Seven Ways High Heels Are Dangerous, And How You Can Make Them A Little More ...

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Seven Ways High Heels Are Dangerous, And How You Can Make Them A Little More Comfortable

High heels are a signature fashion statement for women, from a boardroom meeting to a night out on the town. Heels were in fact designed for men in the western world, who wore them to gain extra height that indicated power, privilege and class. Soon enough, noble women started donning the shoes to indicate their privilege and wealth too. The high heel has been around for a really long time, the earliest examples dating back as early as 3500 B.C. in ancient Egypt. The fact that this type of shoe has survived for this long means that there is definitely something to it; women still choose high heels for the most important events. However, no one can deny that these shoes can be extremely uncomfortable and can sometimes cause lasting damage:



1. They Cause Pain In Your Lower Back And Affect Your Spine



In order to maintain your balance in high heels, you have to arch your back, and maintain that arch even when you’re walking. Your lumbar erector spinae muscle, which is located in your lower back, takes most of the pressure and results in a sore lower back. If you wear heels regularly for a long period of time, your spine’s arch might also be permanently affected.

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2. They Shorten And Physically Change The Achilles Tendon



The Achilles tendon attaches the calf muscle to the foot, and is used when you walk, run and jump (which means that it serves an important function). Women who wear heels regularly for years can cause this tendon to shorten and cause permanent damage to the muscles around the floor. This causes pain and stretching when the foot is placed flat on the floor and during normal walking in flats or without shoes along with constant muscle spasms.

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3. They Can Cause Ingrown Toenails



The foot is usually squished up inside the shoe due to the shape of high heels, affecting the biggest and smallest toe the most. When the nail is pushed against the skin consistently, it can begin to grow inside the toe, which is an extremely painful experience. If not treated properly, this can lead to fungal infections inside the toe and nail.

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4. They Put Immense Pressure On Your Knees And Hips



High heels change your entire posture; you’ll have to arch your back, thrust your hips forward and stick out your chest to maintain balance on your shoes. This constant pressure on the hips strains its muscles and tendons. The knee is the body’s largest joint and is also one of the main shock absorbers in the body. Heels stop the natural rotating of your feet that spread out the shock absorption through the body, and cause your knees to take all of the shock, leading to major joint pain in your knees.

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5. They Can Cause A Lot Of Damage To Your Ankles



When you’re normally walking and are thrown off balance, your feet and your legs are able to regain footing and keep you upright. When you’re wearing heels however, all the pressure goes straight to your ankles, and because ankles aren’t built to take that kind of strain, they’re damaged or hurt in the process. High heels are one of the leading causes of broken and sprained ankles, and this type of damage can be really painful and take a long time to heal.

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6. They Constrict The Blood Vessels



High heels are designed to make your legs look longer, thinner and more elegant, especially stilettos that can jut your ankle out. When your ankles are bent forward, they can restrict the blood circulation to your calves and lower limbs, and in the worst case, can cause blood vessels to rupture. Long-time wearers of high heels can also suffer from spider veins, a condition where congregated and dilated veins in the leg are seen on the surface and look like tree branches or spider webs (hence the name). Though not always painful, they show the damage caused by high heels to the blood vessels inside your leg.

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7. They Can Cause Your Feet To Become Crooked



Since high heels literally change the physical shape of your feet, it is no surprise that they can lead to crooked feet when constantly worn. Bunions, scarring, skin ruptures and calluses are al examples of the short-term damage done to your feet, leading to misshapen bones in the long run.
If you love your high heels and how you feel in them though, here are a few tips to make them a little more comfortable:
If you can buy them, gel insoles are a great way to reduce the strain and pain of high heels. They add a cushioning to the front part of your heels and reduce the pressure on the back ball, thus giving more of a balance when walking.
Choose platform heels over stilettos because they also raise the ball of the heel and put less pressure on the front part of the foot.
If you have to wear stilettos, wear them for a few hours and take breaks in between the walking. If it is possible, try to change into flat shoes after the major part of the event is over.
Massage and stretch your feet when you’re finally out of the heels. You can place a tennis or a golf ball on the floor and roll your foot back and forth over it to soothe your muscles and promote more blood circulation through the foot.
You can also place a book that is an inch thick on the floor, put the front ball of your foot on the book, the heel on the floor and stretch down to touch your toes. This relieves tension in your calf muscles and stretches out some of the stiffened muscles in your feet.