I think my grandmother had high heels in mind when she used to tell me: “Beauty must suffer.” She also was talking about waxing your upper lip and wearing hot, itchy stockings (in her day, with garter belts and elastic clips too!)—but she was definitely also talking about wearing high heels.
There’s been a lot of coverage in the news lately about the negative health effects of improperly fitting shoes—especially regarding high heels and pumps, but even the innocent ballet flat has been getting some bad press. Apparently, it has less to do with the height of the heel and more to do with the quality of the overall fit.
In an article by Science Daily, shoes with support and sound structure were touted for preventing hind-foot pain.
We found an increased risk of hind-foot pain among women who wore shoes, such as high-heels or pumps, that lack support and sound structure,” says lead author Alyssa B. Dufour, a graduate student in the Institute’s Musculoskeletal Research Program.
As a young woman myself, this article spooked me just a bit. I love love love my high heels. You guys know that. If you have spent any time at all reading this blog, you know that I am a fan of the platform heel, the wedge boot, the peektoe pump, the sexy stiletto heel.
Oh my…I’m getting hot just blogging about them…
What’s a girl to do?
Enter Holly Robinson. I read her huh-sterical article for the Huffington Post yesterday. She had me laughing out loud in a few place. So, so funny. Here are a few excerpts, but really you need to go read the whole article…it even has a happy ending….
As a young woman I always chose beauty over comfort: I had lethal chandelier earrings that scraped my neck, tummy-tightening pantyhose and underwire bras that could come unleashed at any moment and stab me through the ribcage. God, I looked good.
“Cool shoes,” my colleague Laura remarked as I was limping back to the car. “Are they comfortable?” “Sure,” I said through clenched teeth. “It’s kind of like not noticing you sprained an ankle because your feet are on fire.”
“High heels that don’t fit are a torture chamber all their own,” I complained to my husband. “Why are you even bothering?” he asked. “Men don’t notice a woman’s shoes. To me, women in heels look like hooved animals.”
Well, after more than a few pairs of hit-and-miss purchases, our friend Holly finds a pair of high heels that make her sing. Turns out it was all about the proper fit. She chooses a pair of Joy Chens with a 2-1/2″ heel.
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- High Fashion in Low Times
- Sky High Party Shoes
- The Perfect Valentine’s Day Shoe
- United Kingdom of Shoes!
- Nostogic Impressions – The 40′s & 50′s
