High heels: lovely means of seduction or cause of suffering?

A woman can hardly resist their charm. She sees them, falls in love with them. She wants them and finally buy them magically forgetting about all the pain she might go through during an evening when she would give anything to have a pair of flats on her feet.

It doesn’t matter what kind of shoes are you wearing: comfort is essential.  Regardless if they are high, flat, sporty or elegant, shoes must be comfortable since the first time you try them on.

Find your ideal heel

However we have to take account of some things. Not every woman is made to wear heels or the same type of heel. Some women are used to wearing ultra high heels for a half day, some others can’t even handle wearing 8 cm high heels. The truth is that not everyone can wear stilettos, but this is not a good reason forgoing the pleasure of feeling more slender and feminine.

If you are not really used to wearing high heels, just start with a medium high heel of  5/6 cm and choose shoes with a wider heel. It will be easier to walk in these ones. You will have the same affect: tapering slender legs, but with much less pain.  The wide heel helps to distribute the body’s weight along the feet and generally allows the body to maintain correct posture.

Platform shoes can often come to your rescue.  The platform on the front side gives you (and your feet) a huge relief since it lessens the weight that your feet bear.

Some useful tips

There aresome helpful tips to spare you any unnecessary suffering, from someold home remedies to a few tricks that come straight from the catwalks.

• NEVER buy oversized shoes!  

The first suggestion is to pick shoes in the right size. Do not kid yourselves! If they don’t, they’ll never fit. They will not follow the shape of your foot if they are too tight or,even worse, you will not find a remedy if they are too loose. Shoes have to fit perfectly. If they are too loose can allow your foot to slide downwards and cause constriction and excessive pressure on your toe-ends.

• Make practice at home

Avoid wearing your brand new shoes  for the first time to a special event. You might have bought them just for this special occasion but in the middle of the evening you will be sitting in a corner because of your sore feet. Start putting them on a few days before the event and walk around your house for a half-hour each day. Allow your feet to get used to them. You will find yourself more comfortable to wear your new shoes.

• Move around!

Standing up without moving for too long can cause you pain. We suggest you to walk around for short distances, even in a room, in case you are indoors.

• Long live Oxford heels!

Ankle shoes are certainly more comfortable and so less painful than other heeled ones. Oxford heels are an excellent compromise that will make you have a flawless outfit without renouncing the femininity of high heel shoes If the upper part of the shoe embraces your ankle and foot will also follows the foot movement.

• Slim gel cushions

There are many types of feet gel cushions available on the market today and they can really be a lifesaver. They have to be placed in those areas where shoes cause pressure or friction and as they are clear and discreet simply fit perfectly into the shoe. The gel help to soften the impact when the feet hit the ground preventing that annoying pain under the ball of the foot.

• Tape your toes together

I know… It sounds weird but this is a real catwalk tip which has saved hundreds of fashion models who must wear vertiginous spike-heels for long hours.

Taping together (with a tape as the surgical one) the third and fourth toes of each foot alleviates the pressure on the between these two toes.  This is a useful trick that really works, however strange that may seem, by preventing or at least delaying and making more bearable the pain spreading from the toes to the ball of the foot.

• When it is too late…

If the damage is done, you just have to go home and take care of your feet. Take (finally) your shoes off e sit massaging the ball of your feet with a mixture of honey and cooking salt. This natural scrub will exfoliate the first layer of your sore skin leaving your feet refreshed.

Looking beautiful…

… is not necessarily hard work! Choose your shoes carefully: beautiful but comfortable too! Replace them when you notice signs of wear and, above all, don’t overuse them.

High heels can add colour even to a casual outfit, but avoid wearing them every day. High heels should just be used during special occasions preferring firmer and wider heels for the daily use. Your feet will be grateful!

Here’s a curiosity for you: Some experts of the Institute of Physics of London have created a formula able to find the ideal heels height.

Height = Q· [12 + (3s/8)]

It’s actually much easier than you might think. Just multiply the height by Q, the sociological factor, representing a result of several values, namely: the probability that the heel will give you that desired WOW-effect, the numbers of years spent by wearing heels, the shoes’ price,  how much are trendy your shoes and how much are you going to drink during the evening 😀

Q stands then for “quantify the risks of wearing high heels during a social event”. We don’t know if scientists are well versed in fashion trends, but this formula may be helpful someday!