Treat Your Tailor’s Bunion at Home or with Expert Care.
Tailor's Bunion (AKA Bunionette) Pads, Surgery & Best Home TREATMENT!
A tailor’s bunion is also known as a bunionette. We review the 100% best pads, correctors, shoes, and orthotics so that you don’t need SURGERY!
Tailor's Bunion (Bunionette) Overview:
- Do you have a Tailor’s Bunion or bunionette?
- We will show you the absolute best treatment for your tailor’s bunion or bunionette!
- We go over the best tailor’s bunion treatment and bunionette surgery.
- We review the best bunionette pads, bunionette correctors, and bunionette correctors!
- We want to help you get rid of your tailor’s bunion (bunionette) pain!
Big Toe Joint, Toe Hammer & Bunionette Problems
What is a Tailor’s Bunion?

Bunion Pictures & Photo Gallery
Look:
- The associated photos are pictures of bunions.
- A big toe joint bunion is a prominence of the first metatarsal phalangeal joint.
- A tailor’s bunion is the prominence of the fifth metatarsal phalangeal joint.
- There are multiple stages of bunions ranging from minimal dislocation to severe dislocation to severe dislocation with arthritis.
- It is important to note that the sesamoid bones dislocate from the big toe joint and that the bunion itself is more of a dislocation injury than an arthritic injury.
- Although we frequently see bunions that also have arthritis, and is much more likely.
- We do perform minimally invasive bunion surgery at our clinic to limit the length of recovery time needed.
Please click on the gallery to read the description! Feel free to share pictures.
Tailor's Bunion (Bunionette) Overview:
- Do you have a Tailor’s Bunion or bunionette?
- We will show you the absolute best treatment for your tailor’s bunion or bunionette!
- We go over the best tailor’s bunion treatment and bunionette surgery.
- We review the best bunionette pads, bunionette correctors, and bunionette correctors!
- We want to help you get rid of your tailor’s bunion (bunionette) pain!

Tailor’s bunion pain or bunionette.
What Is A Tailor's Bunion (Bunionette)?
- Why is this called Taylor’s bunion? Tailors used to sit cross-legged while sewing and working.
- This would lead to pain along the outside of their feet.
- These are less common than bunions of the big toe joint. But they do have similar symptoms to a big toe joint bunion.
- This is located at a joint called the metatarsal phalangeal joint, which is the junction of the fifth toe and the foot.
- This is a very common and persistent problem that does have some treatment options!

The best way to know whether your 5th toe is broken or sprained is to get an X-ray. Here we can tell there are definitely some bone changes taking place.
Causes:
This is a bunion that develops to the 5th toe joint. Specific causes include:
- A curved fifth metatarsal.
- A bone spur to the fifth metatarsal head.
- Irritated skin and nerves due to a tight shoe.
- Overpronation and flattening of the foot, leading to rubbing against the shoe.
- The combination of all of the above.

This is a 5th toe bunionette or tailor’s bunion. This can cause pain from rubbing against the side of your shoe!
Symptoms:
- The symptoms of tailor’s bunion usually include an obvious deformity to the fifth toe joint.
- A tailor’s bunion picture can be visualized as above.
- The tissue overlying this bump can be red, sore, and agitated.
- It is also possible to have numbness, burning, and tingling sensations.
- The foot could be more swollen on 1 foot compared to the other

Causes of Foot Pain Along the Outside of the Foot are frequently due to the 5th toe jamming against the side of the shoe. This can cause numbness, burning, and tingling.
Diagnosis:
- Diagnosis of the tailor’s bunion is performed by evaluating the foot and appreciating the sore and agitated 5th toe joint.
- The podiatrist may also take an x-ray of your foot to visualize exactly what the causes may be.
- The purpose of the x-ray is to visualize a bone spur versus a curved bone versus simply swollen and irritated tissue.
- At this point, the biomechanics of the legs would be evaluated to assess for the overpronation of that foot.

Do you have ball of the foot and tailor’s bunion pain? The most common cause of pain is the 5th toe joint rubbing against the shoe.
How to Get Rid of Tailor's Bunion Without Surgery
Best Bunion Relief Infographic
Home Treatment:
- Great treatment options include pads, correctors, home treatment with orthotics and shoes.
- Some people then may require surgery!
Shoe modifications:
- It is essential to have mesh around with the 5th metatarsal phalangeal joint is.
- This takes the pressure off of the fifth metatarsal phalangeal joint and stops it from rubbing.
Orthotics:
- As demonstrated in the video, orthotics can stop pronation.
- If pronation is stopped, the outside of the foot does not rub against the side of the shoe quite as much.
- This can really reduce rubbing and nerve irritation.
Padding:
- There are many bunion and Taylor’s bunion pads that can help reduce the rubbing.
- We have linked many such pads below.
Anti-inflammatory medications:
- These are known as NSAIDs (Non-Steroidal Anti Inflammatory Drugs), such as ibuprofen and Advil.
- These can help decrease the inflammation of the tissue, but they are not meant to be used as a long-term solution.
Icing:
- Using ice for 20 minutes to the sore area can help decrease the inflammation and the pain initially.
- This is not a long-term solution, but it is more to relieve symptoms of pain.
Injection:
- If there is a bone spur or arthritis through the joint, it may be beneficial to perform a one-time injection to see how the joint responds.
- In some patients, there are impressive results that can last for a very long time.

Best Tailor's Bunion Products
- There are usually two phases to the bottom of the foot pain treatment.
- The two phases of treatment include controlling the acute inflammation and correcting the biomechanics, which led to the problem in the first place.
- If the tendons and ligaments are inflamed, they are almost frozen in place and cannot function properly.
- Once the inflammation is decreased, we need to correct the biomechanical causes to ensure that they can never become overworked and inflamed again!
- This doesn’t matter whether it’s plantar fasciitis, plantar fibroma, the sore bottom of the foot, or even Achilles tendon pain. Treatment is all roughly very similar.
Top Podiatrist-Recommended Tailor’s Bunionette Pads in Michigan
Looking for relief from a painful bunionette? Our Michigan podiatrists recommend high-quality Tailor’s Bunionette Pads designed to cushion and protect the affected area. These pads help reduce pressure, prevent rubbing in shoes, and ease daily discomfort—perfect for anyone dealing with mild to moderate Tailor’s bunions. Trusted by patients at Balance Foot & Ankle Specialists, these products offer simple, effective support you can count on.

Tailor’s Bunion Correctors & Pads:
These are our favorite tailor’s bunion correctors and tailor’s bunion pads:










Removing The Stress:
- The key is to prevent future pain.
- If you can get rid of the pain and swelling, this will let you start walking normally.
- If you can walk normally, the vast majority of your pain should gradually start to go away.
- The best way to ensure that your plantar fascia, foot, and ankle ligaments are not overworked is to support them.
- The best way to support them is to use great orthotics and great shoes.
- Some people may also need to rely on supportive ankle braces and other supportive modalities.
Best Tailor’s Bunion Shoes:
- Getting a great supportive pair of shoes will ensure that their pressure is removed from the heel and plantar fascia region.
- This is especially important if you have plantar fasciitis, heel spur pain, or Achilles tendonitis.
- Consider shoes combined with a good supportive orthotic for the best pain relief!
- The following link will show you what our favorites are.
Best Tailor’s Bunion Orthotics:
- These are our recommended orthotics.
- There are different types of different shoes.
- Women’s shoes usually need a less bulky orthotic but allow for less correction.
- A full-length orthotic requires a running shoe, boot, or comfortable walking/dress shoe.
- We recommend doing everything you can to get a good supportive shoe that can fit a full-length orthotic.
- This is the best way to maximize your orthotics for great results.
Best Full-Length Orthotics:
- These will only work in wider shoes or a good supportive running shoe.
- This will not work in sandals, flats, or most women’s dress shoes.








Best Dress Shoe Orthotics:
- These are a great choice for dress orthotics.






Best 3/4 Length Orthotics:
- These are great options for women’s dress shoes and thinner shoes.
- These are not the most supportive pair of orthotics.


Get A Great Dynamic Stretch:
- It is possible to stretch on your own, but these products can also really help!
- This will take pressure off of the ball of your foot.
- We personally prefer this method of stretching.








Get A Great Static Stretch:
- These devices are great for stretching while you are resting.
- This will also help take pressure off of the ball of your foot.
- This works great for plantar fasciitis.
- The static night splint can be used while watching TV or at night time.






Tailor’s Bunion Inflammation Control:
Massage & Ice Products:
- Ice is an excellent option that can be safe for almost everyone.
- There is some debate whether icing is worth doing, but this can help limit the need for medications and keep your options open for chronic pain.
- This works great for your arch, less for the ball of the foot.
- The more muscle and ligament tissue there is, the better ice will work there.






Menthol Based Gels:
- Biofreeze is one of our favorites.
- These gels have been studied to work 2x as long as ice.
- This works great for the ball of the foot.
- This can be very effective for the bottom of the heel and Achilles tendon sore regions.








Massage Sticks:
- These can work great for loosening your muscles.
- This allows less tightness and pressure on the ball of your foot.
- This is very effective for the arch, the gastrocnemius or calf muscle, and the hamstring and thigh muscles.
- This also works very well for the gluteus muscles if you are having butt cheek or hip pain.






Tailor’s Bunion (Bunionette) FAQ
- The most common cause of white horizontal lines of the toenails is something called Beau’s lines.
- This is most commonly caused by trauma or damage to the toenail.
- We usually see bumping, rubbing or jamming that temporarily stops the toenail from growing.
- This can cause an indentation or pitting in the toenail.
- Even though there is a chance that a black horizontal line could be a dangerous cancer called a melanoma, this is extremely unlikely.
- These lines tend to look like black vertical lines.
- The most common line associated with toenail cancer or melanoma is called Hutchinson sign.
- This is a vertical line that is over 3 mm in thickness.
If this is toenail cancer, the line could extend past the toenail into the skin. - If this was cancer, then the damage is actually underneath the toenail, not on the toenail.
- The most common cause of a horizontal black line on the toenail is due to trauma associated with bleeding.
- The dry blood becomes a black ridge or black line and takes many months to grow out.
- The most common cause of horizontal lines on the toenails means that there has been some type of trauma or damage this can cause white line.
- This is also known as a Beau’s line and is associated with fingernail and toenail trauma.
If home care like wider shoes and bunionette pads no longer provide relief, or if the pain worsens, it’s time to consult a podiatrist.
While bunionette pads won’t correct the bone structure, they can help manage symptoms and delay the need for surgery in many mild to moderate cases.
Treatments may include orthotics, corticosteroid injections, shoe recommendations, and in some cases, surgical correction.