There’s no better feeling than finally taking off those high heels after a long day or night on your feet – are we right? For many women, wearing high heels epitomises the expression, ‘beauty is pain’. They can be uncomfortable, unstable, can rub in all the wrong places and cause far too many ‘ouch!’ moments.
As podiatrists that are dedicated to caring for your foot health, we thought we’d help by sharing seven ways that you can feel more comfortable in your high heels – starting today.
1. Choose Heels That Strap The Foot In
The moment you step into your shoe, it becomes the ground you walk on and an extension of your foot. Choosing heels with straps or other locking mechanisms that help secure the heel to your foot will do more than prevent your heel slipping out of the shoe. It also prevents your toes from tirelessly (and sometimes painfully) splaying and gripping the shoe to provide more stability with every step.
2. Materials Matter
In our eyes, choosing good materials may be even better than choosing certain brands, so select those that allow some give and accommodate your feet, like leather. Wear your new heels in around the house, protecting the areas that feel tight or under pressure (and hence may be vulnerable to pain, corns, calluses and blisters) with padding until you’ve worn them in.
3. Buy Your Heels In The Evening
Next time you’re in the market for a pair of high heels, make your purchase in the afternoon or evening. As your feet swell and get a little bigger as you move from morning to evening, purchasing heels that fit your afternoon foot size can help prevent blisters, rubbing, foot pain and cramps.
4. Choose Wider Heels
If you’ve ever thought your narrow stiletto heels felt less comfortable compared to your wider heels – you’d be right! The more surface area your heels have (the amount that comes into contact with the ground), the more likely you are to feel comfortable for longer. You’ll also feel more stable and less likely to fall, twist your ankle, or hurt yourself.
5. Use Slimline Orthotics
One of the best ways to add comfort to any shoe is having the foot and arch well supported with orthotics. Our slimline orthotics are created from a 3D scan of your feet and can be 3D-printed from a light, thin and durable material.
The height of your heels is incorporated into the design of the orthotics and you can move them from shoe to shoe, as long as the shoe can secure and accommodate the orthotic.
To learn more about orthotics and the other benefits they have for your feet, click here.
6. If You Can’t Wear Orthotics, Opt For A Pad
As open heels may not be able to support orthotics, use gel pads beneath the ball of your foot to help redistribute your pressure and help reduce your pain and pressure on the joints and bones in your feet.
7. Finally… Treat Any Existing Pain Or Niggles!
If you already feel some discomfort or pain in your feet, even if it’s a niggle, you can almost be certain that wearing high heels will make the pain worse. Sometimes, this may even result in an already tender area becoming injured and swollen – like with plantar fasciitis, heel spurs or bursitis.
To treat these problems and help prevent them from becoming worse, see your My FootDr podiatrist. With 80 clinics across Australia, our podiatrists are qualified to diagnose and treat a variety of problems with the feet and legs – many of which can start with wearing high heels.
You can book online here or call us on 1800 FOOTDR
