High heels are viewed as the epitome of style, elegance, and grandeur by most women. However, what they don’t realize is the amount of damage they expose their feet to when wearing such shoes.
Here we will highlight some harms of high heels:
- Wearing high heels shifts the weight of the entire body onto the balls of the feet. Due to excessive stress, they become prone to swelling and pain. One cause for this condition is sesamoiditis.
- Heels with restrictive toe space end up cramming the toes together, leading to the development of bunions and hammertoes.
- Extended periods of wearing high heels could damage your Achilles tendon by shortening it. This causes extra stress on leg muscles as they become overly stretched and can make walking excruciatingly painful.
- A slight imbalance or unexpected trip could lead to painful sprains and even bone fractures.
Luckily, you can still wear these beauties if you adopt a few precautionary measures:
- Shorten the heel size: wearing a two-inch heel instead of a four or six significantly minimizes your exposure to falls and trips.
- Avoid stick-thin heel types: broader heel types like “wedges” distribute weight more evenly on your feet and save them from excessive stress.
- Use shoe inserts: pads and orthotic inserts are helpful in providing support and relief to your foot’s pressure points.
- Wear high heels for shorter durations: If you have a busy day that will keep you up and about on your toes, it is better to avoid wearing heels on such days. Switching between heels and flats also eases the stress on your feet.
- Flexing your ankles and feet, along with mild exercises, is good for the overall health of your feet.
In case of any discomfort or pain in your feet, we at Joseph Stuto, DPM, suggest that you consult a podiatrist right away. Call us at our offices conveniently located in Brooklyn Heights (718) 624-7537 and Brooklyn (718) 567-1403 to schedule an appointment with our board-certified podiatrist Dr. Joseph Stuto for a thorough examination, treatment, and relief.