If the joint that connects your big toe to your foot has a swollen, sore bump, you may have a bunion. More than one-third of women in America have bunions, a common deformity often blamed on wearing tight, narrow shoes and high heels. Bunions may be hereditary, but many are from wearing tight shoes, and 9 out of 10 bunions occur in women. Too-tight shoes also can cause foot problems such as corns, calluses, and hammertoes.

If you have a painful swollen lump on the outside of your foot near the base of your little toe, it may be a bunionette​ ("tailor's bunion"). Similar to a bunion, bunionettes can be caused by wearing shoes that are too tight.