If you’ve ever felt pain near the base of your big toe after a long day in heels, you’re not alone — and your footwear may be doing more harm than you realize. High heels, especially those with narrow toe boxes and steep angles, can make bunions significantly worse over time.
Read on as Aamir Mahmood, DPM, Joseph Wilson, DPM, FACFAS, and the Momentum Foot & Ankle Clinic team explain what bunions are, why high heels make them worse, and how to find relief.
A bunion is a bony bump that forms at the base of the big toe, where your toe meets your foot. About one out of every five people has a bunion (to some degree). It develops when the big toe pushes against the next toe, causing the joint to stick out and gradually misalign.
In other words, that bump you see isn’t a growth; it’s a misaligned metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint.
Bunions are often hereditary, but certain factors, like your choice of footwear, can accelerate their progression and worsen symptoms.
High heels shift your body weight forward, which then puts extra pressure on the front of your foot. This added stress concentrates directly on your toe joints, especially your big toe.
Pointy-toed high heels worsen things by crowding your toes into a tight space and forcing them into unnatural positions. Over time, this repeated pressure and misalignment can cause bunions to form faster, swell more, and hurt more intensely.
If you keep wearing high heels and your bunions worsen, you may develop other conditions, including hammertoes and corn. Hammertoes are a deformity where the toe bends downward at the middle joint, and corns are thickened areas of skin that develop due to pressure or friction.
Bunions can also increase your risk of developing arthritis in your toe joint.
We get it — high heels can certainly add that je ne sais quoi to your outfit. But you don’t have to sacrifice your comfort for fashion.
About 60% of women wear high heels to work, and of those, 70% say their quality of life has gone down because of their shoes. Swapping your shoes can be a small — but impactful — step towards happier, healthier feet.
If you're prone to bunions or already dealing with one, consider trading stilettos for more supportive shoes with a wide toe box and a low heel. Orthopedic shoes or stylish flats designed with foot health in mind can ease discomfort and help prevent further damage.
Changing your footwear is just one step in managing bunion pain. If you’re dealing with bunions, don’t hesitate to visit us in Michigan City, Chesterton, Indiana, or Lombard, Illinois.
At Momentum Foot & Ankle Clinic, we take bunion pain seriously! Depending on the severity of your bunions, we may recommend:
To learn more about bunion management, like orthotics or surgery, call the Chicagoland area location of your choice or book your next appointment online.
