I wasn't allowed to wear heels until I was 18. But once that happened, I quickly made up for lost time! By the time I was 20, working as a customer service representative at a bank, I had become accustomed to wearing 3" to 4" heels all day, every day.
I think that all women agree that wearing heels can be challenging! Sore feet are definitely not ideal. But many women still wear heels on a daily basis. They do look elegant, and heels can totally take an outfit to the next level. But it sucks to be in excruciating pain before you've even made it to work or an event.
A few tips for my heels-wearing sisters, many of which I consolidated here from the Internet, and a few that I've added on my own.
Exercise, exercise, exercise! Wearing heels means we have to use muscles in our feet and legs we didn't know we had. YouTube is full of examples of such exercises. I take 5 minutes every morning and evening to do my kegel exercises, which is also when I do my heels exercises. I particularly like "The 7 Exercises for Women Who Wear Heels",from Women's Health, https://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/a20702994/heel-pain-exercises/ , "3 Exercises for High Heel Lovers" from Texas Orthropedics, https://www.txortho.com/3-exercises-for-high-heel-lovers/, "3 Exercises Haigh Heel Lovers Should Do to Avoid Foot Pain" from Health, https://www.health.com/fitness/high-heel-foot-Important, and "Exercises Every High-Heel Wearer Should Do", from Prevention, https://www.prevention.com/fitness/workouts/a20449010/how-to-prevent-high-heel-injuries/.
Buy the Right Size. Feet tendto swell when you're wearing shoes for an extended period of time. If heels are overly snug to begin with, then you'll surely be in trouble after a few hours of wearing them; the last thing you want are ingrown toe nails or bunions.
Choose a Bit of Platform. Those skinny summer stilettos may look like dreamy, but it's important to be realistic about what kind of heel has all-day potential. A thin sole will most likely cause pain for the bottom of your foot. Look for something with some rubber on the bottom to provide a bit of a buffer. A heel that has a bit of a platform in the front is ideal; it reduces the incline of your foot, making things more comfortable all around.
Add more cushion. Inserts can be your best friend. Your feet will thank you!
Pads for the heels, balls of the feet, and heel liners (left column, top to bottom), as well as insole liners (right column) can be your savior when your heels don't fit perfectly. They can provide for shock absorption, especially when the manufacturer didn't put enough cushioning in the shoe. Especially with heel liners when wearing pumps, since it's so hard to get pumps that fit perfectly, particularly in the back, which will prevent slippage, and rubbing at the back of the foot.
Lead With Your Thighs. When you walk, lead with your thighs, moving your entire leg forward at once. We've been all our lives used to letting our feet lead. It takes practice, but you'll find yourself putting less pressure on the ball of your foot this way. And remember: Move your legs from the hips and keep your legs straight. Bending knees looks goofy with heels. We don't really walk in heels; we strut. By all means, let the hips swivel a bit!
Take Breaks. Whether we're in heels or flats, being on our feet for an extended period of time hurts your feet, no matter what. Take turns standing and sitting over the course of a day or an evening in heels. Don't be afraid to slip them off for a bit.
Go Wedge. The narrower the heel, the greater the pain. So go for a chunkier heel or a wedge. Not the chicest of heels, but wedges do provide substantial support for the feet. The broader the heel, if it’s chunky or a wedge, gives the heel a wider base of stability. A skinnier heel allows for more ankle spraining."
Break-in with a Shoe Stretcher. Break in your new pair with a shoe stretcher, which will stretch out the width of those pumps.
Check the Heel Placement. Choose your heels with heels of the shoes directly under the center of your foot's heel (right), not at the very back of the shoe (left). This is not so necessary with very high heels, where most of your weight is on the balls of the feet already.
Go Strappy! Heels are more comfortable to walk in when you get a little extra support from straps, like Mary Janes, gladiators, or T-straps. It's sometimes hard to get pumps to fit perfectly. But by going strappy, the heels are more like a part of the feet, and not just something that the feet happen to be wearing. Perfect fit is a must!
Want to go higher? Choose more Platform! Even for the most experienced women in heels, wearing platforms takes some getting used to. After not wearing heels for over 10 years, I am now wearing them again. It took six months to learn to wear them again. As I tried platforms, I realized that it would be like learning to wear heels a second time. Three months later I'm almost there. The biggest challenge for me was keeping my balance because the soles of my feet were no longer so close to the ground. Once a woman has learned to wear platforms, she will consider them her best friend when it comes time to wear heels. The pictures below show how.
In the picture to the left, the woman on the left side is wearing 14cm heels with normal soles. On the right side, the other woman is also wearing 14cm heels, but, with a 4cm platform. The instep of the woman wearing heels with normal soles is a very unnatural almost vertical, while the instep of the woman wearing platform heels is much closer to a natural angle, even though the heels themselves are the same height. What the image doesn't show is that the arch of the foot without platforms is more unnaturally curved, but the arch with platforms is not as unnaturally curved. The feet that are on a 14cm pair of non-platform heels know they are on 14cm heels, but the feet that are on heels with a 4cm platform think they are on a much more manageable 10cm pair of heels!
In the picture to the right, the woman on the left side is wearing 10cm heels with normal soles. The woman on the right side is wearing 16cm heels, with a 4cm platform. The insteps of both women are about the same; not an unnatural almost vertical, but closer to a natural angle. Both pair of feet feel like they are on managable 10cm heels, even though the woman on the right is actually wearing a much more empowering 16cm pair of heels!
Another note about platforms; please see the x-ray. Both shoes have approx. 14cm heels. The left shoe has no platform, the right shoe has a 4cm high platform. The instep of the woman wearing platform heels is almost vertical, very unnatural, while the instep of the woman wearing platform heels is much closer to a natural angle, even though the heels themselves are the same height. Also, the arch of the foot wearing non-platform heels is clearly more unnaturally curved, but the arch of the foot wearing platform heels is not so unnaturally curved. This means that the woman's entire weight is on the balls of her feet when wearing non-platform heels, but the weight of the woman wearing platform heels is distributed more evenly between the balls and heels of their feet; Even though she wears 14 cm heels, it feels more like wearing 10 cm heels!
Quick note regarding very high heels. If you choose them, they'll be much easier to fit if they're Mary Janes, slingbacks, T-straps, or ankle straps. If you choose closed-back pumps, you'll need to make sure that they're absolutely snug; not too tight, not too loose. Don't forget that your feet swell up during the day. I recommend when you buy closed-back pumps that you decide when you buy them, if you're going to wear them with hose or barefoot, and fit them accordingly.
Walk Heel to Toe - not toe to heel. The easiest way to look like an amateur in heels is to put your whole foot down at once as if you’re wearing flats. When wearing heels, put your heel down first, followed by your toe. This will make your walk look more natural.
Take Small Steps. Walking quickly in heels ends up looking awkward. Between the smaller steps and the compromised balance, it’s best to take your time when wearing heels. Further, walking slowly gives off an air of confidence. Your stride should be i than normal, so you’ll have to take an increased number of small steps to go the same distance. Baby steps are not recommend, nor are taking your usual long strides as you do when wearing flats.
Buy your heels at the End of the Day. Do your shopping at the end of the day when your feet are more swollen.
Chunkier heel. The skinnier the heel, the harder it is to balance. Try standing with no shoes on. Have your feet shoulder-width apart. Have someone give you a gentle push if you’d like to really test it. Now, go down on all fours, and have someone gently push you again. Now, stand on one foot and try again. Now, it's easy to think of how a thicker and broader heel can give you more balance than a stiletto!
Wear them Less. When you are going to a wedding or work and you have the perfect pair of heels to wear, don’t put them on until you actually arrive. Wear a comfortable pair of flats to and from events to give your feet a break. Give your feet micro breaks during the day as well! If you like to wear heels to work, take them off while you sit at your desk, even if your feet don’t hurt yet. You can still wear heels to work and wear them less – every little break helps!
Stretch Your Feet After You Take Your Shoes Off. Stretches that you’ll want to do are the stretches that will target the front of the foot and ankle, like pointing your toes down, and pulling your toes up with a strap to get the Achilles’ tendon and the calf muscles. And then side to side to get to the instep and the outside of the foot.
Try a high heel with more coverage on top The more coverage you have on the top of your foot, the better. Sometimes high-heeled boots are actually something you can wear all day and they don’t bother your feet as much. In the summer, you can try something with an ankle strap or a big wide strap across the top. If you’re prone to blisters and friction, you might want to try that style, something that covers more of the top of your foot.
Pumps don't fit perfectly in the back? Consider Instant Shoe Heel Straps. California based Axelwear offers such straps in a variety of colors, which will quickly and easily convert your loose pumps into a snugly fitting pair of Mary Janes. They're very reasonably priced, too!
