How To Wear High Heels Comfortably – There’s nothing like the big smile and feeling of confidence when you put on your brand new pair of heels for the first time. There’s also nothing quite like the existential dread you feel when you’re trudging around just an hour into the event wondering how on earth you’re going to survive the day in these shoes because your feet are already throbbing. How can you wear high heels without pain? Can you wear high heels comfortably? Is it a sorcery that only a few people possess? Can you train yourself to wear high heels?
Fear not! I have the answers for you! I will go over proven tips to reduce your foot pain and explain why you are experiencing this pain in the first place.
How To Wear High Heels Comfortably
Of course, this is a physical therapy blog, so our biased hope is that you stop wearing heals together and choose more comfortable shoes. But we know that’s not realistic for most people, so here are some proven and science-based tips to help you wear high heels comfortably.
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When you picture your favorite style in your mind, does the heel come straight down the back of the shoe? Or is the heel placed a little further inside? Take a look at these two different Jimmy Choo pumps:
In the first picture, you can see how the heel of the shoe is located further down compared to the other shoe. If you find that when you wear heels there is pain in the ball of the foot, podiatrist Abby Towfigh suggests choosing shoes with the heel placed further inside, such as the first photo.
This allows less pressure on the front of your foot and allows your heel to help do some of the work.
I’m sure this will come as no surprise, but choosing a heel height of 3 inches or lower will save your feet.
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Your typical walking pattern is heel-toe heel-toe, but when you wear high heels that go over 3 inches, you change the biomechanics of your walk, change your balance, and your feet want to switch toe-heel toe-heel for to keep you upright.
If your absolute favorite heels are over 3 inches, don’t worry! A shoemaker can reduce the heel height of most shoes by up to a full inch.
It’s important to note here that just because your heels are lower doesn’t mean your posture and gait haven’t changed. Take a look at this quick video below from the Musicians Health Collective to see how your posture changes even just standing still in 2 inch heels:
It’s not uncommon to hear someone warn you to stay away from pointed shoes and try a more rounded toe. While this makes sense in theory, in practice the shape of the toe may play a different role than you think.
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If you’re experiencing pain on the side of your foot either near your baby toe or your big toe (or ‘the bunion zone’), how high the vamp (the lip of the toe section) goes can actually play an important role. Make sure the vamp does not cut over or near the area where you typically experience irritation.
The insole of the shoe can also help you here. A leather insole is recommended so that it can better mold to your foot, just as the material in the lining and the outside of the shoe can also stretch around your foot.
How the toe shape can play an important role depends on how much of the toe box your foot takes up. If you have shorter toes, you may find that you have no problem wearing pointed shoes because your toes do not squeeze into the toe box. But if you have longer toes, you may find yourself avoiding pointy shoes altogether because the toe box isn’t big enough to accommodate your foot.
There is no true rule as to what type of shoe is best for your foot. The best unit of measurement is you! Let your feet tell you what’s more comfortable.
Ways To Wear High Heels Without Pain
The thinner the heel, the harder it is to balance. A simple way to think about your support is to start standing without shoes. Have your feet shoulder-width apart. Have someone give you a gentle push if you really want to test it. Then get down on all fours and have someone gently push you again. Now stand on one leg and try again.
Once you’ve done this, it’s easy to think of how a thicker heel can give you more balance than a stiletto!
Some people prefer to wear thicker socks with the heels around the house first to stretch your shoes out, some say to use a blow dryer on them before putting your feet in. The ice pack in the freezer trick is also popular!
Personally, I grew up with the sock trick, and if it didn’t work, my mom would back off:
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It looks like something you’d find in a want ad – and you’re right! You can actually buy them on Wish now. Your feet should be able to move in your shoes, so stretch them out if you need to.
If you watched the first video in this post, you’ll have heard about a few different types of shoe inserts you can use to minimize your foot pain. Remember that adding padding of any kind to a shoe will make the shoe fit tighter, so make sure you can still move your foot comfortably around in your shoe afterwards.
This may sound like an old wives tale or something that only happens when you have a broken toe, but there is actually science behind this!
“It is possible to minimize pain by hacking the science behind your body to work to your advantage.” podiatrist Joan Oloff
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“The metatarsals, or five long bones in the foot, end at the ball of the foot, and heels can cause pain at the ends of the bones more than flat shoes would. Additional pressure can also be placed on the toes, which tend to contract more when But a lot of the pain you feel comes from small intermetatarsal nerves that run between the bones of the foot itself, and when you wear heels, the nerves become irritated and enlarged.” “This causes a bursa to surround the nerve and fill up with inflammatory tissue, causing pain. The most common nerve that becomes irritated is the one that sits between the third and fourth toes, mainly because the toes spread apart as the tissues enlarge ,” Oloff said. “Because of this, taping one’s toes can take some pressure off the nerve and inflamed tissue.”
When you’re 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 at the event! Wear a pair of comfortable shoes to and from events to give your feet a break.
Also give your feet micro breaks during the day! If you like wearing heels to work, take them off while sitting at your desk, even if your feet don’t hurt yet. You can still wear heels to work and use them less – every little break helps!
It’s no secret that your risk of ankle sprains increases when you wear high heels. Additional problems with high heels include changing your foot and your gait, over stretching some muscles, shortening others resulting in pain in your knees, hips and back… we could go on.
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When you regularly wear heels, you can sprain the ligament under the proximal joint of your first toe, and it’s not uncommon for your Achilles tendon to thicken.
The thickening of a tendon may not sound like a bad thing, but let’s take a look
In a 2010 study, R. Csapo et al. found that the Achilles tendon is thicker and stiffer in women who frequently wear high heels. When comparing the actual length of the tendon with women choosing flats, the length of the tendon was often the same. The problem with this is that the Achilles tendon in women who wore heels did not stretch to account for the shortened calf muscle that regular high heel wear caused.
This resulted in pain when walking flat-footed as the calf muscles and Achilles tendon could no longer stretch properly.
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To avoid this problem, make sure you do regular stretches for everything from your toes to your knees! If you already experience a lot of pain when you walk, be sure to talk to your physical therapist to find out what stretches are best for you.
Call us at 519-895-2020 or use our online booking tool at www. to book an appointment with one of our knowledgeable Kitchener physiotherapists and they will be sure to help you understand your injury. This article was co-authored by Jordan Stolch. Jordan Stolch is an image strategist, style consultant and the founder of MiKADO – a concierge personal styling company. With more than ten years of experience, Jordan specializes in