Podiatrists like myself certainly don’t suggest wearing high heels on a regular basis, but we all know you wear them anyways, so try these 4 tips to feel less pain when you’re tottering around in those stilettos. Your feet will thank you for listening!
Spread Out
While the APMA-recommended heel height is, officially, just 2 inches, you can raise that when you opt for a wedge or platform shoe, since the pressure of your body weight gets distributed over a wider area of the foot.
Embrace Change
Swapping shoes as often as three times a day will help keep your feet from molding to one specific, painful, shoe shape. Start out pointy and end with rounded toes; begin at 3 inch heels and work your way down to a lower height. The key is to keep your foot from getting stuck in one place for an extended period of time.
Feel Your Pain
If a pair of shoes makes your foot hurt, ditch it ASAP. Shoe-induced tingling or numbness are bad signs too. Don’t hope the pain will go away…just choose another pair, or risk doing some serious damage.
Work it Out
Strengthen your feet, ankles, and lower legs flexible with toe grip exercises and calf stretches to counteract the damage tight-toed or sharp-heeled shoes can inflict.
Bottom line: wearing heels will never be great for your feet, but since you’re all going to buy them anyways, you may as well be smart about how you pull off wearing your sky-high shoes! If your feet keep giving you trouble no matter what you try, contact Dr. Andrew Schneider for an immediate appointment to find out what you can do about it.
