All About The Shoes!
How To Choose The Right High Heel
Dare you put on a pump for Mother’s Day or your long-awaited return to work? Can your foot even take the feel of such an unnatural form after over a year of Birkenstocks and Uggs?
Heels play a limited role in my life personally. I can probably count the number of times I wear heels on one hand over the course of a year. I’d much rather throw on a pair of Converse or a fierce flat. I have also never RECOMMENDED a patient wears a high heel, but as a female foot and ankle specialist I get it… sometimes you just want to wear a heel. It can truly transform how you project yourself and how you feel on the inside!
The pumps pictured above are the most comfortable I have in my closet. Let’s explore why!
Fit Matters
1. The most important reason these shoes are so comfortable is they are sized correctly! Over 50% of women wear the wrong shoe size. If you measure a woman’s foot and measure the length of her shoe, they are under-or over-sized in more than half of the female population! That means you! There is no standardize sizing guide that brands must follow. It seems obvious, but measure your foot to get an accurate fit. Grab some measuring tape (with centimeters) and measure along the sole of your foot from the heel to the longest toe (usually your great toe or second) while STANDING. Be sure to measure both feet and find the longest foot. Look at the brand’s sizing guide to see what size you wear based on your foot length. Most of us have probably never done this!
Add Some Height (But Not Too Much)
2. Limit heel height to lower than 3 to 3 1/2 inches. I know this defeats the purpose of many women. We want high heels to elongate our legs. However, every inch leads to an exponential increase in the pressure on the ball of foot. How can we cheat a bit on the height? Look at the pumps in the photo, notice the hidden platform (about ½ inch) at the bottom of the shoe. This platform has two advantages. It allows you to increase the height of the heel because the platform decreases the relative height of the shoe. So, a 3.5-inch heel really feels like 3 inches!
The second important factor is that the platform absorbs some of the pressure the ball of the foot feels from the ground. Compare this with your average pump, which separates your delicate foot from the ground by a sheet of two pieces of leather! With so much contact with the ground, the ball of the foot can get overloaded leading to generalized ball of the foot pain (metatarsalgia), painful calluses along the ball of the foot, neuromas, knee and back pain, and severe inflammation of the bones and joints in the front of the foot.
Pay Attention to the Shape of the Shoe
3. Note the shape and size of the very front of the shoe, called the toe box. This should at least SOMEWHAT look like the shape of an actual foot - consider a round or almond shaped toe box. A pointed or narrow toe box will compress the front of your foot, potentially leading to hammer toes and even painful neuromas down the line.
Now, note the angle of the toe box. Look at your shoes in your closet. You will notice that some shoes come to their point at the center of foot (near the third toe) as pictured above, while others come to a point closer to the big toe. Our feet are naturally longer at the great toe (or the second), so a shoe that has its longest point in the center of the foot makes no sense. This will cause your great toe and second toe to be pushed towards the center of the foot leading to ISSUES over time (bunions, hammer toes, calluses etc.).
4. Let’s move to the middle of the shoe. This really focuses on the arch. The arch of your heels must closely match the arch of your foot. Don’t compromise on this. If the arch of the shoe is in the wrong place relative to your arch, most of your weight will shift to the front of the foot, further increasing the pressure there. This mismatch creates painful problems. If there is a mismatch, consider adding some solutions made for heels like arch supports or metatarsal pads to ensure a better fit (be sure your heels are roomy enough to accommodate these).
Ensure a Strong Back
5. On to the back of the heel–often referred to as the heel counter. A rigid counter is necessary to support and stabilize the heel of your foot. A heel counter that collapses to the side or is wobbly can make you prone to ankle sprains and can cause to you put more pressure on the ball of the foot as you try to bypass the unstable heel by walking on your tiptoes. Look at the heels pictured above. Notice how solid the back of the heel looks. You cannot see any leaning or deformation and I’ve had these shoes for years!
Avoid Stilettos
6. Next, note the width of the heel! Sorry ladies, but you should limit Stilettos to this: a quick walk into a restaurant, shoes off beneath the table, and a short walk back to the car. These narrow, pointed heels concentrate your body weight onto a few centimeters, potentially leading to painful conditions like plantar fasciitis. Notice the progression in the width of the heel from left to right in the photo. Go for a block heel or a broader stacked heel that will distribute your weight more evenly. The slight difference in the heel width between the pink and black pumps leads to a substantially better wear experience.
Heel Placement Matters
Did you know that even the heel placement matters? For some shoes, they placed the heel further forward along the shoe–perhaps increasing sex appeal, but this location is not ideal for stability. Look at the heel placement in the gold sandal above versus in the black pump. You can nearly draw a straight line from the back of the black pump to the floor. This is what you are looking for! A well-placed heel will be located along the back part of the foot–this provides the most stability.
With a smart eye, you do not need to compromise for style. Investing in well-made brands makes it easy for heels to be a part of your wardrobe. Remember, your feet are the foundation for how you navigate the world!
Take care of them and take care of you!
Dr. Eva
XOXOXOXOXOXO