The answer to the question can shoes (specifically high heels) cause bunions is NO. Bunions are genetic. Think about it, if improper shoegear causes bunions, in theory then everyone wearing bad shoes (half the population) would have bunions. They do not. There was recently a large study in the UK of over a 1,000 people and they determined that high heels do not cause bunions. What poor or improper shoes can do is excaberate the symptoms associated with a bunion. Tight shoes or high heels cause an increase in pressure on the bunion area which indirectly leads to an increase in pain. So, the answer is bad shoes do not cause bunions, but you should still not wear them.
