Originally Posted by Charm

Do you have any secrets you can share with me PLEASE? I am a CL lover and own several pairs, my highest being Elisa 100. My problem is, I am too scared to wear them out if I have to walk any distance! I do wear my CL around the house and make sure to break in each pair thoroughly but I always get the same problem if I have to walk outside. They soon start to hurt then I feel blisters coming on, then before long, I am hobbling in agony. I make sure the shoes are as comfortable as I can get them when I buy them so I don't know what is going on, is some discomfort normal? Jeshika, unless you took a taxi to Harvey Nicks and didn't have to navigate the London streets and tube stations, I salute you if you managed to do London in Pigalle spikes!!Stilly, I think you are amazing doing grocery shopping in 5 inch Pigalle, even walking to the store from the car park would be difficult for me! Piggy, you are amazing how you manage your Pigalle, especially with those hills! Do you ladies have any tips? I do practise walking in them but I am just worried that if I ever walked any distance in them that I wouldn't make it back to the car/ train station/ etc! TIA.

Thanks for kind words Charm!!!

I think all the other ladies have hit on the "secret" which is no secret at all....practice, practice, practice!!!

It recently took a little more practice for me to comfortably wear my Daffs and Bibis for over a few hours. The Crosspigas are my newest challenge...I almost fell over in them this weekend in their first time out! I wear my CLs out for errands, groceries, etc. as part of my practice.

I've worn 5"+ heels for so long now that they're second nature.
I do always carry a pair of back-up shoes/flats in case I break a heel, the weather changes or something unplanned happens however. It never hurts to be safe.

Originally Posted by Dessye

This makes us sound like masochists!

Haha, you are totally right

Well, I guess if the shoe fits. Or doesn't...

Originally Posted by crazzee_shopper

Honestly I think its practice and strengthening those leg muscles. I used to be able to wear most 120s+ all day. Then I went on vacay where I was basically in hiking boots and flats for 4 weeks straight. It's been hard readjusting back to heels but the more you wear, the easier itll be. Now I'm back to my 120s but I always have flats with me at all times (car, office, purse, etc)

^^^ This!

After I broke my toe last year and had to lay off the heels, I had to rebuild ankle and let strength that I didn't even realize I had. I noticed after putting heels on again that my lower legs got tired. That never happened before the big break! Who knew?

Thank you so much ladies! I think I was expecting too much, I normally wear either Skechers or Church's loafers, so that I expected to be able to put on a pair of 100mm and trot off on my merry way, was rather unrealistic. I have been greatly encouraged by your advice and help and I will start practising for sure. That makes complete sense about training the leg muscles to increase strength for heels.

I have my red Elisa at the ready so will be wobbling around the house on those daily to start with!

I personally dont have a problem with height, in regards to pitch, heel gaps or toes squish... I however cant go higher than 140mm unless the shoe has a thick heel. I find that CL for some strange reason lessens the width of a platform the higher he makes the heel. I cant ever manage to put my foot straight on the ground - I wobble, and my ankle twists! It has happened to many times. I do practice around the, but especially on bumpy roads, the I always feel I dont have good footing... This is my worst issue in regards to height? Any girls have advice on how to deal with this... I already had everything vibramed for grip, but esp. with the lady peep and daffodil, how can you walk with confidence on bumpy ground? I also feel too that weak ankles do not help at all in accurately placing your foot on the ground... strengthen those muscles! :)

Originally Posted by Dessye

This makes us sound like masochists!

We aren't?

When I first started wearing heels again, the most I could do was 90mm with a platform. While anything higher than 120mm is still a challenge for me, I can handle 120mm with a platform reasonably well. I do have to make it a point to swing my hips, though, since I have spent so many years in flats.

My advice would be to just wear them out, but keep a pair you can manage handy in case you need them.

Hi Charm, I have the same problem.. When I wear my 5 inch heels out, my feet are hurting like crazy after an hour.. But i suck it up and pretend it doesn't hurt because I always forget to bring a pair of flats.. Haha..
I find that after wearing the 5 inches the 3-4 inch heels are a piece of cake.. Also, heels that hug the ankles provide some support and makes walking a little easier, something like Mary Janes or designs like the Balota that have straps? Wedges are really comfortable too..
Like the others said, practice makes it a whole lot easier before waking long distances outside.. Maybe wear your heels while washing the dishes or vacuuming.. I do that..
Hope I helped a little.. =)

Again, thank you so much ladies for taking the time to reply! I think I definitely had unrealistic expectations that I would just be able to trot on in these shoes with ease. I will keep practising and also ensure I have a pair of emergency flats when I bite the bullet and go out in a pair. So my goal is, to practise around the house and outside the building, then go out for a meal with Hubby where it will be pretty much car park to door for my first venture.

Originally Posted by stilly

Thanks for kind words Charm!!! I think all the other ladies have hit on the "secret" which is no secret at all....practice, practice, practice!!! It recently took a little more practice for me to comfortably wear my Daffs and Bibis for over a few hours. The Crosspigas are my newest challenge...I almost fell over in them this weekend in their first time out! I wear my CLs out for errands, groceries, etc. as part of my practice. I've worn 5"+ heels for so long now that they're second nature. I do always carry a pair of back-up shoes/flats in case I break a heel, the weather changes or something unplanned happens however. It never hurts to be safe.

I also carry backup flats, I found some cool "Mary Jane" flats from Aerosoles

http://www.aerosoles.com

Technology of impact-resistant materials ("Laws of Physics" apply). I even got some very nice looking stylish mid-heels from them, a booty similar to

http://www.aerosoles.com/product1.asp?P=MINORROLE

on sale 2 yrs ago.

Stilly and I are Pigalle FANATICS ("it's all about LOVE"), face it, the 120mm heel and non-platform pitch, makes it a "event shoe". Hollywood celebrities for 100 ft walk on Red Carpet events, etc. NOT designed for all-day marathon use, although some gals pull it off! I get my "fix" with Pigalles for 15 min, and then they come off! In Aerosoles or comfy shoes, then after an hour, the Pigalles go back! Call it "duty cycle", 10 min in Pigalle, 50 min in Aerosoles. Some gals goto work in jogging shoes plus office-suit, then put on the pumps for board-meetings, dress-to-impress-professional activities, etc

Stilly is unique, she can pull off the 120mm heels and mini-skirt, she has accomadating company. I'm also of the school of "you got it, you flaunt it", heck you live only once! I was in Vegas recently and Stilly triggered me to try some outrageous leggy outfits with Pigalle 120mm

It's all about Entertainment. Artistic expression. makeup is painting, plastic surgery is sculpting, hose/heels is a form of sculpting/painting (shoes are artistic sculptures, pretty amazing), clothes is draping.

Work it!!

it takes practice, as a flight attendant I am required to wear a 3 inch heel in the terminal (I usually wear a 4-5 inch) I always though make sure I have a pair of flats with me as after 8+ hours on a aircraft my feet can get tired, I would say I average about 2 to three miles (walking up and down the aircraft on my feet) the highest I own is just over six (not for work but going out) it just takes practice and patients Always make sure you have a pair of flats with you just in case you need them

I say dive in. Take short trips at first. Like grocery shopping! I jumped in to wearing my Miss Dior platforms (unsure of height) and my Matastrasse Velvet Orlatos (100mm) to class in SF (we were only in one building) and just got used to them. Fit is very important, moreso than height to me.

Hi there ladies.

I totally agree with you all. The more you wear them, the stronger your whole body becomes and wearing heels becomes easier.

I wear heels (100 - 150s) on 8 hour plus a day running all around the city having meetings and do not have any problems. Sure enough, later in the day my feet starts swelling up and the toe-box hurts, but I just suck it up.

I had a minor operation earlier this year on my feet and had to wear flats for a few months. When I finally got back into wearing my 100s, which used to be a piece of cake for me, made me wobble. I was amazed how much muscle strength I had lost over those months.

Posture is very important too. The higher the heel, the more I bring back my shoulders and tuck in my stomach to balance myself.

Now, aside from carrying a rescue pair of flats, there is this product that I carry around which works wonders. Its by Clarins called "Energizing Emulsion for Tired Legs". You slather this on your feet and legs and it instantly brings down the swelling making the shoes comfortable once again. You can even apply it over your hosiery if you are wearing any.

I highly recommend it.

I find that by starting with lower heels, and working your way up, it really helps! Or just wear a super high pair of heels around your house for the day, it helps a lot as well! I found I needed a ton of practice, especially since I'm already super tall. I need all the balance I can get!

To break in your shoes you might walk in them with a wet pair of socks.