We don’t know about you but we spend the majority of our time in flats (usually running after a small child with untied laces or darting around the supermarket in 20 minutes).
At this time of year however, heels can be necessary, which is precisely why we have put together some of the tips and secrets that we’ve heard in relation to wearing heels.
Now we’re not promising that you won’t get sore feet or that these will have you walking gracefully in heels, but they might ease your tootsies a little!
Mix it up
While two inches is said to be the perfect height – well that’s what Chiropodist Stephen Hartman told Best Health – the real secret is wearing a variety of shoes both from day to day and throughout the day. Higher heels will push you forward this putting pressure on your back, hips and knees so it’s important that you wear them in moderation. Wearing flats all the time also has drawbacks as your arches will get used to this shape and become very flat.
Keep it cool
Meghan Cleary, author of Shoe Are You? recently told Who What Wear that running your feet under cold water and then applying hand lotion to them while they’re still damp is the key to wearing stilettos. It is claimed that the hand lotion seals in the moisture of the cold water thus lubricating against any sore areas.
Bigger is better
Chunkier heels distribute your weight more evenly therefore reducing the pressure on certain parts of your feet while platforms also cushion the impact. In other words, they are easier to wear and walk in. It might also be an idea to go for a wider shoe. Heels inevitably push your feet forwards so if the front of the shoe is narrow, it will increase pressure (and pain).
Practice makes perfect
For the aforementioned reasons, podiatrist Margaret Dobbs said to Marie Claire that training your feet to wear heels is the only way to walk more comfortably in them. If you wear heels more regularly, your arch support will be built up, allowing you to walk in them with greater ease. We better get training then!
