Bunions...

[gypsy9]

Dear seasoned walkers

I have one tender bunion on my left foot and I am aware of this when I walk for long distances (I do have shoes with a broad toe area). I have had this bunion for several years and the pain is certainly not unbearable after a couple of hours of walking-just aches. But, I am wondering about longer continual walking, as this will be my first pilgrimage. Mind over matter is a strong belief for me.
I do wish to take precautions, however, and wondered whether anyone had any advice or has similar experiences.

Gracias

 

[annakappa]

I have a very pronounced bunion on my right too, but it never bothers me as far as pain is concerned. However I do use a gel toe separator when walking in boots. This keeps your foot better aligned and also serves to avoid the rubbing of the first and second toe together, thus avoiding the creation of a blister there! Maybe, if your bunion is painful, maybe a set of personalized insoles would help. Anne

 

[dougfitz]

I have a bunion on my right foot, and I suspect that the mis-alignment was the cause of the one one persistent blister I had last year.

Since returning, for longer local walks, I have used a strapping technique to reduce the pressure between my large and next toe, which has been quite effective. Not sure how this would work over several days, though.

 

[Packinglight]

An old old thread…but is suddenly personal.
I have recently developed a painful, red bunion and even my beloved Scarpas, and all shoes but 2 pairs that I have, are suddenly agonizing.
Any recommendations for bunion-friendly footwear brands?
I don’t know if I will be able to afford them before walking again but I’d love some tips from anyone who has walked with a very sore swollen joint!

 

[Ultreia et Suseia!]

An old old thread…but is suddenly personal.
I have recently developed a painful, red bunion and even my beloved Scarpas, and all shoes but 2 pairs that I have, are suddenly agonizing.
Any recommendations for bunion-friendly footwear brands?
I don’t know if I will be able to afford them before walking again but I’d love some tips from anyone who has walked with a very sore swollen joint!

I bought a pair of Altra shoes for my upcoming camino and they are DREAMY, wide toebox and they feel like you're walking in marshmallows.
The toebox is wide enough to fit hard core toe separators and still have some room to wiggle.

I love them so much that I just started wearing them for unrelated camino training.

Just make sure you physically try them because I bought a pair online and the tongue of the shoes cut into my lower shin tendon, therefore I exchanged them for another model with a fabric tongue.

Ultreia!

 

[chiclet]

An old old thread…but is suddenly personal.
I have recently developed a painful, red bunion and even my beloved Scarpas, and all shoes but 2 pairs that I have, are suddenly agonizing.
Any recommendations for bunion-friendly footwear brands?
I don’t know if I will be able to afford them before walking again but I’d love some tips from anyone who has walked with a very sore swollen joint!

I have bunions on both feet. I got a pair of hiking boots from Hanwag (German brand) - the version specifically for bunions and they are awesome!! There are several models that have the bunion version. So comfortable and my bunions didn’t hurt at all. but you need to properly lace it up. Just adjust accordingly if it doesn’t feel right.