High heels add a touch of elegance and class for its wearer, but all good temptations come with a price. From heel pain to tired calves, to ingrown toe nails and ugly bunions, the foot has been a casualty when ladies squeeze their feet into 4 inch stilettos. Before we hang up out high heels and swear off them forever, I’ve compiled a list of Q & A to help you make an smart decision in choosing high heeled shoes. So you get to have your cake and eat it too….
What is the maximum safe height of heels before there is a risk of damage such as bunions, hammer toes, neuromas, metatarsalgia, Achilles tendonitis, ingrown toenails, and corn and calluses?
Heels should not be more than 1 inch in height. Our feet are made to walk on flat relatively flat surfaces. Wearing high heels shifts the weight of the body to the forefoot. E.g. 70% of our body weight is on the forefoot when wearing 3 inch heels as compared to 20% when wearing 1 inch heels. This leads to a variety of foot problems e.g. bunions, metatarsalgia ( forefoot pain ) , heel and arch pain, Achilles tendonitis.
What treatments do you offer for such damage cause by high heels?
For bunions, hammer toes, neuromas, metatarsalgia, Achilles tendonitis, ingrown toenails, switch to lower heels with wider toe boxes ( Mary Jane type shoes ) until the foot injury recovers.
To prevent calluses, use footwear with lower heels, broader toe boxes, insoles prescribed by our podiatrist to redistribute the pressures under your foot effectively
To prevent cracked heels, use a pumice stone to remove dead skin cells alternate days. Moisturise immediately after. Wear stockings to retain moisture if you are always in an air-conditioned environment.
To prevent blisters, never wear new shoes for more than 1 hour in the beginning as shoes are not yet worn in and may cause blisters.
What do high heels do to our feet, posture and biomechanics of the human body?
Wearing heels also shifts the centre of gravity forwards – the pelvis is tilted forwards, and the shoulders have to be held back to prevent the lady from falling forwards. This gives a lady a very straight sexy posture but in the long run, will cause knee and lower back pain.
What are the most important steps to take when buying, looking for, considering, wearing high heels? (you can give as many important steps as possible)
Toe box should be wide enough to accommodate the widest part of the foot comfortably.
Avoid heels with only a strap across the forefoot. Choose one with at least straps around the ankles too. Slim kitty heels usually provide little stability. Go for broader heels or wedges.
What are the dangers for women in the 25-35 year-old age range? Are this group especially vulnerable or resistant to the negatives of high heels?
4 inch stilettos are bad for your feet regardless of how old you are. The best thing to do is to minimise the time you spend in these shoes. One good practice, if your working lifestyle permits, is to have a good comfortable pair of shoes to wear while commuting to and from work, and while in office. Leave your heels in the office and use them only when you need to meet clients or for formal meetings.
Is there a difference for office high heels and party/club high heels?
What statistics do you have in terms of damage done, diseases caused, cost of medical bills caused by high heels.
Some problems are not purely from high heels alone but could be also stemmed from a pre-disposing problem such as flat feet. As such, it is hard to isolate damage, disease etc to be only caused by the use of high heels. Most injuries recover once the wearer changes footwear.
What styles/types/designs of high heels are best and which are worst?
Better
1 inch heel closed leather court shoe, Mary Jane design
Bad
High heeled slippers with only a strap across the forefoot. Kitty heels
What treatments can you do to repair the damage from high heels?
Quick fix
Have a spare pair of comfortable shoes in the car or office to change into. Have plasters in your handbag in case blister breaks, insoles and paddings are also available at most pharmacies
Long term
If foot pain persists, a visit to the podiatrist will enable you to understand your foot type and walking pattern. Your podiatrist will then discuss with you the type of footwear and/ or insoles that are suitable for you and what are not. He/ she may also prescribe for you some simple foot exercises and stretches that you can do at home to help alleviate the foot pain.
What case studies do you have of people affected by high heels?
Do you have drastic studies such as not being able to walk, surgery etc and ones that turn out better such as good ending stories? From your own personal experiences/patients?
It is hard to say that a certain injury is caused only by high heels as most injuries are multi-factorial.
The most common injury that requires surgery would be a bunionectomy, may be better to speak to an orthopaedic doctor about this regarding to costs, recovery time etc.