Just as the season of first communions & confirmation ends and the wedding season begins no outfit is complete without “the HEELS!” Iv’e lost count of the amount of pressure relieving plasters, heel grips, blister plasters and band aids I have bought. in fact every “snazzy” clutch bag I own has some version of foot first aid in the bottom of it. It seems one doesn’t work without the other. Lets call it the accessory triad!!!
Snazzy Bag > Snazzy Shoes > Foot Plasters
Your feet are the base of your bodys movement and posture, so high heels can affect your entire skeleton. Ever wonder why your butt looks so good in heels? Wearing heels shifts your weight toward the balls of your feet so your back must hyper extend backward in order to maintain your balance. Wearing heels can contribute to bunions, hammer toes, Achilles tendon problems, knee pain, hip pain and back pain but lets not focus on the negative!!!!
What can we do to minimise our problems when style must prevail:
- Get your feet measured – it is amazing how many people don’t know their correct shoe size. We insist when buying shoes for children on having them measured correctly yet as adults we push in and trot around the shop without even considering it.
- Wear lower heels or wedges – higher the heel the greater the shift forward in weight so “come down an inch” or wear wedges – the platform reduces in incline. helping you balance and lessening the pressure on the ball of your foot.
- Opt for a wider toe – a narrow toe can cause pinching of the nerves between the toes.
- change the height of the heel you wear from day to day. Wearing heels the same height consistently contracts the Achilles tendon but by regularly switching you allow the tendon to stretch.
- Cap the time in heels – if all you can manage is “car to bar” you’ve got this one already!! But pay attention to the amount of time you spend in heels a good general cut odd is 3-4 hours. If you’re going to a wedding that gives you time for the ceremony, the reception and you can slip them off for the dancing!!!
“Fashions fade – style is eternal” – Yves Saint Laurent
