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Background The aim of the study was to evaluate changes in plantar pressure distribution in feet affected by hallux valgus compared with their contralateral non-affected feet and with the feet of healthy control subjects. Methods Thirty-six patients with unilateral hallux valgus who were indicated for surgery and 30 healthy subjects were assessed on a pedobarographic instrumented treadmill for step length and width, mean stance phase, and plantar foot pressure distribution. Plantar pressure distribution was divided into eight regions. Results Significantly higher plantar pressures were observed in hallux valgus feet under the second and third metatarsal heads ( p = .033) and the fourth and fifth toes ( p < .001) than in the healthy control feet. Although decreased pressures were measured under the hallux in affected feet (197 [82–467] kPa) in contrast to the contralateral side (221 [89–514] kPa), this difference failed to reach statistical significance ( p = .055). The gait parameters step width, step length, and single-limb support did not show any differences between hallux valgus and control feet. Conclusion Although the literature on changes in plantar pressures in hallux valgus remains divided, our findings on transferring load from the painful medial to the central and lateral forefoot region are consistent with the development of transfer metatarsalgia in patients with hallux valgus. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12891-019-2531-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.