Court, sling-backs, slip-ons or killer heels. How many shoes do you have?
Heels make us look attractive, give us more confidence, lengthen our legs and add inches to our height. They make us feel good but maybe not the same feeling reaches our feet! Many a time I have seen heels being carried alongside bare feet and blisters. I’ve noticed shoes bags squashed into oversized handbags and exchanged for the emergency flaties.
High heels are a fashion statement but killer heels can damage our toes, feet and body. There are 26 bones in the foot. These bones develop as we grow. Unsuitable footwear in younger days can lead to pain as we get older, possibly resulting in conditions such as bunions, hammertoes and shortened calf muscles.
When wearing heels there is more pressure on the ball of our feet and less under the heel and along the arch of the foot. High heels push the bodyweight forwards, forcing knees and hips to bend and the spine to curve causing some muscles to be overactive and others to weaken. Muscle imbalance can cause pain long-term in the lower limbs. Weight distribution in the knee alters moving pressure onto the kneecap which can lead to arthritis.
The natural curve of the spine is to act as a shock absorber. When walking in heels the bodyweight is tilted forwarded resulting in an altered alignment of the spine which causes impact on the lower back and sciatica in some cases.
So walk forward in heels with this knowledge in mind and avoid long term health issues.
Here are a few tips to help with those killer heels:
Buy heeled shoes in the afternoon when your feet are at their largest
Avoid pointed toed shoes to avoid crushing them
Choose leather soles to prevent the foot slipping forwards which then squashes the toes.
The higher the heel the more stress to the body. Try to avoid heels over 2inches. For example, 8cm heel causes an increase of 76% pressure on the forefoot
Avoid wearing heels all the time or standing in them for lengthy periods of time
Do some leg and calf muscle stretching exercises before and after wearing them
Flat shoes should be structured to give support. Ballet shoes maybe popular and fashionable but offer no support.
