery.
I have high arches & stiff ankles, which contributed to both problems.
I like Born, Ariats, Clark’s & Merrells.</p>
<p>“If it were hereditary , Men would suffer equally.”</p>
<p>As a blanket statement, this is absolutely not true. Some hereditary conditions appear predominantly in women, some in men. But bunions are almost equally inherited among men and women:</p>
<p>Men live with and do not notice the condition because they rarely wear toe-pinching footwear, women often become more aware of it since women tend to exacerbate the by wearing wrong (which often means cheaply made) shoes.</p>
<p>MommaJ, for flats, look at brands that make them with wider toe such as Taryn Rose, especially the ones made of stretch suede.</p>
<p>Never wore high heels (I am a man) and both feet have big, ugly bunions… and my feet used to be perfect, when I was a teen. They don’t bother me much, except when I wear tight shoes or when I look at them, so I avoid both. Used to be 10 1/2 D, now I always buy 11.</p>
<p>In the long run, multiple $200 pairs of shoes are still CHEAPER than bunionectomy! But one does not have to borrow against their retirement fund to buy a pair of pumps - Taryn Rose shoes often appear on the clearance rack of DSW…</p>
<p>also have a pair of Anne Klein Sport flats–stylish. Have had luck with Earth Origins–very comfy! And if you want sportier, J-41. Last two I found at DSW…</p>
<p>I repeat my suggestion for 6pm.com. Their Taryn Rose shoes run about half-or less-than the prices above. And not all are stretchy or low/no heeled. But they do look nice! One thing I like about Easy Spirit is that they stock them, especially in the outlet stores, in several widths-both narrow and wide are available in quantity. But I’ve noticed that with any brand shoe, I may need a wide in one style, regular in another. So it helps to try them on at a brick and mortar store and then ordering for less online.</p>
<p>I have had bunions on both feet since I was 12, and at that age, I had never worn heels. both my grandmothers had bunions, so I feel like mine must be hereditary. I don’t have pain usually, but would love to have the surgery. I don’t even remember ever having pretty feet. </p>
<p>The only shoes I find that are comfortable are loafer type flats. Ballerina flats don’t cover the bunion and strappy shoes are just a definite no for me.</p>
<p>I second sseamom’s suggestion of 6pm. Amazon also has some shoes on sale, sometimes at really good discounts, but return could be a pain if they are not sold directly by Amazon.</p>
<p>Bunions can come from just drawing the short end of the genetic straw, having RA or a knee injury that causes a change in gate, wearing ill-fitting shoes ( and yes, high heels) or spending too much time in toe shoes (dancers have really ugly feet!!). From what I’ve heard, a bunionectomy is horribly painful, so I’m passing on that idea completely!
You can buy silicone thingies that hook over your toe and cushion the “bunion area” on your foot (CVS has them) or get “Bunion Buttons” at dance supply shops. The former last a long time, while the latter can be undetectable in most shoes but they wear out faster.
I’ve tried all different types of shoes and love Sketchers for sneakers and Clarks for heels. With flats, it’s hit and miss because you don’t know where they are going to cut on your foot. Tieks are quite expensive but adorable. I own Dex-Flex, “Claire” ballet flats from Payless in every color and keep a pair in my bag when I have to wear heels- they have memory foam insoles and are heavenly!</p>
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