The Problem with Wearing High Heels
Lily Collins, star of the Netflix hit TV comedy Emily in Paris, recently admitted that wearing high heels on the show has sent her scrambling to the podologue for weekly checkups (that’s French for “podiatrist.”)
That’s not too surprising to our board-certified podiatrist here in Fairfax County, USA, Dr. Kenneth R. Wilhelm. Watching the show, we see the actress must navigate Parisian cobblestone sidewalks, schmooze the clientele at high-fashion functions, quickly hail a cab, and climb several floors to her apartment in just about every episode – all while teetering about in heels whose height rivals that of the Eiffel Tower.
She’s young and in shape, as far as we can tell. Still, her feet are suffering from too much time in high heels.
The problem with high heels
High heels change the way you walk. All your weight pushes forward. To maintain your balance, you will arch your back, drive your chest forward, and stick out your butt. Such an altered gait puts excessive pressure on your joints and can result in ankle, knee, hip, and back pain.
Foot pain alone is enough to think about limiting your time in high heels. Most high heels have pointed toe boxes that cram your toes together. When you spend a lot of time in high heels, you increase your risk of developing hammertoes, bunions, and overlapping or underlapping toes. In addition, your Achilles tendon can shorten, making it difficult to transition back to wearing flatter shoes.
Don’t ban them entirely.
You can wear high heels. Just follow Dr. Wilhelm’s guidelines for high-heel safety:
- Plan to spend no more than three hours at a time in high heels.
- Opt for shorter heels, when possible – ideally two inches or less.
- Avoid pointy heels; choose wider, boxy styles instead.
- Vary the heel height and type of shoe you wear – don’t wear heels every day.
Fix foot pain promptly.
If you notice changes in your feet due to high heels such as pain, swelling, a bump on the back of your heel, corns, calluses, or toe deformities, visit us at Clifton Foot & Ankle Center. Custom orthotics (or “insoles,” as Lily Collins called them) can adjust your gait to make you more comfortable in your high heels. Remember that the sooner you address foot pain, the easier it’ll be to fix. Call our Centreville podiatry office at (703) 996-3000 or make an appointment online.
