Super High Heels for me??

TammyD

TammyD

Rising Star
O.G.
Feb 26, 2006
3,936
21
#1
I'm sorry if this sounds like a silly post.

I just bought a pair of 4.5 inch Louboutins, well, because I LOVE them. I've never worn such high heels before. They look great in the boutique and I am dying to wear them. But after I brought them home and started strutting around in them in the living room for 20 minutes, I felt such a strain on my calves and feet. Now I'm not sure I dare to wear them out at all in case I fall and break my ankles or exhaust myself prematurely or hurt my feet etc.

Am I being silly? Will I get used to these heels? Practice makes perfect? Any girls out there who are seasons super-high-heel-wearers and are totally at ease in them?
 
#2
I have no problems wearing high heels, but it wasn't something I could do overnight. I certainly didn't start of with 4.5"! I started with 2.5"/3" heels and progressed over a few months. I now wear 4"-4.5" heels with ease and I believe it was purely through practice.

What sort of strain do you feel? Are you sure they aren't too tight? Sometimes half a size bigger makes the world of difference at relieveing pressure.
 
#3
babypie said:
What sort of strain do you feel? Are you sure they aren't too tight? Sometimes half a size bigger makes the world of difference at relieveing pressure.
Click to expand...

They're not too tight. I've even put insolia insoles in them to shift the weight.

The pain is in the calves and balls of the foot.
 
#4
^^^Speaking as someone that used to wear 3-4 inch heels and ended up with both feet and back problems, I can tell you that any orthopedist will tell any woman to never go beyond 2-2.5 inch heels unless you want problems later in life. In my case, it was sooner than later. I miss heels so bad I could cry some days, but my health means more.
 
#5
I just got a pair of rolandos and I haven't worn them out of my apt. i've been practicing and need to get insoles for the ball of my feet. I have other heels, but I don't wear them much either since my newsroom is so casual that I can -- and do -- wear sneakers to work many days.
 
#6
I am unable to go over about 3-1/2 inches without a platform. I don't know why that extra 1/2" can make such a huge difference, but I have a new pair of 4" heels that just kill my feet. But they are so beautiful that I have been wearing them daily around the house to try to get used to them, so I sure hope practice helps!
 
#7
Tammy, which style were they? Much as we love our Louboutins here, some styles are more *cough* problematic than others. Perhaps you picked up one of these pairs? 120mm pigalles do tend to skew the center of balance quite a bit and ppl do complain of aching muscles and back. Decolettes make some ppl's toes go numb.

I'm definitely a seasoned high heel wearer (rarely are my heels ever lower than 90mm, 5-6 days a week) but I started out with lower heels a decade ago. I don't have back problems but occasionally, if I've made a big jump in heel height say from wearing flats or kitten heels for two days straight to 100mm shoes the next day, my calves do sometimes ache at the end of the day.
 
#8
I recently bought a pair of Rolandes and after I'd worn them around the house for 15 minutes I thought I'd made a mistake in buying them (I could barely walk... I looked hilarious). But I after wearing them for longer I've gotten the hang of them completely, which surprised me since I was so sure they were impossible. As for the pain of wearing high heels, your feet and calves get used to the new position. The only pain I get from wearing high heels now is if the shoe is slightly too small and gives me a blister.
 
#9
A couple months ago I started wearing heels occasionally, like 3.5-4 inch ones. The first time I put them on I was a bit funny wearing them but a few weeks after wearing them the first time I was fine :biggrin: I can walk in them easily now.
 
#10
fatefullotus said:
Tammy, which style were they? Much as we love our Louboutins here, some styles are more *cough* problematic than others. Perhaps you picked up one of these pairs? 120mm pigalles do tend to skew the center of balance quite a bit and ppl do complain of aching muscles and back. Decolettes make some ppl's toes go numb.
Click to expand...

Mine says "Decollete 868 Zeppa". Do people have problems with this style?
 
#11
Walking the right way is very important. I've always been aware of how I walk and I started on a 5in heel (with a 3/4in platform) and had no problems. I think a small platform helps with comfort, too.

Knowing what height is right for your shoe size is also important. Smaller feet need proportionately smaller heels; likewise, women with bigger feet can handle higher heels better. It's more about the angle a heel puts your foot on than the height of the heel itself.
 
#12
TammyD said:
Mine says "Decollete 868 Zeppa". Do people have problems with this style?
Click to expand...

While they are the platformed version of the decollete, they generally present the same problem as their non-platformed predecessor. Most ppl don't complain about the height of this shoe; it's usually the tight toebox that makes us all cringe. I've found that the shoe you have are generally wider and more comfortable in the toebox than the decolletes, but are still tight. Could this be the problem you're having?

Otherwise, from your OP, I would wager a guess that it's simply not being used to that high a heel. Yes, the platform HELPS (I generally subtract the height of the platform from the height of the total heel, to get a better idea of how painful a shoe will "feel" on), but if you're not used to 4inch heels, it may take some practice to get used to the tightness your calves and feet experience.

What helps, I find, is to pay attention to your center of balance. Our natural instinct is to lean forward in high heels, pushing the center of balance lower and towards the back of our torso, sitting above the tailbone. This will cause discomfort on your back and also make your legs tense up more than it should. If you find this happening, straighten up, push your shoulders back and shift your center of gravity so that it sits right above or around your hips, in the center of your body. Dancers will tell you that it helps to visualize a string running thru the center of your body being pulled taunt from above your head. Equestrians will tell you that it's the same center of balance you should feel when you're in the right "form", with heel and back aligned. In this position, your body and muscles are most relaxed, and you distribute your weight evenly through your body and down thru your toes. It prevents back and muscle aches.

I hope this helped and not served to confuse. :confused1: :s
 
#14
I'd just try not to wear them anywhere you'll have to do a lot of walking. I don't have a problem walking in heels but I don't wear very high heels if I might have to walk a lot.

But just keep practicing if you have trouble walking in them. I had a friend who was a stripper and when she first got her 6" heels and started dancing she'd wear them in her apartment and fall down all the time. Finally she got used to them but after falling about a billion times.
 
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