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Whether it’s a pair of black patent leather pumps, sky-high ruby red stilettos or strappy sandals, high heels are considered wardrobe staples that belong in a woman’s closet. They’re used for special occasions and everyday work-life, going out dancing or going for an important interview. Sadly, these beloved fashion statements can damage parts of your body over time.
Anyone who has ever worn a pair of high heels knows that after a few hours of standing and walking, your feet are throbbing. It’s a relief just to slip them off, sit down and let your pulsing toes have a little bit of a rest. These aches and pains come after only a few hours of wearing the shoes — the long-term effects are much worse. There are many different ways that high heels can harm not just your feet, but your entire body.
Bunions
One of the health problems that people can get from wearing high heels is developing large bumps called bunions on the outsides of their big toes. A bunion is a permanent, progressive side-effect. The only way to reverse it is corrective surgery to remove part of the bone and adding screws to keep the foot in an appropriate position.
While bunions cannot be reversed, the progression can be managed. One way is to avoid high heels, which will aggravate the issue. It’s also important to get a foot assessment with a chiropodist: bunions are usually caused or contributed to by an underlying biomechanical issue, so addressing that is the first step.
Hammertoes
Another one of the distressing things that high heels do to your feet is create hammertoes, which is when your little toes bend and buckle from the pressure of standing on them. Hammertoes are awkward and sometimes painful. Flexible hammertoes can be reversed through physiotherapy, orthopedic shoe replacements or corrective surgery.
Joint Damage
Other than foot problems, high heels prematurely age your joints because they don’t allow your knee to straighten to accommodate for the additional weight placed on your legs. The reflex changes your gait (how you walk) and wears down your knees over time.
Achilles’ Tendonitis & Haglund’s Deformity
Regular use of high heels can lead to shortened Achilles’ tendons, which can create tendinitis issues – and with that comes a lot of ankle pain. The Achilles tendon is the tendon at the back of our heel that connects our heel to our knee. A shortened Achilles tendon will also cause rubbing and pressure on the back of the heel creating a bump known as a Haglund’s deformity, which is permanent spurring and deformation of the heel bone. For those who wear high heels because they want their feet to look nice, a deformity on the heel can be quite counter-productive.
Back Pain
You’ll also find that high heels cause lower back pain by forcing your lower back to arch to compensate for the fact that you’re balancing your body weight on the balls of your feet. High heels induce a forward pelvic tilt, which forces the lower back into a more exaggerated curve. The shoes force your body weight to pull forward, so you lean back when you stand. The position puts a lot of stress on your spinal discs. Sticking with the shoes can lead to poor posture, persistent aches and muscle spasms. It can also lead to chronic lower back, hip and knee pain.
Skin & Toenail Issues
High heels place excess pressure on the forefoot. With pressure, comes friction, which can lead to painful corns, calluses and blisters. The increased pressure on the big toe, especially if your high heels are also narrow, can also lead to ingrown toenails.
Alternatives to High Heels
Sometimes it’s hard to avoid high heels altogether, but there are alternatives:
- Reduce the frequency with which you wear high heels
- Invest in orthopaedic high heels with a wider toebox, cushioned forefoot, and thick heel.
- Try supportive insoles for high-heels.
- Try dress flats instead.
While not a perfect solutions, these suggestions will give your feet a little extra support and mitigate the damage from wearing high heels.
It’s clear that high heels are not worth the aches and pains that they put you through. These fashion fundamentals damage your feet, your knees and your back much more than you think. Push those sandals, stilettos and pumps to the back of the closet — it’s time to change up your footwear.
