STYLE MAKEOVER FOR BUNIONS

Jennifer Bailey, 39, a company director, lives in newton-leWillows, Merseyside, with her husband Gary, a sales director, and their daughters Charlotte, four, and emma, two. She developed Calla shoes after suffering with painful bunions. from £79, callashoes.co.uk

I FIRST suffered with bunions in my teens. By the time I hit my 30s, they were painful when I walked. I couldn’t wear certain shoes and if I chose style over comfort I found myself hobbling in pain — so I just gave up.

for a while I lived in trainers or UGG boots — not terribly attractive or professional.

researching with experienced fitters, podiatry experts and shoe designers, I created some shoes that could support and disguise bunions while still being stylish.

I also worked with an academic podiatrist from the University of salford, who helped to work out the space and dynamic of the design.

Many women with bunions opt for wide- fit shoes, but this doesn’t always support the foot in the way it needs. the shoes I create have been designed specifically to support the shape the foot takes when bunions develop.

they are wider than the average shoe and have more volume in the toe box. Also, I use soft leather for the best comfort and flexibility so they don’t rub.

Around ten million women in the UK suffer from bunions. I want to give them the freedom to wear shoes that complement their style without making their bunions worse — rather than giving them something that simply fits their feet.

EXPERT VERDICT: ‘the shoes are a brilliant concept,’ says Mike O’Neil, a podiatrist and spokesperson for the College of Podiatry.

‘You need width to take the pressure off the joint and reduce rubbing and pain, but many shoes will be wide in the wrong places.

‘these are wide just where they need to be — and they look nice, too.’