High Heels and You

Dr. Belinda Dotter

It's spring and time to wear gorgeous high heeled sandals. Here’s some information and tips to keep your foot in tip top shape when wearing them!

Studies have shown that high heeled shoes create excess pressure on the plantar surface, or sole of the foot, which can lead to metatarsalgia (ball of the foot pain), excess stress on foot joints, and painful calluses. The higher the heel is, the more probability that muscular imbalances are occurring while walking in the shoes — causing certain leg and foot muscles to work too hard. These imbalances can lead to problems such as knee pain, heel pain (plantar fasciitis), and hammer toes.

Common Mistakes:

Find the right fit

1. Incorrect Size:  You may be surprised to learn that your shoe size has changed over the years. A change in foot size can often be attributed to hormonal changes and natural changes in soft tissue that occur with aging. The next time you shop for shoes, be sure to measure your feet for both length and width. Be aware that the right size shoe may not always be a good fit, so it helps to try on a few different styles until you find the most comfortable fit. Shoe sizes can vary to almost 1 size depending on the manufacturer!
   
   
   
2. Extreme Height: One of the most common problems with high heels is pain under the ball of the foot. A higher heel means more stress on the ball of the foot, ankle, and knee, which increases as the height goes up. 
   Try these to minimize pain and possible injury: 



Chunky Heel

• Prefer to wear a platform shoe, this adds height without the extreme slope and pressure on the ball of the foot. 
• Wear a chunky heel instead of stilettos.
• Find a heeled shoe where the heel is positioned more toward the back of the shoe, which is more stable than a heel positioned more toward the center of the shoe.
  
  
  
  
  
3. Not Enough Coverage:  Shoes with very little to no straps on the top of the shoe.  This will allow too much motion on an already unsteady, elevated heel. You can bet that long periods of walking in these shoes will leave you with tired, sore feet and put you at risk for an ankle sprain. Your best bet is to choose styles that fit the shape of your foot well, offering adequate material to hold your foot in the shoe — a good example is a high-heeled boot or a shoe with straps across the toe area, arch, and ankle.
   
   
   
4. Pointy Toed Shoes:  Seeing the way the toes are 

   

   Pointy Toed Shoes

   squeezed into these pointy-toed shoes are painful to observe. Besides the toes being pushed into a cramped space, there is an issue with the shoe's toe material not covering enough of the toes. This forces the toes to work harder at maintaining stability, possibly contributing to toe contractures, such as hammer toes. A better choice is a shoe that has more material across the toes and more of a rounded toe box. Another toe problem that can be aggravated by high-heeled shoes is a bunion deformity.

Community Foot Specialists - Podiatrists/Foot & Ankle Surgeons Serving Dayton and Springfield, Ohio Call today to schedule your appointment! (937) 426-9500

Hearts & Heels: The Complete Guide For Shoes On Valentine's Day



As Valentine's Day quickly approaches, the mere image of wearing high heels is giving some women a spliting headache. On the other side of the tolken, this image is excitng happines and celebration, as women across the United States are going shopping for that one pair of high heels that will make them look like million bucks (maybe even two, who knows). Here at Community Foot Specialist, we understand that this can be a very nerve-racking or exciting time, so we preparared a mini guide for all women when it comes to Valentine's Day and wearing high heels. Here are some key points to keep in mind this holiday season:


1.)  High heels,as pretty as they may look, inevitably increase stress on the ball of your feet. Specifically for high heels that are two (2) inches or higher, every inch increases the stress on the ball of the foot by 50 percent!

2.) Buy the best fitting shoes (a sound idea for any kind of shoe). Try the shoe on and walk around for 15 minutes in the shoe store or at home to determine any friction or extra pressure.

3.) Invest on appliances such as metatarsal pads to provide better cushioning on the balls of your feet.

4.)   Wear open toed heel if possible. If you have any deformities such as hammer toes, this will prevent any pain due to the tightness around the toebox.

 

5.) Consider wearing comfortable shoes until you get to the event. Change into the sexy but possibly painful shoes once you arrive.

6.)  Wear a shoe with a thicker heel. The thinner the heel the less stability there is. You may look more elegant but much more clumsy!

 

7.)  Pay attention to the slope of the heel. They may be 4 or 5 inch heels but the higher or steeper the slope, the more painful the shoes may be. Pick a shoe with a more gradual slope from heel to toe.

8.) Buy shoes with square or rounded toes rather than pointy.

 

 

We hope that this guide can help you look AND feel the way that you want. For infomation regarding this blog or feet, in general, feel free to contact one of our doctors in any of our locations!

 

Information provided by: Dr.Belinda Dotter.