The most obvious symptom of a bunion is the growth that forms at the base of your big toe. You can usually see and feel the bony bump. A bunion can cause other symptoms, including: Pain or stiffness in your big toe. Swelling. Discoloration or redness. An inability to move or bend your big toe (you might feel pain or a burning feeling when you bend your toe). Difficulty wearing certain types of shoes, or pain that gets worse when you’re wearing shoes. Corns or calluses (thickened skin). Hammertoes (painful, tight toe tendons and joints). Numbness in or around your big toe.