This blog post contains 19 effective tips and exercises to help get rid of a Tailor’s Bunion without the need of surgery.

(… or at very least – prevent it from getting worse!)

What is a Tailor’s Bunion?

A Tailor’s Bunion is a bump that forms at the base of the pinky toe.

It is associated with the inward deviation of the 5th toe (pinky toe) at the Metatarsophalangeal joint.

(It is also referred to as a Bunionette.)

In some people – the Tailor’s Bunion can become inflamed, swollen and painful. (And over time, can get even bigger!)

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how To Fix a Tailor’s Bunion Without Surgery

I have listed 19 different tips/exercises/recommendations to help you address your Tailor’s Bunion.

(Keep in mind – If you have a moderate/severe case of Tailor’s Bunion, there is going to be a certain limit as to how effective these exercises will be. It is best to perform these exercises in the very early stages.)

TIP 1: Narrow Shoes
TIP 2: Shoe Size
TIP 3: High Heels
TIP 4: Walking Downhill
TIP 5: Slanted Heel on Shoe
TIP 6: Standing Position
TIP 7: Minimize Sitting Cross-Legged
TIP 8: Release Lumbricals/Interossei
TIP 9: Release Bottom of Foot
TIP 10: Pinky Toe Stretch
TIP 11: Pinky Toe Abduction
TIP 12: Heel Raise
TIP 13: Stepping
TIP 14: Walking
TIP 15: Toe Spacer
TIP 16: Taping
TIP 17: Splint
TIP 18: High Arches
TIP 19: Bunionette Surgery

1. Wear the correct shoe size

Make sure that you know what your exact shoe size is!

There is no point trying to squeeze into a size that is too small for you.

This will ultimately lead to all of your toes being squashed together (… and that includes the pinky toe!).

2. Avoid wearing narrow shoes

Shoes that have a narrow toe box will tend to squash the toes together.

This will lead to the little toe deviating towards the midline in an attempt to fit within the border of the shoe.

How to determine if your shoe is too narrow for your foot:

Instructions:

• Place your shoe onto the floor.
• Place your foot directly on top of the shoe.
• Take note of the position of your toes.

3. Avoid wearing High heels

Shoes with an elevated heel will place more pressure on the front portion of the foot.

This will essentially cause the weight of the body to jam the toes into the front of the shoe.

(This compressive force on the toes is amplified if the shoe is too narrow.)

4. Minimize Excessive exposure to walking down hill

Walking down a hill may compress the toes in the front of the shoe.

Frequent exposure to this activity has the potential to make the Tailor’s Bunion more pronounced.

5. Throw Out Old Shoes with a slanted heel

Over time – The heel of a shoe will tend to wear out at an angle.

Have a look at the back of the shoes that you most commonly wear.

… Has the heel worn off on the outer edge?

If you continue to wear a shoe with the heel worn out on the outer side, this will position the ankle in a more inverted position.

As you walk with this inverted foot position – more pressure will be placed on the outer side of the foot. (You can even form a skin callus in the area!)

This places more side ways pressure onto the pinky toe causing the it to deviate to towards the midline.

6. Don’t stand like this

When standing – make sure that you do not allow your feet to habitually roll onto the side.

7. Minimize Cross-Legged Sitting

Sitting cross-legged on the floor will place more pressure on the bony surface on the side of the pinky toe.

Excessive exposure to this position over a prolonged amount of time can make the bump more pronounced.

8. Perform Releases on The Interossei and Lumbricals

The Lumbrical and Interossei are muscles which attach onto the pinky toe.

Tightness in these muscles is associated with the pinky toe being pulled towards the inside.

Releases can help relax these tight muscles.

Release

Instructions:

• Apply a pincer grip between the 4th and pinky toe.
• Apply a firm pressure and massage.
• Continue for 1 minute.

9. Release muscles at bottom of feet

There are structures underneath the foot that can pull the pinky toe towards the inside.

Under Foot Release

Instructions:

• Place a massage ball on a floor.
• Place your foot on top of a massage ball.
• Apply an appropriate amount of your body weight on top of the massage ball.
• Make sure to cover the area between the 4th and the little toe.
• Roll your foot up and down.
• Continue for 1 minute.

10. Pinky Toe Stretch

It is recommended to stretch out the tight muscles that are pulling the pinky toe towards the inside.

Instructions:

• Pull your 4th and pinky toe away from each other.
• Aim to feel a stretch on the inside of the base of the pinky toe.
• Hold for 30 seconds.

11. Pinky Toe Abduction

This exercise involves moving your pinky toe towards the side.

This is to strengthen the muscle (called the Abductor Digiti Minimi) that is responsible for bringing the pinky toe into a more ideal position.

Instructions:

• Sit down on a chair.
• Move your pinky toe to the side.
• Perform 30 repetitions.

Note: If you are like most people, you probably won’t get the hang of this movement straight away. KEEP TRYING! (It gets easier!)

12. Heel raises

Do this: Stand on top of your tippy-toes.

… Does the outside ankle bone (Lateral Malleolus) flare out towards the side?

This position will place more pressure directly onto the side of the pinky toe.

It is important to learn how to perform a heel raise with your foot in a more neutral position.

Instructions:

• Stand up with your feet shoulder-width apart.
• Make sure that you are loading the big toe.
• Do not allow the majority of your weight to move towards the outer part of the foot.
• Lift your heels off the floor.
• Aim to keep a neutral alignment of the ankle.
• Perform 30 repetitions.
• Progression: Perform this exercise on one foot.

13. Pinky Toe Spread with stepping

If you suspect that the way that you are walking is contributing to the development of the Bunionette, you may need to consider modifying how you are taking a step.

Instructions:

• Spread your pinky toe to the side.
• Plant your foot onto the floor making sure the pinky is splayed out.
• Take a step whilst keeping your pinky toe splayed.
• Perform 30 repetitions.

14. Walk properly

As you are walking, the last thing that leaves the ground as you push forwards should be the big toe… and not the pinky toe.

If you keep pushing off the pinky toe side of the foot, this can cause a bump at the base of the pinky toe to form.

15. Wear a toe spacer

A toe spacer is an insert that is used to maintain a gap between your toes.

You can wear it barefoot or with shoes.

Recommendation: Start by wearing it for at least 1 hour a day. Over time, aim to increase the time wearing the toe spacer as tolerated.

16. Tape the pinky toe

Taping can help pull the pinky toe into a more optimal position.

Instructions:

Apply the tape to the:

• Inside surface of the base of the pinky toe.
• Loop around the tip of the pinky toe.
• Pull the tape outwards to place the pinky toe into a more neutral position.
• Anchor the tape to the outer side of the foot.

17. Wear a splint

Similarly to taping, wearing a splint can help pull the pinky toe into a more optimal position.

18. Address High Arches

Having high arched feet is where there is a significant gap between the medial border of the foot and the floor.

This foot posture can encourage the foot to load most of the body weight through the outer border of the foot.

I have a detailed guide on exactly how to address this issue:

See Post: Exercises for High Arches

Here are 3 exercises to get you started:

Mid Foot Mobilizations

Instructions:

• Sit down on a chair.
• Place your ankle on top of the other knee.
• Hold the midfoot with one hand.
• Using your other hand, place your thumb under the base of the big toe and the other fingers on top of the base of the pinky toe. (See image)
• Whilst anchoring the midfoot still, proceed to rotate the forefoot away from you.
• Perform 30 repetitions.

Plantar Stretch

Instructions:

• Kneel down on the floor.
• Make sure that the toes are bent backwards.
• Shift your body weight on top of your toes and forefoot.
• Aim to feel a stretch under the foot.
• Hold for 30 seconds.

Note: If you have knee issues, please be careful with the kneeling position.

Strengthen Peroneal Muscles

Instructions:

• Sit down on a chair.
• Straighten the legs.
• Point the foot forwards.
• Lift the outside of the foot towards the side.
• Aim to feel a muscular contraction on the outside of your shin.
• Perform 30 repetitions.

19. Bunionette Surgery

If you have noticed no improvements in your Tailor’s Bunion after persisting with the suggestions for at least 3-6 months, you may benefit from a specialist review to determine if surgery is appropriate for you.

Bunionette surgery may involve:

Keep in mind – Surgery should be an absolute last resort. It is not necessary for most of the time (especially if you do not have any pain associated with it).

Please invest a fair bit of time with the exercises to see what you can achieve before considering any surgical intervention.

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Conclusion

A Tailor’s Bunion is a bump at the base of the pinky toe. (It is also referred to as a Bunionette on the little toe.)

Try out the 19 recommendations mentioned on this blog post to address this issue.

Although surgery is usually not warranted for the vast majority of people, you may benefit from getting a review with a surgeon.

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Disclaimer: The content presented on this blog post is not medical advice and should not be treated as such. It is not intended to be used as a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis or treatment. Use of the content provided on this blog post is at your sole risk. Seek guidance from a healthcare professional before starting any exercise and/or implementing any recommendation. For more information: Medical Disclaimer.