High heels are a staple item in fashion globally. Whether you’re power dressing for work or business, dancing the tango, or dressing up for a wedding or special event, there’s no doubt, high heels can elevate your look and your self-confidence. While we may be prepared to experience some degree of occasional discomfort for the sake of fashion or influence, it’s important to consider are high heels damaging your feet?
The unfortunate answer is yes, wearing high heels can damage your feet. The good news is there are choices and professional guidance available to reduce the damage from wearing high heel shoes. In this article, we’ll learn the signs to look for if your high heels are doing more harm than good.
Benefits of Wearing High Heels?
Wearing high heels visually changes the appearance of the person wearing them. Not only do they appear taller, but their legs appear longer and more toned. The wearer may hold themselves differently with more poise and intentional posture. These are all positives, but what do those changes mean for our feet and body?
How High Heels Affect Your Feet
In simple terms, wearing high heels changes the distribution of weight and force on the feet. This can cause extra pressure on the balls of the feet, muscle fatigue, toes being compressed into too small an area, and insufficient ankle support.
Regular use of high heels can result in both skin surface issues such as blisters, callouses, and corns, as well as structural problems including deformities like bunions and hammer toes. These issues can be painful and are a clear indicator your feet need some professional care.
Other ways high heels can lead to harm is by affecting the wearer’s balance, potentially increasing risk of falls. Even without a fall, prolonged use of high heels can change a person’s centre of mass (COM). When this happens, so as not to fall over, the wearer may make adaptations to their posture including pelvis rotation which can cause pain and offset other biomechanical changes.
Are all High Heels Bad for Your Feet?
It’s important to note, that not all high heels will have the same effect on your feet and body mechanics. The design and quality of footwear, be it high heels or flats will have an impact on the comfort of the wearer. According to US research, there are factors that can vary the impact high heel shoes have on your body. These include:
- The type of foot bed in the shoe. According to a scientific report in the US National Library of Medicine, Good shoe bed design is believed to be crucial for reducing discomfort, fatigue and pain.
- The height of the heel. 7.5 cm heel height has been shown to be the height at which pain consistently occurs. So, a lower heel height may cause less problems.
- Length of time wearing the high heels. The same research paper outlines that shorter periods of time wearing high heels result in less discomfort. When high heels are worn for more than 3.5 hours, pain was found to be higher in all parts of the body recorded from the feet, ankles, knees, hips, and back.
Foot Care for High Heel Shoe Wearers
Those ‘killer heels’ may look great in the shop window, but making informed choices about your footwear begins with understanding your own feet, and the mechanics of your body. The Royal College of Podiatry explains ‘that there are many ways your podiatrist can help you ease the pressure on affected joints and therefore reduce pain and inconvenience’. Knowing what your individual foot and ankle support needs are will help you choose shoes that not only look great but feel great too.
An appointment with an experienced chiropodists in one of our London foot clinics is a great way to assess what your feet need for you to look and feel comfortable and confident putting your best foot forward.
Contact Feet by Pody to Ease the Impact of High Heels Today
Schedule an appointment with Feet by Pody today to ease your body and mind around how to best care for your feet when wearing high heels.