10 Ways To Reduce Pain When Wearing High Heels
Reduce Pain When Wearing High Heels
Whether you wear high heels on the regular or once in the blue moon, there’s no doubt that you’ve been subjected to an uncomfortable pair in your time. That’s just the price we pay for fashion, right?
Wrong.
No matter how beautiful a pair of shoes might be, under no circumstances should they be causing you constant pain. If they do, we hate to break it to you, but they’re simply not the shoes for you, cinders. This is something you don’t want to be facing on your wedding day in your brand new bridal shoes. So hear us out!
We understand that if you’ve fallen in love with a pair of killer heels, you might not be ready to bid them farewell just yet, so you’ll be glad to know there are a number of tips and tricks you can try to reduce any pain you might experience. In our latest post, we’re revealing 10 of our top tips so you can strut around in your favorite heels without having to hide that look of discomfort on your face.
1. Make Sure You Get The Right Size
As simple as this might sound, this can often be a culprit for unnecessary pain when it comes to your favorite pair of high heels. If your shoes are too big, they’ll rub which will cause blisters, and if you’re cramming your feet into shoes that are half a size too small or too narrow, it can be seriously damaging in the long run.
2. Break Them In
Even if you try a pair of shoes on and they fit like a glove, you’ll still need to break them in before you wear them for a night out on the town. You can break your high heels in by wearing them around the house with a pair of socks on or use a shoe stretcher.
3. Pay A Little More For Leather
With high heels, one of the best materials to choose is leather. When shoes are made from leather than synthetic textiles, they can stretch easily and take the shape of your foot, ultimately giving you more support and comfort.
4. Invest In A Pair Of Insoles
Just in case you didn’t already know, you can buy high heel insoles that will more than likely change your life (not to be dramatic). Walking in heels becomes significantly less painful if the insole is well-cushioned. A decent insole will absorb the sock in the ball area and provide an extra layer of comfort that you will be thankful for come the end of the day, or night.
5. Shorten The Heel Height
Although you should probably buy shoes that have a comfortable heel height to walk in from the offset, if you’ve found your favorite pair of shoes are a little too high for you, not all is lost. You can take your shoes into a repair store and have the heel height reduced. Typically, they will usually shave off less than 1 inch to maintain the style of the shoe, but that small amount could make more difference than you might think.
6. Correct Your Posture
Ensuring that you’re walking with the correct posture can help to minimize any pain you might feel, not just in your feet, but on your joints and muscles too. When you’re strutting your stuff in a pair of high heels you need to stand up straight, work your core muscles, and land on the outer border of the heel and toe-off which each step. It’s not as difficult as it might sound, with a bit of practice it will become second nature. Even if you don’t wear heels often, you should definitely spend a little bit of time perfecting your stance and walk.
7. Take Steps To Prevent Blisters
Even if your shoes fit well, you might not be totally clear of blisters, particularly if you wear high heels every day. You can wave goodbye to blisters by using blister pads or a makeshift version. If you don’t want to risk people catching a glimpse of your blister pad, you can rub deodorant on the backs and sides of your foot to act as a barrier and prevent any friction.
8. Change Up Your Footwear
Wearing high heels strictly for occasional nights out won’t cause any long-term damage to your feet, but if you’re enduring uncomfortable heels daily, it’s advisable to give your feet some breaks. If you can, you should change your shoes throughout the day where possible to give your feet a chance to take a break, even just slipping your shoes off underneath your desk when you can, will help.
9. Tape Your Toes
If you often experience a pinching pain on your toes, it might be because your shoes are not wide enough for your feet, so they’re probably not the best choice for you. However, if this is a common problem with all your high heels, you can try taping your toes. Taping your third and fourth toe to each other can take the pressure off the ball of your foot, which can help to ease any pain. Be sure to use medical tape to do so in order to prevent any numbness or cramping that could occur.
10. Opt For A Platform Heel
If the primary reason that you wear heels is to add some extra inches to your height, you should switch to platforms where possible. A platform heel is designed to ease off some of the body weight pressure from the heel and distribute it into the ball of your foot. Generally, the higher the platform height, the more comfortable a pair of shoes will be.
Despite the style conscious often using the phrase ‘no pain, no gain’, we don’t think causing any long- term damage to your feet in favor of fashion is the way forward. Be sure to try out these handy tips in a bid for comfier high heels, but if they’re still not working out for you, it might be time to invest in a new pair high heels, or maybe even flats.
