Foot Issues ( Part 2 ): Bunions & Protectors

Image from cqfootclinic.com.au

In this post, I am going to write about another foot condition that I have, which is the issue of bunions or Hallux Valgus. Unfortunately, I've developed them over the years of wearing ill-fitting and tight shoes, and in my case, high heels. Another possibility could be heredity.

As I grew older, walking has became a painful task for me due to the bunions. Because most of my existing shoes are mostly covered ballerina flats with insufficient toe space, the pressure on my bunions and bunionette become more significant, making it red and sore. Sometimes, I resort to band aids to cover my bunions to ease the pain. That helped only for the 1st hour and it needed to be changed again.




Bunion

Bunion is an enlargement on the side of the foot near the base of the big toe, where often the big toe deviates towards the other toes. Possible causes of bunions are:

• Heredity, runs in the family
• Poor foot structure
• Wearing tight fitting shoes, especially high heeled and narrow pointed shoes. Such shoes gradually push the foot bones into an unnatural shape.

Because a bunion occurs at a joint, where the toe bends in normal walking, your entire body weight rest on the bunion with each step. This causes to be extremely painful. Bunions are also vulnerable to excess pressure and friction from the shoes, which may lead to be red and tenderness, thus causing the development of calluses.

Relief from Bunions

• Choose shoes that conform to the shape of your feet. Never force your foot into a shoe that doesn't fit.
• Go for shoes with wide insteps, broad toes and soft soles. Avoid shoes that are short, tight or sharply pointed, or heels that are higher than  2 1/4 inches.
• Protective pads to cushion the painful areas.

What I Did

Current picture of my feet, circled in detail to show my bunion.

Because changing my entire shoe collection is not the most economical, I decided to look into protectors instead for my bunions. I managed to find one at a orthopedic retail store, called Dr. Kong. A pleasant lady that was on duty that day, was most helpful and knowledgeable, showed me how to wear and care for them.

The bunion protectors looked like these:

Bunion Protector 

Bunionette Protector

This is how it will look like when worn:

The protectors are very flexible and soft. I wear them mostly with my covered flats and this definitely reduces the friction between the shoe and the bunion. It makes walking so much easier than before. I was surprised to find that the protectors were firmly in position, despite hours of walking. However, depending on the design and cut of the shoe at the front, it may not be able to cover the protectors entirely, as some of them may peek out, looking a bit un-sightly.  For me, this is not an issue for me because comfort is more important.

Care for these protectors are minimal. Just ensure that they are washed with gentle cleanser after every use, pat or leave them to dry, before scattering with some talc.

Next Post: Foot Issues ( Part 3 ): Tips in Choosing the Right Shoe

This item was purchased by me for my personal purposes. This review is based on my honest and personal experience with this product and is not influenced by any parties.