Do Sneakers and Heels Cause Bunions? Dr. Bradley Schaeffer Debunks Myths and Shares Foot Health Tips on National Bunion Day
Karla Rodriguez
Senior News Editor
To celebrate National Bunion Day, podiatric surgeon Dr. Bradley Schaeffer is on a mission to keep people well-informed about foot health while also dismantling all the misconceptions surrounding bunions and what causes the painful condition.
Schaeffer is also a well-known expert from TLC’s show “My Feet are Killing Me” and owns Central Park SOLE in New York City, where he cares for patients dealing with ankle and foot problems. He graduated from Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine, and then completed a foot and ankle reconstructive surgical residency program at Hoboken University Medical Center.
Medical foot health company Treace Medical Concepts, Inc. established National Bunion Day in 2024 to help educate the public on all matters regarding bunions , which affects 25 percent of people in the United States. The day serves as an important opportunity to bring awareness to the causes of bunions, and how people can seek treatment and use the proper footwear to keep their feet in good shape.
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Bunions are a condition that form when bones in the midfoot slide out of alignment, causing a large bump on the side of the big toe. Bunion pain can significantly impact a person’s life by restricting the types of activities they can participate in or limiting the types of shoes they can wear. While it’s a common misconception that wearing improper shoes causes them, over 70 percent of people with bunions have a biological parent with the same condition.
“It’s not something that I think people would sign up for, but it’s not like they’re ‘gross’ or ‘ugly’ and can’t be fixed, and you didn’t cause it,” Dr. Schaeffer tells FN. “If you’re trying to prevent a bunion, you should get proper shoes, good sneakers. If it’s hereditary, and you see it coming, go to a doctor and know that there’s treatment out there and get an appropriate fix.”
For National Bunion Day, Dr. Schaeffer is sharing his expertise and knowledge regarding the ailment that he treats often in his practice. He talked to FN about what causes bunions, shared helpful tips about proper footwear and tricks for those dealing with the condition and to help everyone else keep their feet healthy.
The conversation has been edited for clarity.
Can you tell me a little bit about National Bunion Day and why doctors felt it was necessary to have a day dedicated to this condition?
I’m a doctor that treats bunions. I would say whoever started it realized the importance and the people out there that were in pain and suffering every day. I’m super happy that they did. At the end of the day, gaining attention and awareness for diabetes, health issues, disorders, little conditions that we have, such as bunions, is very important, and to have a day dedicated to it, obviously, as a podiatrist, I’m super happy about it. It’s recent. The awareness is solid. I know I do a lot of discussions around that time and I’m more than happy to do it because it is something that affects so many and a lot of it goes undiagnosed and untreated.
A lot of the conversation around bunions seems to be blaming the person for perhaps wearing the wrong shoes. Can you can you talk a little bit about how bunions are formed and how they actually start?
It’s almost a tale as old as time, and I know I was taught this. You kind of are shamed into believing that you caused it. I grew up feeling like that too, until I learned otherwise. Listen, there are people that are born with it. It is hereditary, it usually does come from family, or family members, mother or father. Sometimes it is due to trauma, like dropping something on your foot or wearing improper shoes, like high heels or soccer shoes, like cleats, and just wearing tight fitting things. Most of the time, it’s hereditary, so it does come from a family member.
For people who grew up wearing sneakers, a lot of the time you don’t want to creases on your Jordans or what have you, and you develop a certain kind of walk so you don’t mess up your shoes. Can wearing sneakers cause bunions?
As far as the way that we walk, yes, there are people that are more flatfoot and there are other people that are more high-arch. One is called pronation, the other one is called supination. And yes, that will affect our feet, ankles, knees, hips, lower back, for sure. I don’t know if the uncreased step in your Jordans affect bunions [Laughs.], but I would say that would affect other parts of your body, but definitely would not cause a bunion.
Certain sneakers are not as comfortable either. Is there a specific material or sneaker brand that you recommend that are a little bit better for people who struggle with bunions?
A mesh upper, an elastic, is a lot better than a leather, right? Any type of athletic shoes are fantastic, like Brooks, Asics, Hoka, New Balance, a company called MBT. I really like the shoes that are out there right now, like Calla. They’re fantastic. Calla is great for women’s shoes and I would say like Hoka and MBT for the active walker with bunions. Anything to offload [the bunion area], like a rocker bottom shoe like on a Hoka that’s almost like a boat. Although they might look a little wonky, they’re very flexible to give that side give to a bunion that’s protruding.
Women are 10 times more likely to suffer from bunions and men. Does this mean that high heels are to blame for bunions? If not, why is it that women are more affected than men?
Yeah, it’s a common question and no, high heels are not [to blame.] A lot of bunions are due to hypermobility and in my opinion, I think females are a little more inclined to be hypermobile. I haven’t necessarily researched studies on that, but it’s certainly something that I see a lot is hypermobility, which is just like being very flexible in that joint and women tend to have that more than men.
I also think sometimes women do try to fit into narrower shoes and have a different shoe game, you know, in a variety of different ways. So you’re a little more cognizant on that and the pain that you experience when walking in a shoe like that. I think men definitely tend to just neglect things a lot, and if they do, they can just pop in Skechers. If they do have to use dress shoes, they probably will use a Cole Haan dress shoe. So there are other options out there to help. But there are a lot of amazing pretty shoes out there, like Calla does one. They’re in the UK and they do great shoes for people with bunions and there are different companies out there that are really making great looking shoes without sacrificing comfort.
Are there any other tips that you recommend to make high heels wearable for people who do have bunions?
I love putting an insert. You can either use a custom orthotic, you can use a Dr. Scholl‘s insole, which I love. You can use ball of foot cushions to just protect the area, and then you can pad it there. You can do tricks like maybe walk around the streets in sneakers and put your heels in your bag, and then when you’re walking around the office or going to an event, you can throw them on. All of this stuff is just little tricks to get you through the day, life, events, meetings. When I go and wear dress shoes, that leather sometimes rubs and it hurts and the sole is like walking on a board. It is not the most pleasant. Although they’re nice shoes and claim to be the best, they’re not the most comfy. It’s nice to throw an insole or something but they don’t accommodate them well.
Is there a specific shoe that you recommend for children who are still developing, so that they can avoid these problems as they get older?
I know that it’s important for kids to have sneakers on and shoes on because it does help but it’s not like you’re going to throw a shoe on or something in early development and prevent a bunion down the road, right? One thing I could say is if you have a child that’s in ballet, well that activity is probably going to cause issues, maybe not bunion issues, but you’re more inclined to having foot issues down the road, because you’re stunting and traumatically affecting a foot. Activity is going to affect that. Those joints start to bark at you after a while.
There are a lot of orthopedic bunion sleeves and bunion correctors and other tools that separate the toe. How effective are those in the correction or the prevention of them getting worse?
I think they’re great in the moment. You’re doing something and you’re wearing a gel sleeve so it prevents the bunion from rubbing, that will help you. That won’t correct a bunion. That won’t fix it, but it will alleviate the symptoms. So all of that stuff is fine, only when wearing it, after you take it off, you are right back to your problem.
What would you say is the biggest misconception when it comes to bunions and what do you wish that people knew about balancing being fashionable while also maintaining good foot health?
The biggest misconception is that they’re “gross and ugly.” It’s not something that I think people would sign up for, but it’s not like they’re gross or ugly and can’t be fixed, and you didn’t cause it. I would just seek early treatment, get it treated early rather than waiting until it gets large. If you’re trying to prevent a bunion, you should get proper shoes, good sneakers. If it’s hereditary, you see it coming, go to a doctor and know that there’s treatment out there and get an appropriate fix.
You don’t have to sacrifice [style.] There are shoes out there that look just as good as a Christian Louboutin. They don’t have the red bottom or anything, but you can still have a fashionable looking shoe that does not look like an old person [shoe] or doesn’t look not trendy, they are cute and they’re out there. They do exist.
For the corrective surgery, I’ve read that the recovery period is six months or so. Has that changed?
It has advanced so much. A lot of people do feel like the surgery and the recovery is very, very, very long. I know that I grew up believing that too. And in the past, I would say a lot of surgeons necessarily didn’t specialize in foot surgery as much as they do now. Like now we have dedicated three or four years to reconstructive surgical programs for podiatrists, let alone orthopedic surgeons that dedicate time only to the foot, only to the foot, ankle or anything below the knee, which is what we do. So we’ve learned tricks to help expedite recovery.
So, as of right now, there are procedures out there that you can do at the top of the toe. Those are called head procedure surgeries. Usually, the recovery for something like that is just in a walking boot for four to six weeks, but you are walking. There are other procedures that are more at the base. The one that I do and love is called a Lapiplasty procedure or a 3D Bunion correction that to me has been the absolute game changer in the bunion game nowadays.
I love that procedure and that is going to require you to be non-weight bearing for only two weeks and then in a boot for four weeks. So it’s a six week recovery, but again, you’re pretty much walking immediately, which is fantastic. There are other procedures that you can just shave the bump in stuff, but I don’t really recommend any of that, but depending on how small or how large a bunion you have, we have your covered.
Can bunions return after surgery?
If you do them properly, I would say no. Now depending on if you go back to your bad habits or have an issue, trauma, things like that, they can return, but no, I would say usually they do not. Again, the procedure that I love right now is that base procedure and I have seen limited to no recurrence with the Lapiplasty procedure.
