Podiatrists treat many foot problems which have been caused by the excessive wear of high heels. Whilst we advise against wearing very high heels we do recommend that women wear a shoe with a heel of no more than one to two inches. Shoes with a higher heel should be worn for short periods of time, perhaps of an evening or to an event. Even then it may be advisable to take along a pair of shoes with a smaller heel incase the feet start to ache.
Whilst we do what we can to advise, we do realise that fashion will always win when shopping for shoes. But, you need to ask yourself, is fashion more important than healthy, pain-free feet?
As well as the heel height, you need to ensure that your shoes are a good fit. Try to avoid shoes with a pointy toe as there is not enough room to accommodate all your toes and you can end up with blisters and corns from the constant pressure and chafing. Also, choose a thicker heel rather than a stiletto for more stability.
High ill-fitting heeled shoes can cause the following problems, to name but a few:
Calluses and Corns
If you are a regular heel wearer, chances are you may already have calluses and corns. Calluses and corns are caused by pressure often the result of poor fitting shoes. The good news is that a Podiatrist can remove painful and corns and can remove areas of hardened skin. However, if you do not remove the source of pressure, calluses and corns will be a constant occurrence.
Bunions
You only need to look at Victoria Beckhams feet to see what a bunion is. A bunion is bony swelling at the base of the big toe. The medical name for a bunion is hallux valgus. Sometimes, the big toe can become angled inwards, towards the middle of the foot and the second toe.
This can force the top of the first metatarsal to protrude (stick out) from the side of the foot, at the base of the big toe. If this happens, a painful, swollen bunion forms.
Often your choice of footwear can aggravate a bunion and some women may need surgery to correct them.
Metatarsalgia
Metatarsalgia is the name given to pain in the front part of your foot under the heads of your metatarsal bones (the ball of your foot).
Shoes with a narrow toe box or high heels can force the ball of the foot into a small amount of space, which puts more pressure on that area.
Next time you go out to buy a new pair of shoes, spare a thought for your poor feet!
Good fitting shoes = healthy, happy feet.