I love to wear bright colored, pretty high heels. If I am wearing one, somehow my body confidence increased by that much. I do feel stylish, feel taller, my short legs are flattered and overall it gives a chic appearance. High heels have been in fashion for many years and they can make or break an office outfit. It is said that heels can make a women look sexier and have more shapely legs but although this may be true to some extent, then there is nothing sexy about the long term damage that high heels can do to one! Most of my young slim friends who have narrow feet feel comfortable wearing high heels but for some they can be a hindrance causing aches and pains that often prevents them from wearing them more often or spoils a good night out.
I do know that many women choose to endure pain and discomfort in the name of style!! Some can’t even walk without wobbling in those heels but they will still wear them. Some people choose to endure pain and discomfort in the name of fashion ...... and underestimate the health risks of high-heeled shoes.
I am one of those unlucky ones who cannot wear high heels comfortably for more than 1 hour. As I grew older I learnt that high heels can be a potential damage to the back, legs and feet. Honestly, I feel ashamed that for many years I have been torturing my feet by forcing it into a painfully slanted forward position into narrow pointed high heels. My toes will also be scrunched together and bent in an upward position. The muscles and joints in my feet were therefore naturally affected, and over time this started to seriously damage my hamstring muscles in the back of my legs. And I developed bunions on my feet and a host of other foot ailments - from blisters, callous, corn to heel pain. I could wear dancing shoes for hours as they are athletic shoes designed to balance our weight properly and have built in supports and stay put on our feet. The only problem was I cannot wear them on the streets. A PR friend of mine suffers from a chronic lower back pain that came about when her spine bend backward to compensate the forward push of her body when she walked in heels for many years. She also suffers from occasional ankle sprains.
“Heels over two inches affect the natural way you walk and can put seven times the pressure on the ball of our feet and can harm the bones”, said my podiatrist many years ago.
I do agree with him. I realized that wearing shorter heels that are no higher than 2 inches considerably reduce the amount of pressure and pain. Using comfortable insoles and support cushions minimize discomfort. I cannot tolerate flat shoes as it makes me feel stumpy when I walk and posture wise, the 2 inches high heels are the best for me. I have started buying short, chunky heels with plenty of room for my toes. I find that lower heels give me more stability, better shock absorption and greater comfort. I also realized that wearing backless high heel shoes or sandals for a long period can cause muscle strain. A strap keeps my feet from sliding forward when I walk.
I no longer get carried away when I look at pretty high heeled shoes but have become the matured person who looks at my health, safety and comfort. Pretty shoes are nice to look at …..SIGH……….
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