Shoes for bunions - which brands are best?

[Giggsie]

i have such problematic feet: wide and with bunions. Almost all shoes hurt me awfully until worn in and within weeks my bunions ruin the look of the shoe by stretching and wearing the sides material

I live in trainers (which still just until worn in) but need smart shoes for work. Any recommendations?

My instagram feed is full of adverts for brands like Calla, Esska and Vivaia which claim wonders but are quite expensive. I just wondered if any bunion sufferers had tried anything that worked.

I have some Calla loafers for the office. They make me feel very matronly, but are comfortable.
Some geox designs have also been fine. I am wearing a larger shoe size than I used to

Thanks. I wish looking matronly want the only option without shiny but it feels like it might be. I wear trainers - usually colourful Saucony ones - in the hope that helps me look young rather than matronly but it probably doesn’t

There’s Sole Bliss who design specifically for bunions and wide feet and have some rather nice styles (Helen Mirren wears them and don’t think anyone would throw ‘matronly’ her way). Downside, they are expensive.

I wear Vivo Barefoot shoes and really like them but recognise they aren’t everyone’s cup of tea

I have Sole Bliss and Calla which are fantastic, to the extent one of my bunions has resolved. Sole Bliss probably just edges it for me. None of them look 'matronly' - my feet also aren't wide, even with the bunions.

And then I have Empress which I bought on the basis of an Instagram ad, should have known better - they are better than standard shoes but I should have saved my money for Calla or Sole Bliss. At the end of the day, my feet still hurt wearing them.

My bunions cause pain and the big toenails look fungal (they arnt) and bruised because of the toe overlap. I also get blisters between the toes. I can only wear specific trainers that I had measured via treadmill video analysis.

Has anyone used spacers or considered surgery?

I went to a webinar about surgery. Essentially even with the keyhole technique you have to be prepared to be off your feet for 6 weeks, and after that it can take months for normal walking. There was just no way I could do that logistically. They also said it can come back.

I have tried a variety of spacers, currently these: amzn.eu/d/aHqmNO9
They are very soft but improve my foot position slightly in shoes

Mostly joining the thread for recommendations. I keep looking Vivaia but have heard inconsistent things about sizing and returns - and they are at a price point where I would want to try them on before buying if they are tricky to return. Would be interested to hear from others.

I have some fit flop trainers which give good arch support and wear silicone toe separators 24:7.

Cheaper options - I have some fake vivaia style ballet shoes from Temu which are good for work, but have yet to find an equivalent anywhere that doesn’t have dodgy ethics.

I also have some toe post sandals for wide feet which were possibly from Next.

I have had one of mine done via a scarf and akin procedure, not keyhole. I only took one day off work for the operation. I have an advantage of having a home based job, but even so, it was nowhere close to needing 6 weeks off unless your job needs you on your feet full time.
I was back walking at about 6-7 weeks, running by 3 months.
I would honestly say to anyone whose bunions cause them pain to get surgery before you get too old as the recovery is so much quicker.
I will be getting the other one done next winter so the recovery phase is in the crap weather!

I have a bunion on one foot and very wide feet in general. I have Calla and Sole Bliss and they're both good. However, I did have one pair of Calla sandals where the stitching gave way very quickly, so that was less impressive. I buy their trainers though as I think what makes the Sole Bliss ones look 'matronly' is that they all have zips on the side like my MIL wears. I guess many of the styles do target the more matronly customer, which makes sense as they probably have more foot issues. Anyway, I think most of the smarter/formal styles are pretty ugly, but both brands have some nice unmatronly things if you look carefully. I do also have some Vivaia pumps and they're fine, but you have to wash them quite frequently or they smell, despite what they say about their anti-odour insoles. They don't feel like as much of a premium product as the price implies. Calla and SB are more likely to be leather-lined and not smelly.

@MojitosAllRound this sounds amazing! I had never heard of this technique. Guess it has to be done privately?

I did go private because I have insurance through work, but the same surgeon does the same OP via NHS also. Its a standard technique. The difference, as he put it, is that if you go private you can get it done when you get most benefit. Going the NHS route means waiting until you are completely crippled by pain. Mine are hereditary (dad and his mum both had them), and could barely walk at the end of their lives. I wasn't willing to let that happen, exercise is too important for my mental health.

I had a bunionectomy in November 2021, waltzed into my 6 week follow up check! Not to lie, it's very, very painful for the first week but so worth it to be free of the pain and able to wear shoes again.

Before and after pics (the after pic was only 6 weeks post op so still swollen).

I just wear Sketchers and in the winter boots in bigger sizes.
I'm also totally terrified of the recovery time from an operation.