High heels are things that we love, but also love to hate. When flats came into the mainline fashion industry I have to say I was overjoyed! Thank goodness I can look pretty or put together without the struggle with high heels. Unfortunately, as most shoe shoppers do, I have bought plenty of high heels on clearance because they are so gorgeous and make your legs look built better. The heels give them that extra curve appeal, but I often wish I could get that curve appeal and enjoy the beautiful shoes I own without getting cuts, blisters, or the annoying numb toe feeling. You know what I’m talking about here! So how can you have the glam without the horrible effects of heels? Turns out there are several tips and tricks for keeping your feet comfy while you’re in your sexy looking heels.
Deodorant is actually a great way to prevent chaffing on your precious feet. Have you ever worn heels and the top area or heel have chaffed your feet? Well by putting a little deodorant or baby powder in your shoes you can wear them comfortably without the pain. Just apply a small amount over the problem areas and there you have it! Painless heel wearing feet.
When you’re in the store and see a pair of adorable high heels see if they have adjustable straps or buckles. By buying heels with adjustable straps or buckles you can adjust the straps to you. So if your feet get a little bloated after a night of dancing you can easily adjust them to fit looser. This will help you avoid discomfort, rubbing, and blisters.
Is there a cobbler in the house? And no I don’t mean a peach cobbler or the movie the Princess and the Cobbler. I mean an actual person who fixes and makes shoes. Why is this so important? Well, being a cobbler is a lost art for one, so if you find a cobbler keep him on speed dial, but two your shoes or heels will wear down the more you wear them. Sometimes that’s what is the cause of your discomfort or painful issues with high heels. A cobbler can easily fix these problem areas in the shoes and add padding to the bottoms to make them much comfier. So again is there a cobbler in the house? If you know one, please send him or her my way!
Have you heard people tell you to break in your shoes? Oh, you just need to break them in, of course! Well, there is actually some merit to what those people are saying. You need to stretch them out and break them in before they will accommodate your feet in a painless way. If you don’t want to go through the painful lengths of breaking them in yourself, you can buy a shoe stretcher or take them to a cobbler who will be more than happy to break them in for you. And no the cobbler won’t wear them around their shop. They have special tools that stretch the shoes out to perfection. If you can’t find a shoe stretcher or a cobbler. You can wear them around the house for a couple hours. That shouldn’t be too painful!
Is shoe shopping a daytime activity for you? Change it to a night time activity. Studies show that your feet are more swollen at the end of the day or in the evening. So if you go shoe shopping at night and the high heels are already uncomfortable then you shouldn’t buy them. If you have any pinching, crushing or smashing going on than you would be better to leave them on the shelf or display in the store.
Make sure you’re buying the correct shoe size. I know they look so cute so you try to do the Cinderella stepsister thing where you smash your foot in and say it fits. You’re never wearing those shoes. You know it, I know it and the shoe sales lady knows it. Then it’s going to go straight on eBay after sitting years in your closet. I know how it goes. No matter what your age if you haven’t had your feet sized in a while make sure to have them sized. Feet change all the time! So be sure that you are buying shoes that actually fit you and that they aren’t too big or too small.
Walk Differently. No, you don’t have to do a catwalk walk, but you do need to know that you shouldn’t be walking in heels the way you would walk in athletic wear or flats. It’s all in the muscles baby! The way to walk in heels is to use your core muscles in your legs and use your hips and legs to push yourself forward while you’re walking. Make sure you’re standing straight as well. So, you walking in heels will be much different than you walking in flats. This is precisely why it feels like a workout when you wear heels at times.
Tape your toes. If you’re still having issues with your favorite heels and it’s in the toe department use a little tape! It will help with the pain.
Make sure you can move the soles of your feet. If you can’t move your feet then you’re going to be in some discomfort. Common sense right there.
Silicone gel inserts are your friend. Don’t be afraid to use gel inserts and other helpful items like that to keep your feet comfy in your heels or shoes for that matter.
Finally, if all else fails you may be a person who needs to wear chunkier heels or wedges instead of a tiny heel on your high heel. It may come as a shock to you, but if all else fails you can always try a chunkier heel or wedge. It will help you balance better than a standard high heel. This could actually be causing your high heel wearing pains.