Question for Women

OP, I wear flats most of the time, but I have many pairs of gorgeous heels for out on the town and stuff. (But that's because I'm a bit of a shoe w****. ) If you are going to wear heels, make sure they are well made. You need to be able to balance most of your weight on the shaft itself (like a regular shoe) and not all on the balls of your feet. Then you'll be able walk and your feet won't hurt.

However... 6"? Even I won't go above 4.5". That's just asking for trouble.

This woman says it all!!! I worked in heels for years, the better made the shoe, the more comfy!!!! And, you should be able to walk normally in good pair of heels that aren't outrageously high (vs. the beginners prance).

6" heels are REALLY high, in my opinion. The style lately is crazy---like, huge platform, pointy 5+ inch heel---just, no. I'm pretty fashion conscious, but I think it's crazy that women feel like they need to wear these. Find a more practical-sized heel if they're hurting you.

You cannot separate me from my heels!! First lesson, if they hurt in the store they will hurt for the rest of your life, shop around for a reasonably comfortable pair. Step 2~ wear them in like a good pair of hiking boots- I became a stiletto fundi by practising at home, I'd cook, do the dishes, go up and down the stairs watch tv in heels until it felt like second nature. I wear them because of the dramatic change in my posture, (it's a power trip) and because of the effect they have on men :blushing:

That said, if you really aren't a stiletto girl then do what comes naturally to you. Nothing is as sexy as being yourself.

6 inch heels! I would die. My calf muscles would lock so tight I wouldn't be able to move. When I wear heels, it's usually kitten heels. I never "mastered" those, so I don't bother going higher. I think it takes lots and lots of practice and with new studies and reports coming out, I don't think it's worth it.

I think you should ditch the stilettos and get some great cute sparkly flats or wedges, like others have suggested. Honestly, when I am out with my friends at the bars/clubs and we are people watching, we usually chuckle at the girls trying to dance in ridiculous heels. They hardly ever achieve the "look" they are going for. Drinking + Dancing + Stilettos = disaster

My grandmother put me in 2" heels when I was 12 or 13. Even with the years of practice I can still only tolerate about a 3.5" heel, max, but I'm also very short.

Most (not all, of course, but most) of the women I see wearing platform heels or the 5"+ heels usually look like they're about to fall over, and they take these ridiculous, tiny, knees-always-bent unnatural steps. They look like idiots. Of course, they seem to look like they think every man wants to have them and every woman wants to be them. Uh, no, Cupcake. One of these days I'm going to video one of these girlies walking around like she's got sandpaper in her crack and show it to her. What could possibly go wrong? It's not like she'd be able to chase me down!

You cannot separate me from my heels!! First lesson, if they hurt in the store they will hurt for the rest of your life, shop around for a reasonably comfortable pair. Step 2~ wear them in like a good pair of hiking boots- I became a stiletto fundi by practising at home, I'd cook, do the dishes, go up and down the stairs watch tv in heels until it felt like second nature. I wear them because of the dramatic change in my posture, (it's a power trip) and because of the effect they have on men :blushing:

That said, if you really aren't a stiletto girl then do what comes naturally to you. Nothing is as sexy as being yourself.

heels are amazing!! but you have to practise be yourself---wearing them without practise in public wont serve the purpose-- and the purpose is the look the grace or whatever your purpose be.

As others have said, you have to practice. If you're going to be doing a lot of walking, dancing, standing, etc., here are some things I've learned:

1. Quality shoes are more comfortable. The difference in cushioning between a pair of Nine West heels and a pair of Giuseppe Zanotti heels is like night and day. You're better off owning one pair of expensive, high-quality, handmade shoes that you can wear for special occasions for the next twenty years than 10 pairs of cheap shoes that will destroy your feet and be thrown in the trash within a year.

2. A platform takes some of the pressure off the ball of your foot, so you can wear them longer. Full platforms are not particularly elegant, so if you're going to a wedding or some other formal-ish event, as opposed to going clubbing, look for a shoe with a thinner or hidden platform.

3. Don't be afraid of inserts. Not only will they make a shoe more comfortable for standing and walking, but they make shoes fit better when they become stretched out due to wear.

4. Fit is critical to comfort. If you're getting a closed-toe pump (whether pointed toe, almond toe, or round toe), walk around in them for a bit before you buy. If your heel slips out or your toes slide down to the front of the shoe, they're too big. If the next size down is too small, then you will need inserts to make the larger size fit properly. Without them, your toes will be numb from spending the evening crammed into the front of your shoe, you'll get blisters from the loose shoe constantly rubbing against your skin, and you'll be walking funny all night, trying to keep the shoes from slipping off your feet. If you're going to be wearing a sandal or peep-toe pump, your toes should not be hanging off the end of the shoe when you walk, and your heel should not be hanging off the back. Get the proper size, and use inserts to keep your feet from sliding around, which will cause straps and the edges of the upper to dig into your skin.

5. Get a pair of roll-up flats that you can carry in your purse for when the situation gets really dire and you cannot take another step in your heels. Rollasole and Dr. Scholl's make some nice basic black ones.

Look up Stiletto Hardware for all kind of inserts (ball and heel cushions, heel grips, and full insoles). Dr. Scholl's makes gel inserts, but the quality is terrible. Stiletto Hardware's inserts are made with a layer of memory foam, they're thicker than the inserts you can buy in supermarkets, and they're antibacterial and antifungal to diminish odor.

Whatever your weight, the size of the heel seems to make the most difference. I usually don't have a problem walking in heels even when I was 100 lbs heavier but I have a high arch, my best friend sticks to flats and short heels because she's flat footed and they kill her feet. The best thing I can think of is to find out what hurts. If its your toes then the shoes may be too small or just don't fit correctly. If it's your arch then the heel may be too tall. You can also find supports for high heels that would help take some of the pressure off. If you have trouble in general just walking in them and they aren't painful then I would suggest a smaller heel until you learn to walk in them. Walking in stilettos is alot different that tennis shoes because a little heel to toe action may cause problems.

Good luck!

Don't start with 6'' heels. Just think about it makes my feet hurt.

You need to be used to wearing heels. Start low and work your way up if it's what you'd like to do again. I typically wear a 3" heel daily.

So, let me make sure I understand this correctly -- you went from never wearing heels to 6 inch stilettos and want to know if your feet hurt because of how much you weigh?

No.

Wearing that kind of heel is an art -- maybe even a sport. It takes practice. You have to have decent posture and be aware of pressure points. You also have to have a well made shoe that fits you properly - most people bypass this concern if the aesthetics is right but they shouldn't.

why would anyone ever HAVE to wear heels?

I HAVE to wear heels. Flat shoes hurt my lower back. I can wear tennis shoes but only for work outs. I tried to wear flats when I started working in a school but the pain was so great that I had to go back to wearing heels. Like the recent posts stated start out with a lower heel then work up to a higher heel. My sister loves to wear heels and can't walk at all in them so she practices in the house.

wow maybe you HAVE to wear heels because you only wear heels? it sounds to me like you have shortened your tendons and need to stretch them out. this happened to a friend of mine and she had to take an old shirt and pull on her toes with her legs out straight in front of her while sitting down. like she was trying to touch her toes, to help stretch her tendons out again. also some core excercises. I have sciatica and my back hurts regularly so much that I can barely walk. but if I do core workouts it doesn't hurt at all.

I'm going to agree with others on this. Kitten heels and work your way up. Also the platform stilettos are more comfortable than straight stilettos (having worn both). Since you don't wear heels much, also take your time in the shoe store when trying to find that "perfect" shoe for the look you're going for (try on the shoes, walk around the store in them for a bit, this is experience because I bought some really cute heels that I didn't do that with and can't walk in them, and have caused two sprained ankles two different occasions because for me, I cannot walk in these heels, balance or something is off and I become a total klutz). Lastly, being in Vegas, there's no place on the strip that you can't get away with flats or the "fold up" ballet slipper (I've seen them available in a vending machine type thing at the Venetian for $20) and most people who are doing the "seeing" understand that the ones being "seen" want to be able to dance and have fun. There are plenty of cute shoes out there that are "high heels" and also wedges or even just a chunkier heel. The rest of it is "Practice makes perfect", get the heels enough ahead of the event that you can spend time wearing them in and wearing them around your house so you can practice and get comfortable in them. Still after several hours, they could still hurt your feet despite everything (for me and the high heels, it's usually the balls of my feet and I get inserts which help but don't completely keep the pain at bay).

no it's because you wore 6" stilletos with no training.

there's no sense in me reinventing the wheel. tyra banks has a really good video online on how to wear and walk in heels. learn the master!

http://s2smagazine.com/7122/tyra-banks-shares-stiletto-secrets/