The cost of wearing heels

Hey guys, a confession- I love wearing high heels!!! Do you also??? Than must need to know some facts below.

High heels- It is the gold standard in female footwear for everything, from the office to the red carpet. According to Ancient Origins, the first heels – as depicted on a 9th century Persian bowl – were made for the male horse riders as a way to stop their feet slipping from the stirrups. The high heel was not originally created as an accessory to wear with skirts. At some point in the 1600s, ladies adopted the trend. From tiny kitten heels to sky-high platforms, high heels have been a staple in women wardrobes for centuries.

High heels can make any outfit look glamorous, but though they are stylish, heels can be hazardous to the health and can cause major problems for the feet. Heels are the main culprit in millions of foot and ankle problems across the country, but women still wear it happily.

Hopefully this post will help you understand the consequences for looking good in heels and the true cost of wearing high heels regularly. And this may inspire you to wear your favorite heels occasionally than an everyday basis. Consider the following disadvantages and dangers.

Joint Pain

Joint pain is a major consequence among all. Normally foot rotates naturally when we walk. When we don high heels it keeps our foot straight and not allow it to bend naturally, which restrict the foot from rotating. Due to this there will be an excessive load on knees which may lead to knee pain and exacerbation of arthritic changes in knees.

Though we can add inserts or any added cushioning, heels do not have any significant shock absorption system. So when we walk, the shock that are coming from the floor is directly goes up from the foot to the ankles, knees and hips leads to pain in this joint. Ultimately after a long day in heels leaves joints mainly ankle and foot joints feeling stiff and sore.

Callouses

Our Indian feet are mostly broad from front and when we try to push our feet into tight shoes such as pointy toe shoes and peep toes or the shoes that force our feet into unnatural shapes such as triangle shaped from front shoes, this type of footwear creates pressure on the sides of feet and toes. Over time rubbing, pushing and pinching from this type of footwear can lead to a hardening of skin called as callouses and also associated with hallux valgus.

Shortened Achilles tendon

Achilles tendon is a tough band of fibrous tissue that connects the calf muscle to the heel bone. When one wears heels over a long period of their life, heels may create permanent physiological changes in the muscles and tendons around the ankles with the heel in lifted position which may actually shorten up Achilles tendon.

Which means, when we don flats or try going barefoot, that makes heel to reach the ground which gives the wearer immense pain due to stretching. And so, this might be one of the more worrying side effects of wearing heels

Lower Back Pain

Wearing heels may also give lower back pain; especially when one have to stand in them for long hours. This is because heels may create changes in posture; high heels place the heels unnaturally above the toes and put hip, back, spine and shoulder totally out of alignment. It pushed the pelvis forward while walking or standing, putting severe pressure on the lower back. This gives pain over prolonged periods.

Lack of Cushion

When we don heels, the whole body weight is placed on the balls of feet. This can cause wear and tear of the natural padding or cushioning on the balls of feet. And already there is a lack of cushioning in the heels which increases the chances of wearing away the natural cushioning in the balls of feet at higher speed. So over a period of time heels can become immensely uncomfortable, and even painful.

Falling and Sprained Ankles

Heels cause imbalance between the heel and the balls of the feet which force the ankle to become the fulcrum of entire body while in flats the weight get spread evenly between heel and balls of the feet with little pressure on ankle.

Unfortunately with an immense pressure on ankle due to heels which are not built to take that kind of pressure, cause lack of balance and thus falls and twisted or sprained ankles become usual. It is nearly impossible to perfectly balance, especially in very high heels.

Ingrown Toenails

Ingrown toenails occur when the side of the toenail starts growing into the flesh, it can be seriously painful. Most heels have a pointy or almond-shape, instead as I said above Indian feet are more often broader and the shape of the end of foot is actually square. So the biggest and littlest toes have to take a lot of the pressure as they press against the sides and the end of the shoe which may cause feet to slide down and crush the toes, leading to ingrown toenails.

Metatarsalgia

High heels put whole body weight to be pushed forward on the ball of the feet. This can lead to metatarsalgia which give pain in the area of the feet just before the toes.

Pump Bump

This is the bony enlargement on the back of heel called as Haglund’s deformity. It is caused by stiff back of pump style shoes as the name above and because of tight straps frictioning and irritating the heel area.

Hammer Toe

Tightly squeezing feet into ill-fitting heels make the toes bend and curl up to fit In. Gradually the toes, mostly second one, become so mistreated that they can not be straightened even being barefeet. In order to maintain balance in heels, a person tends to tense their calf, hip and back muscles so eventually it gives excess muscle fatigue and cramps.

Still if you love heels than you can follow these tips to lessen the damage.

1. Thicker heels spread weight more evenly so select heels with wide base.
2. Wear right size shoes, in standing there should be 1 finger gap or width between the longest toe and shoes.
3. Use heels in moderation.
4. Use flat shoes for long distance.
5. Buy shoes at the end of the day so feet are at it largest at that time.
6. Try avoiding heels grater then 2-4 cm.

So keep your heels, but wear flats more often. You don’t have to leave your high heels, but limit how often you wear them. Your feet, joints and back will thank you.