Tweedy Runs This...: Choosing Those Comfortable High Heels…….

It’s been a million years since I talked about shoes….hasn’t it? Hehe!! Yes I own 100 pairs of shoes and still counting. I can give you a million reasons why I own them and why you should also own them too. But are they really comfortable to our feet, back, ankles, knees etc, as so they appear? Talk of back problems, foot, ankle sprains, knees injuries, bunions, corns, blisters, in grown nails e.t.c. We really have to be informed when choosing high heels so as not to mess up with our health. And for this reason I choose to talk about choice of comfy heels. So,

Choose high heels that fit. Avoid too long or too wide heels or shoes in general. When shopping always choose a size that fits your feet perfectly. Do not insist on picking a shoe that doesn’t fit perfectly assuming it will expand. When buying a pair of shoes, always try it on when your feet have been under pressure, e.g. when you have walked the whole day, since that’s when the there a lot of fluid retention in your feet and they are actually “large’’. Plus when fitting or trying them on, make a point of walking in them for like 4 minutes just to confirm they are comfy.

Your weight and height: I know most of my friends will kill me for this…. People who are very tall should avoid extremely high heels. Same for people who are plus sized. This is because of the pressure put on the heels which make the feet, knees, ankles and legs in general pain at the end of the day. People who also have bigger calves should also invest in shoes whose heels are wide, basically to spread the pressure. Shoes with heels that are thin to be honest look good and are comfy for people who are thin and people whose legs have small calves. For plus size ladies, choose wedges or kitten shoes for the height if you insist.

Generally when it comes to high heels, you want to wear shoes that have a wide heel as compared to one with a thin one. This is again because of pressure that induced on those heels that basically translates to your feet, ankles and legs in general. So spread the pressure to a wider surface area by having shoes whose heels are wide. Plus shoes with wider heels are more stable.

Wide and Narrow feet: Are your feet wide or are they narrow? For wide feet, you want to avoid a pair of high heels that have a narrow front sole since the surface area is too small and hence will make your feet tight and painful.

There are times when the heels are fitting, yes, but it is just not comfy especially at the ball of your feet. You can insert the silicon metatarsal gel pads. They do magic with that pain at the ball of the feet.

Then I also advice to walk in your heels for like 3-4hours.Yes you see me in heels but trust me am not in them the whole day. Plus when am in the office I always change into flat shoes. And thanks to my car, I don’t walk long distances in high heels. So basically if you are in your heels for the day, always carry a pair of flat shoes in your bags. So minimize the number of hours in your heels.

Also invest in peep toes since they reduce the occurrences of corns and calluses. For high heels that are pointed at the toes, make sure they also fit properly. If they are too tight your toes will just be tortured. Do not squeeze your toes into a small pointed pair of shoes.

For a new pair of shoes, you want to walk in them at home before going out in them. Practice walking around your compound to make your feet get used to the new fit. Walk straight, do not lean to the sides or front etc. Of course with higher heels the steps are fewer than lower heels. So make small strides. You also want to practice turning in them too. You don’t want to leave your house walking like a robot.lol.

For strappy shoes, always go for shoes with thicker straps or shoes that are very light in terms of weight to avoid the strap’s pressure on top of your feet.

Finally always consider the distance between the front of the heel of your shoes and the ground. If the front of the shoes is flat, you will definitely be killing your toes since all the pressure will be directed to the toes. For the same reason, my shoe rack is filled with shoes that have a thicker platform, very high but comfy. Thicker platforms at the front of the shoes reduce the pressure on your feet in general.