Ball of foot under 2nd toe, feel knot when i walk without shoes. no pain yet just uncomfortable. not as noticeable with shoes on.

Sounds like .....: Irritation of the head of the 2nd metatarsal. Wearing heels will make this worse. Try wearing flats or sports shoes only, even around the house. Do this for about 4-6 wks. If it gets better you can very occasionally wear max 2" heels & consider putting a metatarsal pad (at drugstores) inside your heels to cushion the ball of the foot. You may need to see a podiatrist.