My foot is too wide for my ski boots. What should I do?

Working conservative to aggressive is always the best move with feet in ski boots. Because of this, we should address offloading of the foot by addressing the boot first. This can include padding, blowing out the shell, or custom orthotics to correct the foot posture. If pain is still around, we move on to treating your foot once failing boot modifications.

Do I need surgery for this?

This is a two-sided question. While tailor’s bunions do require surgery to be fixed, they do not always need surgery to eliminate symptoms. Conservative treatment is always attempted to minimize symptoms, which can include orthotic support, anti-inflammatories, topical creams and gels, as well as boot modifications and wider shoes. If these treatments fail, we begin to discuss surgical options to fix the underlying deformity.

Why me?

We see a lot of people with tailor’s bunions who blame it on everything from improper shoe gear, to skiing, to that one time in fourth grade when they stepped on their dog’s tail. Realistically, what it boils down to is genetics and bad luck. You can blame your parents for your foot structure, just like eye color, hair color, and height. Some foot structures predispose you to having more mobile joints, which allows for development of these foot deformities.