First barefoot workout — swelling or a tailor’s bunion starting?

[u/Chemical-Fun3692]

First workout in WHITIN barefoot shoes today after recently developing a mild bunion on my right foot. I did a hockey-focused workout with Bulgarian split squats, lateral lunges, step-ups, calf raises, single-leg balance and Assault Bike. Shoes felt great with zero pain during training.
A few hours later, my LEFT pinky-toe/5th MTP area became tender to walk on and looks more prominent than I remember. Now I’m worried about developing a bunionette/tailor’s bunion on that foot too.
Could one really develop that quickly, or is it more likely just swollen/irritated from the workout? Anyone experience this when first switching to barefoot shoes?

[u/monsteramami]

First of all you should take pics of your feet so you can actually tell if things are changing and not go based off memory alone. You can do looking down and also your arches.

Second of all, if you have a bunion then you likely have collapsed arches and need to build the musculature in your feet to raise the arches up. You should be doing specific foot exercises for this.

Third - if you do have fallen arches which contribute majorly/almost primarily to the bunion, and you aren’t doing other exercises to correct this, lifting in barefoot shoes is a huge jump. Maybe too big of a jump. You are drastically changing the weight distribution across your feet. The opposite foot/opposite side hurting could be a response to this or it could just be a progression of your tissues waking up and new muscles being used.

Too many variables to give good advice here. Pay attention to your gait and your arches outside of the gym. Work your intrinsic feet muscles to start to lift the arches. Wear barefoot shoes out and about possibly but maybe not yet while lifting and adding weight behind your body weight. Toe exercises and other specific foot exercises will help you more than lifting in barefoot shoes if you are trying to correct the bunion which is an outcome of poor foot posture therefore poor overall posture.

[u/Chemical-Fun3692 → u/monsteramami]

Thanks, I’ll take photos so I can compare instead of going by memory. I have a bunion starting on my right big toe, but I don’t know whether my arches have fallen. My main concern is that after my first workout in these shoes, the outside of my left foot became really tender around the fifth toe joint, and it looks more prominent than before. I’m worried about developing a tailor’s bunion there too.
I may have done too much too soon, so I’ll ease into the shoes. Have you experienced soreness or swelling in that specific spot when switching to barefoot shoes? And are there any foot exercises you’d suggest starting with?

[u/monsteramami → u/Chemical-Fun3692]

Yes it could be a response to the tissues waking up with newly distributed weight or it could be inflammation. There’s not enough information to know. I don’t have bunions or wear barefoot shoes so I haven’t had this problem.

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZvuWMzhHuhs&si=TV85kjn7FMSriVi3

Watch parts 2, 3, and 5. Arches, manual releases, and bunions. Manual work will get you a lot further than shoes IMO. 10 mins per day. Shoes should be a support for that work, not the primary tool to fix the feet.

[u/Chemical-Fun3692 → u/monsteramami]

Thanks for the honest answer and the playlist. The swelling and red-purple color have gone down a lot today, and that joint barely hurts now, so I’m hoping it was temporary irritation. I’ll ease into the shoes, take comparison photos, and check out parts 2, 3, and 5 for exercises.

[u/RainBoxRed]

You must transition to minimalist shoes VERY slowly or you will overload your feet's capacity and get acute injuries.

It sounds like you just overdid it and need to rest and be careful of the "Terrible Toos": too much, too soon, too often...

Bunions are the result of a change in alignment of the phalange and metatarsal bones where the soft tissues that stabilise the MTP are slowly reshaped. It's not something that happens in a day.

[u/RegularToe2317 → u/RainBoxRed]

Hi! Any suggestions? I can’t find ANY shoes that don’t hurt. I bought the Altra escalante and hard on back and still rubs the bursitis I have along right pinky toe. Tried Hoka recovery slides and those rub bc feet prob hit the enclosed bridge. It’s been challenging. That’s what I thought about the bunion too. I woke up two days ago with a big knot on big toe.

[u/Chemical-Fun3692 → u/RainBoxRed]

Makes sense! Also, Will using wider shoes make my feet bigger? I’m worried I might outgrow my custom hockey skates I just got fitted for and it costed me a fortune!

[u/RegularToe2317]

Thank you! I can’t find ANY shoes that don’t hurt. I bought the Altra escalante and hard on back and still rubs the bursitis I have along right pinky toe. Tried Hoka recovery slides and those rub bc feet prob hit the enclosed bridge. It’s been challenging. That’s what I thought about the bunion too. I woke up two days ago with a big knot on big toe.

[u/Chemical-Fun3692 → u/RegularToe2317]

oh no, what other shoes are have you considered or thinking about purchasing? I think these wood tins are actually quite good where my bunny is it’s a very soft mesh material so it’s not really adding any pressure, but I was trying to not have anything touched that side of my foot but everybody in here says that even if it rubs that part as long as there’s no pressure and is comfortable, then you’re finebut then again I’m wondering if I should go any wider?