It seems that with the hot weather, in comes the sandals. The flat, simple sandals are no longer fashionable. It is the ones with those one and one-half inch heels that are all the rave– but is this healthy?
Heels may be prominent in fashion magazines, but from a medical standpoint, they are a serious health hazard. Have you noticed the multitudes of fake Manolo Blahniks, the abundance of Bakers’ Best, and a plethora of Payless on the feet of seemingly all women on campus? Well, here is the skinny on high heels.
Wearing heels may add inches, but they also takeaway from the strength of your feet. They can lead to a variety of dilemmas that affect not only your toes, but the arch, the ankle, the knee and quite possibly even other body parts not thought to be associated with the foot.
A little known fact is that the heel needs just under half an inch in order for the foot to efficiently grasp the ground when walking. The toes are designed to serve as small shock absorbers when the foot pounds the pavement. When women give their feet a lift with those horrendous heels, the toes become locked into place, which results in their failure to absorb the force of each stride.
Hammer toes. Sounds pretty gruesome, right? Well it sure isn’t a “walk in the park.” This condition results when the toes are constantly bent in the middle joint. This bend becomes permanent and toes begin to resemble claws. That’s not the end of your worries. Because the toes are being pressed together, ingrown toenails are a major risk as well.
There are several other ailments associated with wear-
ing high heels. They include bone spurs, shin splits and neuroma.
Think that maybe if you refrain from wearing heels that are extremely high, you might eliminate your chances of facing these problems? Think again.
“There isn’t a high heel in existence that is good for the average woman and the higher the heel, the worse the potential problems,” said Edward Hurwitz, D.P.M, staff podiatrist at Boston Medical Center.
Manolos aren’t exactly the best way to go. Though they are very stylish, they are very, very unhealthy. Hence the four-inch stiletto. Obviously, walking around for long periods of time or long distances in a heel is painful.
Many women can vouch for that.
The truth is, your foot should not be experiencing pain from shoes. They are designed to support all of your weight–all of it. When you put on the long skinny heels, it’s like putting two times the weight on those precious peds.
For work and school, it is very sensible to select a shoe that is less hazardous. A shoe with a short heel is certainly recommend. Now, more and more women are becoming aware of this “high-heel hazard” and are choosing shoes that are fashionable and comfortable.
“More than 67 percent of women are wearing flats, low-heeled pumps or
other comfortable shoes, and thus are reducing their foot injury risk,” said Carol C. Frey, MD, interim clinical professor of orthopedic surgery at UCLA.
The characteristics of a good shoe are rounded, asymmetrical or square to box toes, shock absorbing heels, slip resistant soles and flexible or soft uppers. There should also be no “breaking-in” necessary, according to Frey.
So the next time you feel the need to slip into those extra strappy, extra high heels, stop and think about what you just read. Be good to your feet, and you’ll be glad you did.
