Shoes and Bunions: “It’s Complicated”

It’s no big secret that people use Facebook to share info, keep up with family members, and connect with their favorite Kansas-based podiatric practice(!). The social media platform occasionally makes changes and updates, including a fairly recent one—the launch of Facebook’s “Reactions.” Added to their “like” button are new ones for Love, Wow, Sad, HaHa, and Angry. This means that someone can use the Wow button if a friend changes his or her status to “it’s complicated.”

“It’s complicated” certainly reminds us of the relationship between shoes and bunions. If there were Facebook pages for them, that would be the ideal way to sum up how they affect each other.

For a long time, people were quick to point to ladies’ shoes as the cause of bunions. This seemed to make sense because A) women are by far the most likely demographic to develop a bunion, and B) high-heeled shoes often increase the amount of force placed on the front of the foot, which is where bunions develop. Going along with the second point, the toes are squashed together and could be seen as a contributing factor to the inward drift of the big toe.

There is still debate in the medical community as to whether or not shoes can actually cause bunions, but it seems more logical to say that they contribute to existing conditions. In part, this might be more accurate, because the simple fact is that men and children can develop bunions, and neither group usually wears women’s shoes. More important, though, is the likelihood that bunions are caused by inherent structural abnormalities in the feet.

Instability and hypermobility in the big toe’s metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint play major roles in the misalignment issues that are present with a bunion. Additionally, they are more commonly seen in patients who have a flatfoot structure. These are not caused by footwear.

Remember, is a progressive condition, which means it will not get better on its own, and can actually worsen without treatment. Don’t let this happen to you! Find the first-class bunion care you need at The Kansas Foot Center. Call us at (866) 222-5177 or use our online form to schedule an appointment at our Wichita, Newton, or Emporia, KS offices.

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