Calling bunion sufferers!! Boots- help needed please!

[Shazafied]

Hello all,

Looking for a bunion solidarity. I've arthritic painful bunions on each foot and struggle so much to find footwear.

For summer I wear adesso stretchy shoes and sketchers air .... but in winter i struggle.

I spent most of last winter searching for comfy boots I can wear when trudging about with DD in the pushchair ..... calf boots would be nice , don't even care how much they cost any more ! I'd even consider some attractive looking snow boot type things , or even stylish comfy weeklies! But my bunions push against the sides and ultimately split / wear shoes out in that area, and I end up by wearing things due to the pain.

Anyway, I got so desperate I last year got these monstrosities from shoe fayre for £19 (pic). They are comfy but hideous (feel like an old lady - am only 33) and already wearing out in the bunion area.

I'd really like something like in the second pic.... have any of you had any luck ?

I've just found out I'm preggers again and last time had terrible hips so I'm bloody well getting myself some decent footwear !!!

Has anyone had any joy ?

Wellies not weeklies !

I have the same problem as you and find it a nightmare to buy shoes/boots ... actually I find it harder in the summer as sandals either show off my bunions (yukk) or more closed in ones, rub and cause blisters everywhere. I have had to resort to Skechers Go Walk but they are giving me blisters now and I don't even like them! I actually like your boots (but that's me!). I don't have any actual boot suggestions ... I have an old pair of Clarks wide fit and also go up a size. These need replacing and I am looking and failing miserably at the moment so will be following this thread for ideas. Hope you find something you like.

Doc martens. If you buy men's ones, they're a little wider but look pretty much the same as women's.

You need to see an independent shoe fitter. They will recommend a style based on your foot shape, width and where your bunions and arthritis are affecting you most.

There are some really nice boots from specialist wide fit but it depends what style you like. I'll try and upload a few pics.

Wide fit boots

Sorry to hear about your bunions. I feel for you as a fellow sufferer. A year ago my left foot became so painful my GP referred me to a hospital consultant. He did lots of x-rays and said that I have severe arthritis on my left big toe and moderate arthritis on my right big toe. The left also has a bony spur that looks like a bunion on the side and top. He wanted to operate but I needed to get the pre-school years out of the way first before I became incapacitated for a few weeks. So he recommended a change in footwear would hold off until I was able to have the op.

Overall, I have had to go up a shoe size or half (I was a 5 and now either a 5.5 or 6) and wide fit is the key. Clarks, Dune and Gabor all do wide fitting. Lots of others too. When you are shoe shopping online just stick that in the filter and you only get the shoes that you know will fit.

He said that hard soles are important so I now have Birkenstocks as my slippers. Took a while to get used to but now they are sooo comfortable. Also the same in the summer as sandals or any sandals that have a good sole and have adjustable straps. This means that the straps on my left foot are always looser than my right to accommodate the bunion but it is not noticeable.

In terms of winter I have DMs – they have already been mentioned up thread and I can vouch for them and bunions. They are great. I have brown boots for trudging around playgrounds etc and a black pair of DM lace up shoes for work which I wear with black opaque tights. I also have some wide fit brogues from Clarkes (Hamble Oak). Last year I bought some wide fit black knee high boots from Dune, again excellent fit.

With DMs try to go into a shop and try on several. You need to be able to wriggle your toes and they do several types of leather some softer than others so you can really tailor it to what you want. They are not cheap but they last a looong time.

Thank you all , I'll try the shops mentioned and see what they come up with . I have some new DMs actually , Polley ones , never had any before and struggling to break them in !!

The prob I have found with wide fit boots is that the calf is also v wide . But I don't have wide calves so attractive looking boots end up flapping about . Anyone else find this ?

Yes me .. I don't have wide calves (or wide feet) ... just bunions!

Not boots, but these popped up on my FB earlier. No good for me because they don't do my size, but don't know if they might help anyone here. They are £££ though, but I guess it's niche. www.callashoes.co.uk

You can buy shoe stretchers that can be configured to stretch only a specific point. They're good if you don't really need a wide fit shoe but a bit of extra space in one area.

I don’t particularly have wide calves but I don’t have a problem with wide fit boots. I find the elastic panels in the inside by the zip give the right kind of support to pull everything together.

If by going wide fitting to accommodate bunions means one boot feels looser wear different socks on each foot. I tend to have a thicker sock on my right than my left and it works fine. If I wear opaques with my DM lace up shoes I tend to wear a black sports sock on my right foot under my tights. Cannot be seen and it stops that show being too loose.

I forgot about Callas shoes. Never bought from them but they are on my radar. In the US they are much more geared for this and you can get a wide range of shoes for foot conditions that don’t look to ‘old lady’.

I follow this blog
www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.barkingdogshoes.com/amp/

Unfortunately I have not been able to find stuff in the UK.

Actually Nordstrom is now shipping to UK
m.shop.nordstrom.com/c/womens-all-wide-shoes?origin=topnav&cm_sp=Top%20Navigation--Shoes--Wide%20Shoes&top=24&offset=0&page=4&sort=Boosted

@shazafied how about these?
m.shop.nordstrom.com/s/softwalk-marlowe-boot-women/5037233?origin=category-personalizedsort&breadcrumb=Home%2FWomen%2FShoes%2FExtended%20Size%20Shoes%2FWide%20Shoes&color=black%20leather

Sorry I struggle embedding links, I can never remember how to do it

Wow how did I not know about calla should ?! Thank you all for the links and suggestions il take a look.

@ShatnersBassoon that's a genius idea! I think I'll get one in stock as would be good for my dm's plus other future shoes

I've got a lovely bunion on my right foot and for winter I either wear my beloved ancient DMs or last year I bought a pair of Reiker mid calf boots and it was like wearing slippers! They went well with jeans or dresses plus the sole was fantastic and grippy. I'm (barely) out of the pram pushing years but I spend a lot of time walking with tinies and they were brilliant. The other thing I would look at is Hotter, my gran (87) and I have the same slippers and although a lot of their designs are aimed at the more ' mature' market they do have some lovely boots

REd or dead are usually wide fitting as are Oxygen boots without a wide calf.

Also worth trying are Art Company.

Failing that try Conkers handmade boots in wide fitting option.

Forgot to mention Birkenstock boots too.

Oooh @PaulHollywoodsleftbollockhair never heard of any of them ! Will look.

@NoodieRoodie thanks ... I do remember trying Reiker boots last year and they were all just too tight :( but I'll look at hotter boots see if there any that aren't too "mature" !!

Oxygen have soooo many lovely boots and the toe box looks lovely and wide.

I was sceptical about Hottet but their boots are way nicer than their shoes !

They have some called Marlowe which I'll try on in town today - waterproof country type boots ft trudging. Then I might have to have some oxygen ones too!!

Fingers crossed .... what a helpful thread thanks all

Brands that accommodate my bunions

Crocs - they do nice boots honest
Fitflop boots.
Heavenly feet. These are great

My bunions still push out but I can polish leather boots so not obvious. My for fltflop boots have lasted 3 years daily use.

HTH

Great thread...feel like an old lady when I mention bunions but I am a young at heart and style 48 year old. Noticed my bunions got worse in the past years. Have a pair of ?Arizona Birkenstocks ( 2 straps) but they really hurt my bunion. My feet are narrow except for BigBadBunion.

What DM boots did you all try that were comfortable?

Definitely agree with Fitflop shoes or boots. They last for ages. I also got some of the Chelsea boots as seen in your 2nd pic from Clark's but in wise fit.

Evans do wide fit and wide calf boots. I had surgery on my bunions when I was FOURTEEN! It's not an age thing and It's quite often hereditary. The right one has returned in recent years although not quite as badly.

@DontCallMeCharlotte yes mine are hereditary too sadly