Are high heeled shoes really a girl’s best friend? That depends, should a best friend hurt you, fail you and cause you irreversible pain? Well, many “best friends” do. That’s why you either find a way to deal with them or move on to find ones you are truly compatible with.
There are things that you have to consider before putting all of your faith in your new shoes.
If you are left with scars, blisters or even bruises after wearing a pair there is something wrong, and you either need to fix the problem or ditch the shoes. Below is basic information, tips and drug store products that can turn a painful shoe experience into a tolerable or less painful one.
The Dr. Scholl’s website notes that blisters occur on the soles of feet and heels because feet often rub against shoes. It recommends products like its Blister Defense Anti-Friction Stick, which helps “prevent blisters by protecting feet from shoe rubbing,” and For Her Rub Relief Strips, which “cushion sensitive spots to help prevent rubbing and blisters.”
Buy shoes that fit, not slightly tight or with a little “breathing room.” The National Institute on Aging recommends that you have your feet measured before buying shoes because shoe size may change as you age. It adds, “The best time to measure your feet is at the end of the day when your feet are largest.”
Keep in mind that shoes will expand after a few wears but they will not shrink. Fight the urge to buy the clearance prized, half-size-too-big shoes because you will either not get to wear them much or they will cause you more pain than pleasure, how cute are they going to look in a box in your closet’s top shelf? Not very.
If you have a pair that you just have to wear invest in bandages and slip pads.
Bandages can be worn before any damage has been done. If when you try shoes on you notice one or both rub or scratch in one specific spot and cause discomfort you can use a bandage. When shoes are new the backs may be stiff so a bandage can help. They will also help protect damaged areas after the damage has been done.
Kiwi offers Smiling Feet Anti-Slip Pads, which “adhere comfortably and securely to the inside of the shoe to prevent feet from slipping forward in high heels and sandals,” if that’s one of the problems you experience.
There are many more products available to help depending on your shoe woes. It’s important to become familiar with them but it is more important to “practice good foot care. Take a look at your feet often; use a mirror to look at the bottoms of you feet. Look for cuts, blisters, and ingrown toenails,” according to the National Institute on Aging.
So when shopping for shoes and there is a pair that you just can’t resist -- though they don’t quite “fit like a glove”-- consider you will either have to invest in some form of orthotic shoe insole or in shelves so that you can display them as art. That is, unless you’re some sort of masochist.
If you must, and let’s face it, many of us must, The American Podiatric Medical Association suggests, “to relieve the abusive effects of high heels, women can limit the time they wear them, alternating with good quality sneakers or flats for part of the day.”
Sources:
1. Dr. Scholl's. Drscholls.com. Web. October 5, 2011.
http://www.drscholls.com/drscholls/conditions/shoerubbingfriction.jsp
2. National Institute on Aging. Nia.nih.gov. Web. October 5, 2011.
http://www.nia.nih.gov/HealthInformation/Publications/footcare.htm
3. KIWI Care. Kiwicare.com. WEb. October 5, 2011.
http://www.kiwicare.com/kiwimcmssite/us/products/comfort/anti-slip-pads.html
4. American Podiatric Medical Association. Apma.org. Web. October 5, 2011.
http://www.apma.org/MainMenu/Foot-Health/Foot-Health-Brochures-category/Learn-About-Your-Feet/Footwear.aspx
Malu is an editorial intern at EmpowHER. She is currently studying multimedia journalism at Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication.
Edited by Jody Smith