Higher the Heel - Higher the Standard

I love my shoes. Who doesn’t? I am a self-confessed materialistic shopaholic who is hopelessly in love with her shoes. Especially the heels that make me look sexy. The pump highs, the black heels, the platform highs, and the very cute pink heels that I had to buy because the store was offering 50% off! I remember I was walking past this shoe store on a lazy afternoon, I entered just to kill some time and came out after spending half my month’s earning.

People around me always told me that owing to my relatively tall stature, I don’t really need to wear heels. I could always go easy on the heels and buy shoes that are more comfortable. But let’s face it, comfortable shoes never made anyone look young and attractive. And I am one person who believes that ladies should always keep their heels and standards high. The other day my mom called me to inform that my fashionista aunt who herself kept her heels high all her life, was in for a knee replacement surgery. It was then that I came face-to-face with the fact that looking young is very different from feeling young. I figured, along with being not comfortable, my stilettos were creating permanent health damage. Taking a close look at my shoe closet I realized it was time to shop for some not-so-sexy shoes. 

Here’s list of the things that are going wrong:

Shoes that tend to restrict the natural shape of our feet cause pain and discomfort. Over a period of time such restrictions cause Bunions that need to be removed surgically.

Ill-fitted shoes, that do not have proper arch support, cause plantar fasciitis and heel spur.

Wearing high heels regularly, strains the Achilles tendon (the part that attaches the calf muscles to the heel) can contribute to Achilles Tendonitis.

Heels that are taller than 3.5 inches prematurely age knee joints. This aging leads to chronic pain and osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. The only treatment for a severe OA knee is a replacement. BTW, having steel inside your body won’t be very comfortable.

We need to arch our back awkwardly to stand straight on a high heeled shoe.  Improper posture causes the back musculature to contract and cause back pain. 

The fact of the matter is that the small joints in our body are designed for mobility. Whereas, the bigger ones are designed to bear weight. When we wear high heels, we shift the body weight on the smaller joints of feet and toes. Thus, making them work against the law of nature. 

You don't really have to give-up wearing heels, but the next time you go shopping, you could pick sensible heels with soft insoles. 

Wear heels on days when you’ll be walking or standing less than usual.

And whenever we hurt your feet, make sure you relax them. Stretch and care for your feet. Maintain a good posture.

Love thy feet more than thy shoes J