I have bunions and hammertoes, on one side so badly that toe #2 lies over the top of my big toe. It's definitely hereditary; my mother had them as do two of my children. However, as long as I can find supportive footwear with a sufficiently wide and high toe box, I haven't had pain. The last podiatrist I consulted pointed out that foot surgery is painful and has a long recovery time. Even if I had it in October, I'd probably have to miss the next backpacking season or at least be limited to overnighters. I figure that as long as I can hike without pain, I'm not going to risk the surgery. At my age, the backpacking season I miss might just be my last one.

I've found that twice daily use of Body Glide takes care of the blister problem, as do socks without toe seams (the seams rub on the high point of the hammertoes).

However, we are each individuals, so I'd go with what works for you. If I were having pain, I'd have gone under the knife years ago!