How to walk in high heels?

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#91
sadly i cannot wear them either, i think its between 20 and 30 minutes maybe i can stand to wewar them. My feet always slide around them and there is never enough cushioning even the things they sell to put on them to make you be able to wear them longer dont work! :( I really like heels too, i think i was cursed with bad feet :( My sister can wear any kind no problem(no fair!)
 
#92
i love this thread. i LOVE LOVE LOVE high heels but they kill my feet something terrible. the balls of my feet especially. i will look into foot petals because the dr scholls gel inserts do'nt really do anything except slightly dull the pain. i know that if i buy 'nice' heels that they are made better and ideally wouldn't hurt so much but they are just not even a blip on my budget radar :(
 
#93
When I was 16 I wanted to begin wearing heels, so I asked my mom to take me to buy a pair. That's when she said, "Sweetie, if you are going to wear heels, you need to learn to walk in the gracefully and not like a clod". She made me walk in the mall, back and forth, heel-toe, standing straight and tall, perfect posture, until I got it right.

Since then, I can't stand to see women walk in heels with their shoulders hunched and knees bent, and I especially hate to see them walk in heels although they are in pain. They stop walking heel-toe and begin to clomp up and down. Watch these girls at the mall, they just look silly.

Now I wear 6' heels to pole-dancing class. Mom would be so proud. lol. :)
 
#95
The right shoe can make a world of difference. Shoes can hurt in a variety of ways. If the only issue that I have is pain at the ball of my foot (after wearing them for hours), I think it's a good shoe. I love Manolos, but they are very thin and have not a lot of padding. I don't know what kind of magic they work there, but they're very comfortable and walkable. A 90mm Manolo is very manageable. I'm a lot more wobbly in an 85mm Louboutin. I also really like Dior shoes.

I don't think a 90mm Manolo is a beginner shoe, but I'd maybe start with a thicker, lower heel. (Marc Jacobs has a few 55mm styles, I think - check Net-a-Porter.) Start by wearing them to dinner. There's usually very little walking involved! If they're ok, then maybe wear them to the office (assuming you're not on your feet all day). Heels in the airport or while shopping are virtually impossible to me. Just start by wearing them for short periods of time and work your way up.

I'm going to have pain at the ball of my foot in any shoe if I'm standing long enough, but a few glasses of wine work wonders to dull the pain. :)
 
#96
^ This is very interesting! I would do that too but the problem is that I have to walk 10 minutes to go to catch the train and then other 10/15 minutes
from the train station to the office. Then I do again this way to go home to have lunch, to come back at the office after lunch and again at evening to come back home. I also thought about carrying a different pair of shoes at the office and flats from home to office, but it looks so unpractical!!!
Which shoes are best to learn? Should they be close shoes or sandals etc? How to learn to buy a shoes that doesn't hurt your feet? (this is a general question also!)
 
#97
I just can't do the high heel thing either very much. I love a good height wedge, but sadly stilletos are out...they just KILL my feet. I do alot of walking and it's just not practical.


Anne
 
#98
I think it's ok to change shoes. I used to live in NYC, and walked to and from work. It just wasn't practical for me to do that in heels. It tore up my feet, and it was really hard on the shoes too. The one pair that I would wear to walk to and from work was a pair of 2" Ferragamos. I loved those shoes (but eventually just wore them out).

I would just get a pair of cute, comfortable flats and then change into my real shoes when I got to the office. I usually keep a pair of comfortable flats with me at all times. I have a pair under my desk, and I usually carry a large enough bag that it's no big deal to toss in a pair of flats. Maybe I'm just a weirdo, but sometimes I'll get invited to an impromptu lunch that involves quite a bit of walking. I feel like it would be ridiculous to say, no, I'm sorry, I can't go to lunch with you because I like to wear ridiculous shoes that I can barely walk in. So I'll just change into a pair of cute flats - problem solved.

I think the best shoes to start with are full, closed toe pumps. They offer the most support. I think that closed-toe mules are the worst. To try to discern what will work (which is more of an art than a science), wear the shoes for a long time in the store. Walk around a lot. Try to walk on non-carpeted surfaces. If they hurt at all (other than being generally tight - leather stretches so much), move on. If they hurt in the store, there is no way that you're going to function in the real world. Invest in better brands - Ferragamo are very comfortable, Manolos too. There usually is a significant quality/comfort difference. Try on lots of brands so that you can get a feel for the quality of each. It's going to be personal to you and your foot. For example, with sneakers, I know tons of people who love New Balance. I hate them, they just don't work for me.

Good luck!

I do stress using cute flats - nothing is less chic than clomping in with a big ole pair of sneakers...
 
#99
i had the same problem -- for years and years i couldn't wear a heel more than 1 1/2 inches high. if i did, i'd either lose my balance or the front of my feet would be in pain.

last year, i got a pair of platform wedges that were probably about 3 inches high altogether. the actual arch was probably about 1 inch, and they were super comfortable to wear and gave me a lot of height that i sorely need (i'm 5'1"). after wearing them for a year, they got me used to wearing heels and adjusting to the height/balance issue, so now i find i can wear heels that are up to 2 3/4 inches without pain or balance issues! i think getting yourself used to heels is to take baby steps (no pun intended)... you need to get yourself used to balancing first on a smaller heel before you can get into something higher. i also don't wear stilettos, but mostly because they're not my style. i think cone heels are really great for balance and height, and have that great vintage look.

i live in nyc and i see a lot of women wearing 4 inch stilettos, but a lot of them are clearly not wearing them correctly and are forcing themselves into the shoes. when you walk behind them, you can see that one heel is bent slightly, or one heel has worn down at a certain angle because the person isn't putting her weight on them correctly. that's super dangerous, because they look they can really get hurt when they walk. sometimes i can't help but wince because it looks like they can get a sprain any second. stilettos look great, but if someone is looking at your shoes because you're walking funny in them and not because the shoes look good, then you're wasting your money.
 
#100
The shoe itself is most important. I've worn a pair of 70mm heels that made me feel like my feet were being devoured by piranha.. and then I have a pair of 120mm stilettos with a 20mm platform and they don't give me any problem at all!
 
#101
Without getting pain? Haha..

I sooo want a buy a pair of CL's when my wallet let's me but..I'm not sure I would be able to walk in them more than 5 mins.

I love high heels but I'm a flipflop girl. My highest shoe is about..3 inches.

To walk comfortably I would say 1 inch is more than enough! :sweatdrop:

So how do you all do it? I tend to get so much pain on my cushions and my feet get's really tired..

Help needed please :)

And no, no party feet from scholl works.
 
#102
I try to stay away from stiletto. Larger heels makes it much easier to walk. Also some brands a way more comfortable than others. Often I leave the house with a cute pair of flat and change shoes before entering a theatre...
 
#103
Honestly, I'm just used to it now. I remember my first heels worn at homecoming (in HS) and i couldn't last even for 1 hour, but now... even if they're 4inch+... they don't really bother me as much (unless i'm walking up a hill-rarely). But i have to agree with lark_lulu that some brands are more comfortable vs. others. For practice i would wear wedges/pumps/sandals that have platforms at the bottom- they're way more easier to work with.
 
#104
http://insolia.com/

Try using these and see if you feel a difference. They shift some of the weight from the ball to make it more evenly distributed. It's supposed to feel as if you're wearing lower heels. I'm going to stop by Walgreens and pick up a pair for my 3 3/4 inch Stewart Weitzman bridal shoes. :okay:

It's also approved by the American Podiatric Medical Association.
 
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