What Is a Tailor’s Bunion (Bunionette) and How Can You Fix It?

Your feet are some of the hardest working parts of your body. But over time, the natural stress of walking and running can take a toll on your feet. The result of that stress can be common foot conditions like calluses and corns, bunions, and toe shape changes. It can also lead to less common conditions like bunionettes, or a tailor’s bunion. 

A tailor’s bunion (bunionette) is a sometimes painful, bony bump that forms at the base of the small toe. The condition got its name because tailors would sit cross-legged on the ground for extended periods of time. The base of their small toes would rub against the ground, leading to bunionettes. 

Bunionettes don’t go away — the bump won’t fade or shrink with time. But there are treatments that can ease the inflammation around the joint. This can stop other symptoms of tailor’s bunions, like pain and redness. Treatment can also stop tailor’s bunions from getting worse. Here’s how to take care of your feet if you have tailor’s bunions. 

What are the symptoms of a tailor’s bunion

The main symptom of a tailor’s bunion is a bump on the outside part of your foot, at the base of your small toe. The bump is actually made of bone, which is why a bunionette won’t go away over time. 

Some people don’t have any other symptoms. But many people do develop other symptoms from time to time because the bony bump rubs against footwear, causing inflammation. 

Other symptoms of a tailor’s bunion include:

• Pain over the tailor’s bunion and side of the foot

• Redness and swelling over the tailor’s bunion

• Skin breakdown and wounds over the tailor’s bunion

• Calluses over the tailor’s bunion

• Corns over the small toe or other toes

• Pain with walking or standing

• Balance changes

• A shift inward of the small toe

Tailor’s bunion (bunionette) vs. bunion

A tailor’s bunion is very similar to a regular bunion. The main difference is where they are located. A tailor’s bunion forms at the base of the small toe, on the outside of the foot. A regular bunion forms at the base of the great toe, on the inside of the foot.

Both types of bunions develop when there’s too much pressure on the joint that’s formed by the metatarsal (the long bone of the foot) and the first toe bone. The pressure causes the joint to shift so that the end of the metatarsal points out, creating the bunion. The pressure also pushes the toe bone inward. This is why people also have a shift in their toe shape along with a bunion or tailor’s bunion. 

What causes a tailor’s bunion (bunionette)?

Tailor’s bunions are caused by repeated pressure over the metatarsal joint over time. This causes the metatarsal bone to shift, resulting in that bony bump and a change in the foot’s shape. 

Everyone experiences pressure over the outside of their foot from time to time. But only some people develop a tailor’s bunion. That’s because some people are more susceptible to developing a tailor’s bunion because of certain factors like their foot shape, shoes, or medical conditions. 

Let’s take a closer look at these causes.

Shoes

Certain types of shoes can also increase the risk of developing a tailor’s bunion. These include:

• Tight fighting (“dress”) shoes

• High heels

• Shoes with narrow toe boxes

Shoes that squeeze the toes together or put extra pressure on the outside of your foot can cause your metatarsals to shift. The more you wear these types of shoes, the more pressure gets put on your metatarsal joint and the more it shifts. Over time, this will make the metatarsal bone point outward, creating a bunion. 

Footwear is the most common reason people develop tailor’s bunions and other types of foot issues like bunions and toe problems. 

Foot shape

Your natural foot shape can put you at risk for developing a tailor’s bunion. Some people are born with a wider space between their last two metatarsals. This puts them at risk for developing a tailor’s bunion. Some people’s foot bones are naturally more prone to shifting whenever a force is applied, which can lead to a tailor’s bunion. 

People with flat feet may also be at higher risk for developing a tailor’s bunion. That’s because having flat feet can change your gait and make you put more pressure on certain parts of your feet. This can cause a shift in your foot bones and put you at risk for a tailor’s bunion. 

Medical conditions

Some medical conditions can also increase the risk of developing a tailor’s bunion. Any medical condition that affects the muscles, tendons, or nerves in the feet can change how you walk or position your feet and toes to maintain balance. Over time, these subtle changes can put extra pressure on your metatarsal and cause it to shift, leading to a tailor’s bunion. 

Medical conditions that increase the risk of developing a bunionette include: 

• Diabetes

• Rheumatoid arthritis

• Osteoarthritis

• Psoriatic arthritis

• Peripheral neuropathy

• Neuromuscular disorders

Running

Repetitive stress from running and jogging can put pressure on your metatarsal joint and lead to a tailor’s bunion. It’s not just runners who are at risk: Any repetitive movement that uses the front of the foot can increase the risk of a tailor’s bunion. Ballet dancing, soccer, and basketball are all activities that require people to push off with their toes. This puts pressure on the front of the foot and can lead to a tailor’s bunion.

Many things that can lead to tailor’s bunion can happen at the same time. That’s because the causes of tailor’s bunion are additive. The more of them you are exposed to, the more likely you are to develop a tailor’s bunion. For example, running with the wrong footwear — like running shoes that are too narrow or tight — can make you more likely to develop a tailor’s bunion. 

At-home treatments for tailor’s bunions

You can’t “cure” your tailor’s bunion or make it disappear. But you can keep your tailor’s bunion from getting worse. 

There are steps you can take to relieve the pressure on your joint. This will stop your bones from shifting further and lessen inflammation over your joint that’s caused by pressure. Less inflammation helps you avoid symptoms like pain, skin breakdown, and other foot problems. Here are five at-home treatments that can help.

New footwear

The most important thing you can do for your feet is to wear the right footwear. You want to avoid narrow toe boxes, high heels, and tight shoes as much as possible. 

If you have to wear a certain type of footwear for your job, see if there are any options with wide toe boxes or marked for wide feet. Take off any tight-fitting shoes as soon as possible and switch to wide-toe boxes or zero-drop shoes (or go barefoot!) at the end of the day and on your off days. 

You can also take your dress shoes to a shoe repair shop (or cobbler) and ask them to stretch your shoes. This can lessen the pressure the shoes put on your feet. 

Bunionette pads

Bunionette pads are available online and in many pharmacies and local running stores. There are several different kinds of pads. Some cover only your small toe, while others cover your toe and foot. Others also have a spacer that goes between your small toe and the toe next to it. All of these options lessen the pressure on the joint as you walk, run, or wear shoes.

You can wear bunionette pads with narrow, tight-fitting shoes to help lessen the stress these shoes put on your feet. You can also wear them with bunionette-friendly shoes for added relief. 

Some bunionette pads are marketed as “bunionette correctors.” While bunionette correctors can relieve pressure and pain, they won’t actually correct your tailor’s bunion. 

Shoe inserts

Tailor’s bunion shoe inserts can be harder to find than regular bunion inserts. Shoe inserts work similarly to bunionette pads. They take the pressure off your joint and toes while you wear shoes. 

Talk to a podiatrist if you can’t find the right product online or in local pharmacies or running stores. They can order you the right product or fit you for orthotics. 

Ice packs

If your tailor’s bunion is very inflamed, try an ice pack for pain relief. Cold therapy can help lower inflammation around your joint and offer you temporary relief. 

You can use a reusable ice pack or ice cubs. Just make sure to wrap them in a towel first. Don’t apply the ice or cold pack directly to your skin. This can damage the skin and put you at risk for skin breakdown and wounds. Since the skin over your tailor’s bunion is already at risk for breakdown, you want to make sure you don’t accidentally make the skin more vulnerable. 

Over-the-counter pain relievers

Over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers can help lessen pain, swelling, and redness from your tailor’s bunion. You can use acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Motrin, Aleve) to help relieve these symptoms. Make sure to follow dosing directions on the packaging. Medication can help temporarily relieve symptoms. 

Prescription treatments and surgery for tailor’s bunions (bunionettes)

Talk with a healthcare provider or podiatrist if at-home therapies and the right footwear aren’t enough to relieve your symptoms. Steroid injections can help reduce inflammation in the joint and relieve your symptoms. Steroid injections won’t cure your tailor’s bunion. They work best when paired with the consistent use of the right footwear and other treatments that keep pressure off your joint. 

Your healthcare provider might also prescribe antibiotics if they think you could have an infection from skin breakdown over your tailor’s bunion. Skin infections can cause redness, pain, and swelling. 

If all of these treatments aren’t enough to help relieve your symptoms, your healthcare provider may recommend foot surgery. There are several types of foot surgery that can help with symptoms. But these surgeries may not be able to correct your tailor’s bunion. 

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Written by:

Jennifer Clements, MD, MSEd, NBHWC

Jennifer Clements, MD, MSEd, NBHWC, is a board-certified physician and health coach who is passionate about achieving optimal health through healthy lifestyles. Clements is a diplomate of the American Board of Obesity Medicine and the American Board of Integrative Medicine.

Edited by:

Patricia Pinto-Garcia, MD, MPH

Patricia Pinto-Garcia, MD, MPH, is a medical editor at GoodRx. She is a licensed, board-certified pediatrician with more than a decade of experience in academic medicine.

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