Are you having a hard time finding a pair of sandals to accommodate the shape of your bunion? Do you feel like every single sandal style that you try feels too tight and puts too much pressure on your bunion? Finding a pair of comfortable sandals for women with bunions can be a frustrating and time-consuming experience, especially if you don’t know what shoe brands and what shoe styles to try.
There is a very small selection of sandals that provide good support and can accommodate a bunion at the same time, but the good news is that I will help you find them.
My Role in Fitting Women’s Shoes
I have helped several women who were not able to find a single pair of shoes because of their bunions and I believe I will be able to help you too. For over a decade, I have worked for a shoe store that specializes in helping women with “complicated” foot shapes as well as foot and leg problems. Over the years I became familiar with the best shoes for women with bunions.
One of the most common mistakes that I see women make is to assume that a sandal that is labeled as extra wide (“XW”, “EEEE”) will automatically accommodate the shape of their bunion. Trust me when I tell you that it takes a lot more than just choosing a sandal that is labeled as extra wide and hoping it will fit the shape of your bunion.
What Makes the Sandals I Recommend Effective for Women with Bunions?
1️⃣ Extra Depth: This is a key feature that is often overlooked by many women. Sandals that provide extra depth allow your feet to fit deeply inside the shoes, preventing the sandals from rubbing against the side or the top of your bunion. Take a look at the image below to visualize what I mean by sandals that provide extra depth:
2️⃣ Rounder Toe-Boxes: This feature allows for extra space for your toes and also helps prevent your bunion from rubbing against the side of the sandals.
3️⃣ Extra Wide Widths Available: In addition to providing extra depth and rounder toe-boxes, it’s important that your sandals are available in wide or extra wide widths.
Where Can You Find Sandals that Provide These 3 Important Characteristics?
Most sandals don’t come labeled as “extra deep” or with “rounder toe-boxes”, so the only way to tell which sandals provide these two features is from having fitted them before. I will show you a list of sandals that provide these important features, but before we take a look at this list, I want to make sure that you know your exact foot size.
Confirming Your Shoe Size Number
When was the last time you had your foot measured to check your shoe size? Your foot shape and size can change over time, and some of the factors that contribute to this change are pregnancy, aging and weight gain or loss. Over time and because of gravity, our feet will get longer and wider.
Did you know that several studies show 35% of women are wearing the wrong shoe size? I have noticed that most women that come to the store I work for are wearing shoes that are either too short or too narrow.
Wearing the wrong shoe size can affect both your walking gait and overall posture. My goal is to raise awareness so women don’t develop foot issues from wearing the wrong shoe size. Hopefully now you are thinking of having your feet resized.
The issue now is that most shoe stores have been closing down. If you live in an area where you can’t have your feet properly measured, I suggest that you take a look at a different article I wrote where I describe how to figure your exact foot size and shape from home:
How to Measure Your Foot Shoe Size – The Most Simple and Effective Way!
Now you should be 100% sure of your foot size, so let’s take a look at the most comfortable sandals for women with bunions.
Most of these sandals are available in medium, wide and extra wide widths so make sure that you choose your shoe width accordingly. Do not hesitate to contact me if you are unsure of what sandal size you need to order.
Comfortable Sandals for Women with Bunions – Extra Deep and with Rounder Toe-Boxes!
The sandals that are open-toe and have an adjustable velcro piece across the toes will help you manage how tight/loose you want the sandals to feel. Disclosure: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases.
- Fits women with medium and wide feet
- EVA footbed provides an internal support mechanism that is anatomically engineered to provide excellent arch support and cradle the natural contours of the foot
- Cleansport NXT™ for natural odor control
- Quick-dry lining
- Order this sandal half a size larger than your longest foot size
- Available in medium, wide, and extra wide widths
- Lightweight ergonomic outsoles with a mild rocker design provide superior cushioning and enhance stability
- Soft straps with extra foam padding eliminate irritation and provide superior comfort and protection for sensitive feet
- 3 points of adjustability
- Order this sandal half a size larger than your longest foot size
- Available in narrow, medium, and wide widths
- Supportive outsole
- Targeted cushion and support right below the heels
- 2 points of adjustability
- Order this sandal half a size larger than your longest foot size
- Fits women with medium and wide feet
- Handstitched leather upper
- Podiatrist certified arch support
- Mini rocker outsole for improved pressure distribution
- Order this sandal half a size larger than your longest foot size
- Fits women with medium and wide feet
- Handstitched leather upper
- Podiatrist certified arch support
- Mini rocker outsole for improved pressure distribution
- Order this sandal half a size larger than your longest foot size
- Fits women with medium and wide feet
- Made of acrylic and polyamide felt fibers, this material is a soft fabric with a smooth leather-like finish
- The suede lined, contoured footbed will mold to the shape of your foot creating a custom footbed that supports and cradles you each and every step
- Anatomically correct cork footbed, crafted from cork that is 100% renewable and sustainable, encourages foot health
- Order this sandal half a size larger than your longest foot size
- Available in medium, wide, and extra wide widths
- Multiple cushioning layers provide pillow-like support that works wonders to enhance comfort and help ease pain on the foot and heel
- Ergonomic soles with a mild rocker design and superior cushioning enhance stability
- Order this sandal half a size larger than your longest foot size
- Available in narrow, medium, and wide widths
- A broad, contoured footbed features soft Super Suede™ linings that molds to the natural arches and curves of your foot for maximum comfort and shock absorption
- It offers multi-layered Tripad® cushions designed to comfort all three pressure points: the inside ball, outside ball and heel for all-day support
- 3 points of adjustability
- Order this sandal half a size larger than your longest foot size
- Available in medium, wide, and extra wide widths
- Ergonomically designed insole with contoured support.
- Thick comfortable EVA foam midsole
- 3 points of adjustability
- Order this sandal half a size larger than your longest foot size
- Fits women with medium and wide feet
- Lightweight EVA-foam midsole adds extra cushioning for maximum comfort
- Rugged Rubber outsole stands up to abuse and supplies great traction
- 3 points of adjustability
- Order this sandal half a size larger than your longest foot size
- Fits women with medium and wide feet
- 100% leather
- Mini rocker outsole for improved pressure distribution
- Cushioned footbed with podiatrist certified arch support to help absorb impact while standing or walking
- Order this sandal half a size larger than your longest foot size
- Available in medium and wide widths
- 3 adjustable velcro straps
- Lightweight ergonomic outsoles with a mild rocker design provide superior cushioning and enhance stability
- Quick-dry lining
- Order this sandal half a size larger than your longest foot size
- Available in medium and wide widths
- 3 adjustable velcro straps
- Lightweight ergonomic outsoles with a mild rocker design provide superior cushioning and enhance stability
- Arch support
- Comfort cushioned insole
- Order this sandal half a size larger than your longest foot size
What Shoe Size to Order?
Take a look at the description below the sandals that I recommended to find out what shoe size you should order.
The goal of these sandals is to help relieve the pain you feel from bunions by reducing the pressure beneath your big toe joint when standing or walking.
How comfortable and effective these sandals will be for you depends on individual foot anatomy, but I can confidently tell you that these sandals have worked for several women, and hopefully they will work for you as well!
In addition to providing extra depth and rounder toe-boxes, the sandals I recommend provide the following features:
- Antimicrobial treatment helps keep odors at bay, and promotes a cooler, drier feel for your feet
- Microbuck synthetic nubuck leather and breathable mesh uppers
- Cushion around your ankle and heel
- Rubber sole with excellent traction
- Built in arch support
Did you know that wearing the wrong shoes when you have a bunion can lead to blisters on your toes, as well as arthritis, bursitis (joint inflammation) or sometimes even an ulcer in the area of the bunion?
In the meantime, I am going to provide you with some articles that describe the best shoes for women with bunions:
The Best Walking Shoes for Women with Bunions — Deep, Supportive, and with a Round Toe-Box!
Best Shoes Post Bunion Surgery — Supportive, Extra Deep, and with Rounder Toe-Boxes
My Final Thoughts on the Best Shoes for Women with Bunions
The type of shoes that you wear can either allow you to perform your daily activities comfortably or be a major contributor to making your bunion worse. Stay away from shoes that squeeze your toes together due to being too narrow!
I always like to make the analogy that wearing tight shoes is the same as wearing tight braces on your teeth. Braces that are too tight on teeth can shift the teeth through constant pressure. The same analogy can be applied to women’s shoes as they can force the big toe over toward the second toe.
By the way, if you have a child at home, I suggest that you keep a close eye on your child’s feet and the shoes he/she is wearing. Most podiatrists and foot surgeons will tell you that bunions are caused by wearing she’s that are too narrow during childhood.
Contact us! Don’t hesitate to contact us through the comments section or via e-mail if you are having trouble finding a different type of shoes to fit the shape of your bunion.
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