Bunions are a dislocation of the big toe.

I am often asked, "what causes bunions?" Generally, bunions are a 'genetic' dislocation of the big toe joint and is normally caused by poor biomechanics (the way the foot functions) on individuals. Bunions can be the result of trauma, can be caused by previous surgeries, and yes... by wearing improper shoes. (There is one surgeon who believes almost all bunions are caused by improper shoes.)
I am also asked by patients (or people at parties who know I am a Podiatrist), "Can I wear something that will straighten my toe back to normal." The answer quite simply is "No." Devices worn on or around the great toe joint can only correct the deformity while wearing the device.
The next question is, "What can I do to fix it." To correct the deformity you must have surgery to reconstruct the poor alignment of the great toe and the bone that it communicates with in the foot. (These structures are called the hallux (big toe) and 1st metatarsal (bone it aligns with in the foot)). Normally this requires transection of tendons and ligaments, surgically cutting and realigning of bone, and remodeling of the joint capsule. Depending on the severity of the deformity, two types of procedures can be performed. Distal and proximal procedures otherwise known as head or base correction.
Head procedures are done with the surgical 'cut' conducted at the head of the 1st metatarsal or close the the big toe. Base procedures or done with the cut closer to the middle of the foot. The difference is immediate walking with the head procedure, while the base procedure will require a minimum of being off of the surgical foot for a minimum of six weeks.
If you have a bunion deformity, even if it is not painful, you may want to consult with your local Podiatrist for a clinical and radiographic evaluation. Don't allow your bunion to get to severe (or you to old) where you may have limited options in correcting this very correctable deformity.

"The journey of life is taken one step at a time... none of them should be painful." G.M. Barclay, DPM, AACFAS