Dancing the night away in a pair of sky-scraping shoes is definitely good for the mood, but there's no denying that it will leaves your feet sore and stiff, if you can feel them at all. Hobbling around for a day is one thing, but are we doing long-term damage?
Podiatrists frequently remind women that the foot is not designed to walk in heels. Grizzly-sounding side-effects range from corns building up on the ball of the foot where all the pressure falls, to tightening in the Achilles tendon and, in severe cases, cracks in the foot bones.
Many celebrities have found out the hard way what heel-wearing does to your feet. After years of strutting her stuff in towering shoes, Victoria Beckham underwent surgery to remove a bunion in 2009, a procedure that takes six to eight weeks to recover from. Earlier this year, Carol Vorderman fell down the stairs when running in a pair of stilettos, leaving her with a broken nose.
Despite these risks, most women faced with a big day at work or a glam night out will still choose to wear heels. Fortunately, you don’t need to cut them out entirely to prevent injury. Aside from the obvious point of lowering the height, another tip to reduce damage to your feet is to wear a thicker heel, since the skinnier the style, the less support your ankle gets. A thicker heel also makes it less likely that you’ll take a tumble or slip sideways, which could mean a sprained or even broken ankle.
If you can't bear the thought of bidding goodbye to your stilettos, find a compromise. Cut down on the amount of time spent in skyscrapers by wearing flat shoes for part of the day. This is definitely a must in winter, when rain, frost and snow increase the risk of slipping. Sensible doesn't have to mean boring, and a pair from this collection of flat boots will keep your feet chic, warm and safe.