Training your feet?

[Megann]

What things should be done to best train your feet feet to be able to wear a 10 to 14 cm height heel for every day use? No more flip flops or flatties for me! In your experience what have you done or would you recomend?

 

[MissMagAddict]

Buy a quality pair of heels & you might want to at first try a pair with an ankle strap. It is also good if the heel is reinforced with a steel tube which makes it less likely to wobble. You have to start developing the muscles in your legs to support your body rather than putting all your weight on the balls of your feet...like you've been doing with flats. Start by practicing walking at home. Always step heel to toe & take small steps. After practicing for awhile at home then start wearing your heels out for a short time...like for out to dinner. Another good way to practice is to go to the store & get a shopping cart & practice walking up & down the aisles using the cart for support. Soon you will get to the point where you'll be able to wear your heels all day...also you might keep a pair of ballet flats in your bag during the training period just in case! Hope this helps & let us know how it goes for you.

 

[iLoveCouture]

Great advice MMA...I am going to echo what she has said. When I began to wear heels I started out with kitten heels for a long period of time and then gradually worked my way up as I became more comfortable. Don't try to walk very fast or in large strides b/c you will probably topple over in the beginning. Baby steps! Practice, practice practice and you will be walking in high heels in no time!

Good luck

 

[pinksatin]

Does anyone ever really get over the pain though? Or wear heels on their feet (I mean standing, not the shoes on their feet) for a full day? I can walk fine in heels and wear them to go out or to school where I'm sitting for hours at a time. But at work (retail) where I'm constantly on my feet walking, I can't stand more than about 4 hours before they are killing and I have to change into flats. Or like if I'm in the city walking around constantly all day I can only do about a half day in heels before I have to change to flats. Does anyone do full days without feeling the need to chop off your feet or change shoes? How do you do it? Just since I always like how heels make me feel taller and more dressed so I regret when I have to take them off.

it's just frustrating b/c in the beginning they don't hurt at all but after several hours it's another story. But then I guess even if I'm wearing sneakers, if I'm on my feet walking a full day my feet would hurt too.

 

[lifeis]

this sound really interesting but i find that walking heel first and then toe extreamly difficult (might be that my heels are too high to just start trying to walk properly -they are like 10 cm) i can some times party in heels from 10pm to 6 am but if its been long since i last wore heels the last hours are painful!!Also the more fun i'm having i seem to forget about it more.

 

[solg]

I feel exactly like you pinksatin. I've been wearing heels for a while now, and i still feel the pain if i wear them for long-hour periods, especially if i'm gonna be standing or walking a lot. Wearing heels all day long is a thing i can't do yet. If i have to be walking around the city, taking the subway, carrying a bunch of things, and running around all day.. heels wouldn't make things any easier.
I've been told that good quality shoes are more comfortable, so if you find a brand that works well with your feet, you maybe wanna stick to it. That's what i do, i found that certain shoe-brands are more comfortable than others. Another thing i was told, and believe it's true, is that platform shoes are more comfortable because they provide a certain balance to the shoe and compensate for the heel's height.

 

[pinksatin]

Another thing i was told, and believe it's true, is that platform shoes are more comfortable because they provide a certain balance to the shoe and compensate for the heel's height.

That's definitely true. Platform wedges even better. I think the muscles in your legs/feet have to work less to keep you balanced so they don't get sore as quickly. I can add on several hours or even a full day (If I'm not 100% on my feet) if we're talking about wedges. Regular heels still get to be a problem though

 

[MichelleYue]

On the Kingdom of Style, there is a great tutorial/guide to walking in heels.

The High Heel How To

I get asked rather alot about how to walk in high heels. For some people it's second nature - I have always worn heels, even as a kid I insisted my shoes have a heel. But some people need a little help. So here are my tips on conquering heels!
Slow And Steady Wins The Race
The sooner you accept the fact that you will never get anywhere fast when wearing heels, the better off you'll be. Wearing heels effectively means you must build in an extra half hour for going anywhere. You might not exactly win the race, but at least your reach the finish line in one piece!
Make Like A Horse
And trot. Many a girl has fallen victim to the totter, under the misguided belief that she will get to her destination much faster if she takes lots of small, quick steps (see above). This can be a costly error in judgement. Not only does tottering look beyond ridiculous, you are dicing with death because by concentrating on taking small, fast steps this means you are not able to negotiate your surroundings for topple potential. No, you must trot. This involves taking larger strides, in slower motion and you lift your foot slightly higher than normal. Imagine the street as a catwalk and you are a model. Trot with your head held high. Not only will you look graceful, you posture will mean you look much taller and leaner (obviously the heels help!).
Know Your Enemy
It's true that any surface that is cobbled, broken, cracked or uneven could spell complete disaster for you, but a much stealthier enemy awaits you, ready to take you by surprise and take you down! The side sloping pavement. The SSP is one of those pesky traps where the slope is not the length of the pavement, but the width (so it is essentially higher at one side that the other). This tricky beast has caused many a high heel soldier to be wounded in battle. You rarely see the SSP coming, it's only once you're on it do you realise your error, but by that time it's too late to go back, you just need to press ahead. Should you find yourself on an SSP, then the best thing to do is walk along the bottom end of the slope...slowly.
Know Your Limits
This may seem rather obvious but many a girl has been seduced by a pair of 5" stiletto's only to be reduced to tears after wearing them for 20 minutes. Whilst heel height limitation should be always be considered, you must also consider the heel type. A pencil thin stiletto may look gorgeous, but unfortunately they are the most lethal of all heels. I have come to realise that most heights can be accomplished providing the heel is reasonably thick. A thick heel will provide you much more stability for negotiating uneven terrain. Platforms are also a godsend. Not everyones cup of tea, but it's worth noting that a platform shoe not only affords you the ability to go higher, it also makes your legs look thinner. That can only be a good thing, right?
Don't be fooled by wedges though. You may think that because there's a whole lot of sole there that you will be most steady on this type of shoe - that is not always the case. If you find yourself on an uneven surface then a wedge will mean that you can only rock over the surface, whereas on a heeled shoe the heel can find itself steadied by pressing itself in between the offending uneven surface, which will give you more balance.
Call For Backup
Whilst I simply love high heels, I know that as long as I have rushing around to do I will always need to have a pair of flats handy. Back in 2007 BD (Before Dogs), I would wear flats going to work and carry my heels in my bag. I'd then change into my heels at work and just take them off when I was heading home (rushing to catch the bus). I could wear my heels when out for lunch because I knew I wasn't walking far. Now I have the dogs I have to rush home every lunch time, so my heels are confined to wearing in the office.
Well, that's pretty much my heel wearing advice. Everyone will have their own ways and how-to's but these simple rules have always worked for me. Good luck soldier!

Taken from: http://kingdomofstyle.typepad.co.uk/my_weblog/2008/02/the-high-heel-h.html

 

[Alexis1983]

for me it was gradual, i had to start with low heels...2"
then moved up to 2.5"
eventually made it to 3....now i wear 4-4.5" heels

i havent mastered the 5" heels though (not without a little platform in the front)
but i spent a good year or so in each heel height

i remember a time when 2" heels were a challenge for me
heh

 

[pinksatin]

I think some of it is genuine strength of the ankles too. I was a ballet dancer throughout my preteens and teens and I used to stare at women with wobbly ankles with contempt and think they shouldn't be wearing heels because it's ugly when paired with wobbly, rolling-in or bowed ankles. That and they look like they'll easily twist their ankles. So maybe if you don't already have strength in your calves and ankles try doing exercises like tracing the alphabet in the air with your toes or flex and point a million times. Just because I think strength will help the muscles control the foot in a precarious situation and you'll be less inclined to wobble. I can walk and even run/trot in heels but I still haven't solved the pain-after-extended-periods problem.

 

[Dego]

On the Kingdom of Style, there is a great tutorial/guide to walking in heels.



Taken from: http://kingdomofstyle.typepad.co.uk/my_weblog/2008/02/the-high-heel-h.html

That article contained alot of BS...
"Trotting" makes you look like a horse and is not elegant at all. You should NOT walk like a runway model in the street.

A stiletto heel is actually better on uneven surfaces, since a thicker heel increases the risk of landing the heel on two different levels of surface, while with a thin heel you'll most likely land on either one of the levels.

 

[lauriza]

Ok, I guess this is kinda ridiculous, but..
I always hoover the house wearing 5" heels. I used to be the girl who couldn't wear anything but flats, and nowadays I use 3.5-4" heels daily. But I think this hoovering thing realy helps with the balance and getting used to the hight of the shoe.
But I also bicycle alot. It's lots easier to bicycle somewhere with high heels than walk..

 

[Kaki]

I would suggest wearing heels to places where you don't have to walk very much - the movies, out to dinner, places where you'll be sitting down most of the time. Also, walking around your house helps too. As for the pain, it really depends on the shoe. Whenever I get new heels, especially ones that fit more snugly, it sometimes takes a while for me to break them in. Generally, though, I can go for hours without pain (I even wear my heels to class), though I wouldn't wear them to work retail.

 

[Marni]

Thanks for all the great advice. I have been practising walking around the house with some low heels. I have really bad anckles from netball and I really scared of falling over.

 

[pinksatin]

speaking of walking in heels - the worst I think is a spiky stiletto heel on grass or soil. I don't have to deal with that combination much, but when I do it's always a pain and the heel gets muddy b/c you can't help sinking in even if you try not to.

 

[kmccormi]

I think it also depends on genetics. I, unfortunately, was "blessed" with severely flat feet, which means my feet don't arch as much as a normal foot. I did dance for 14 years, and my pointed toes never looked as pointed as the typical image of a ballerina's foot.

Similarly, your feet are forced into an arch when you wear heels. If your feet are naturally arched, this means your weight tends to distribute itself straight down into your heel and ball efficiently. But for me, my feet don't arch enough to let the bottom of my heel be perpendicular to the ground, resulting in a constant struggle to balance well in heels and not feel the pain - its like walking on a slope for me.

I'm wearing the gladiator wedges from Nine West today that look like Balenciagas, and I walked about 4 or 5 blocks in NYC and I couldn't WAIT to sit back down.

 

[educo]

There is a video out there called "Legwork". It's an exercise video made by a shoe designer and Broadway dancers to work out the legs to walk in heels better. Here is the link:
http://www.legworkdvd.com/the_secret.html

 

[MichelleYue]

Really? That's sad, it helped me somewhat when I was transitioning into high heels. I suppose it's different for everyone, though "

That article contained alot of BS...
"Trotting" makes you look like a horse and is not elegant at all. You should NOT walk like a runway model in the street.

A stiletto heel is actually better on uneven surfaces, since a thicker heel increases the risk of landing the heel on two different levels of surface, while with a thin heel you'll most likely land on either one of the levels.

 

[Megann]

Hey everyone this is helping me! I used to wear heels but got away from it after two kids, but I'm going back to my old ways with your help! Thanks and keep posting any helpgful hints.

 

[monkey siesta]

Reasons for not wearing high heels include:

• they can cause foot pain
• they can create foot deformities, including hammertoes and bunions
• they can cause an unsteady gait
• they can shorten the wearer's stride
• they can render the wearer unable to run
• The altered forces at the knee caused by walking in high heels, may predispose to degenerative changes in the knee joint

Foot and tendon problems
High-heeled shoes slant the foot forward and down while bending the toes up. The more that the feet are forced into this position, the more it may cause the Achilles tendon to shorten. This may cause problems when the wearer chooses lower heels or flat-soled shoes. When the foot slants forward, a much greater weight is transferred to the ball of the foot, increasing the likelihood of damage to the underlying soft tissue which supports the foot. In many shoes, style dictates function, either compressing the toes, or forcing them together, possibly resulting in blisters, corns, hammer toes, bunions, and many other medical conditions, most of which are permanent, and will require surgery to alleviate the pain. High heels--because they tip the foot forward-- put pressure on the lower back through making the rump push outwards and crushing the lower back vertebrae and contracting the muscles of the lower back.[3]
If it is not possible to avoid high heels altogether, some doctors suggest that the wearer wear high-heels no more often than twelve hours a day, and that they are spending at least a third of the time on their feet in contour-supportive "flat" shoes (such as exercise sandals), or well-cushioned "sneaker-type" shoes, saving high heels for special occasions.
One of the most critical problems of high-heeled-shoe design involves a properly constructed toe-box. Improper construction here can cause the most damage to one's foot. Toe-boxes which are too narrow force the toes to be "crammed" too close together. Ensuring that room exists for the toes to assume a normal separation so that high-heel wear remains an option rather than a debilitating practice, is an important issue in improving the wearability of women's high-heeled fashion shoes.
Wide heels do not necessarily offer more stability, and any raised heel with too much width, such as found in "blade-" or "block-heeled" shoes, induces unhealthy side-to-side torque to the ankles with every step, stressing them unnecessarily, while creating additional impact on the balls of the feet. Thus, the best design for a high-heel is one with a narrower width, where the heel is closer to the front, more solidly under the ankle, where the toe box provides room enough for the toes, and where forward movement of the foot in the shoe is kept in check by material snug across the instep, rather than by toes jamming together in the toe box.
Interestingly enough, despite the medical issues surrounding high-heel wear, a few podiatrists recommend well-constructed low to moderate heels for some patients. It appears a slight elevation of the heel improves the angle of contact between the metatarsals and the horizontal plane, thereby more closely approximating the proper angle and resulting in proper weight distribution of a normally-arched foot. Other foot specialists, however, argue that any heel causes unnecessary stresses on the various bones and joints of the foot.
wikipedia.com

hammer toe

foottalk.com

bunion

oxford-orth.com

keepingyouinstitches.com