As women in business, we sometimes like to wear high heels to ‘look’ the part.

I attended a BWIB function recently, and completed my outfit with a matching pair of heels.  It wasn’t long until I regretted my decision – my feet were aching, so I secretly kicked them off under the table (sssh don’t tell anyone!).

I know I’m not the only one who has a love/hate relationship with high heels.

There are some outfits that just don’t look right when wearing flat shoes and the extra height is a bonus when you are somewhat vertically challenged.

Why High Heels Hurt

I asked local podiatrist Trevor Lane, why high heels hurt:

“Heels force your foot forwards, which means your toes need to work hard to grip when walking. More pressure is also placed on the ball of your foot.

Your centre of gravity moves forward as well, so your knees feel the brunt.

Over time, constantly wearing high heels can cause the calf muscles and Achilles’ tendons to shrink, making them tight and painful.”

Thankfully, he also had some ideas to help us manage high heel pain! 

Relieving Pain

  • When wearing heels, it’s a good idea to take them off and stretch your ankles, arches, and toes regularly.
  • Invest in shoe inserts or gel pads, as these prevent the feet from sliding forwards; your toes then don’t have to work as hard to keep the shoe on your foot, especially when you are walking.
  • Save those high heels for special occasions if possible.

I’m lucky in that I work from a home office, so I don’t have to wear high heels too often.

However if you do need to wear them more often, now you are armed with tips to make them much more manageable

Janet Camilleri from Front Page SEO loves writing for the web – which is just as well, because publishing quality content online is a huge part of getting found in Google! In her “spare” time she also blogs as Janetti Spaghetti.