Over the years, I've tried to use moderation when it comes to high heeled shoes. I opt for chunkier heels, and don't go in much for stilettos, thinking that while they may be just as bad for my feet, at least I'm less likely to injure myself while wearing them.
I mix my high heels in with a lot of flats, sneakers, and lower-heeled shoes, and I never wear high heels for very long, or do a lot of walking in them.
I also try to find the most comfortable high heels that I can, make sure they fit well, and never wear a heel over about 4 inches. Because let's face it, no matter how pretty or sexy the shoes are, nobody looks good teetering on a pair of ill-fitting stilettos that they can barely walk in.
Thus far, I've sustained no major injuries, and I don't have any heel-related problems that I'm aware of. This could be that my moderation method is working, or it could just be dumb luck.
I suspect that the debate over whether or not women should wear high heels will continue long after I've retired my platform sandals. In the meantime, I've compiled this list of things to love about high heels, and to keep things balanced, I've included a few things to hate about them.
5 Things to Love About High Heels
1) High Heels Make You TallerVertically challenged women everywhere will tell you how they love their heels. But, even if you don't need extra height, having it can make you feel good. It's truly a heady feeling to slip on a pair of shoes and instantly be 3 or 4 inches taller, and reaching things on the top shelf, well, it's a high like no other.
2) High Heels Don't Make You Look Fat
Unlike skinny jeans, cropped leggings, or whatever other torturous styles are appearing on the runways, high heels won't make you look fat. Granted, some styles are more flattering than others, but as a general rule, heels are more slimming than flats.
3) High Heels Can Make an Outfit
Even a pair of jeans and a t-shirt can take on an entirely different look when a pair of heels is added, and nothing can make a plain skirt pop like the perfect pair of pumps or sandals. Heels add a feminine touch to suits as well.
4) High Heels Make You Feel (and Look!) Sexy
Just putting on a pair of sexy high heels can make you feel sexier, but they also can make you look sexier. High heels change our body stance, making our calf muscles more pronounced, and forcing our butts and chests out -- it's nearly as if high heels force us into better posture ... and good posture is always sexy.
5) High Heels Don't Have to Cost a Fortune
While it's easy to spend a fortune on high heels, even inexpensive brands can look great. In fact, there are few things that can cost as little and make you feel quite as happy, as a pair of killer heels.
And a Few Things We Hate About High Heels ...
High Heels Wreak Havoc on Our BodiesIn addition to making your feet sore, wearing very high heels too often or for too long can cause knee and back pain, as well as a host of other foot problems.
High Heels Can Cause Serious Injury
I once read an article in which an ER doctor described some of the injuries caused by high heel shoes. Among them were injuries caused by having a stiletto heel rammed into the top of another person's foot on a dance floor. Not all foot injuries sound quite as gruesome, but trust those who've endured them, they all hurt like hell.
High Heels Are Hard to Walk In
Granted, some women seem to have been born wearing high-heeled shoes, and could probably climb a mountain in them -- have you heard about High Heel Races? But for most of us, some things are just less convenient in heels. A few things that come to mind are: icy streets, grassy areas, steep or long staircases, snowy sidewalks, slippery floors, puddles of water, dancing, running, and aerobics ... the list goes on and on.
We may love them, but if high heels were as comfortable as many of us claim, we'd be lounging around in our PJs and evening shoes.
