From Flats to Stilettos, it's Agony of the Feet



I went to visit my boyfriend's grandparents the other week and his grandpa cut out this article from the Richmond Times for me!

The article describes how women will wear 5 inch stilettos to work throughout the week then will switch to flats or flip flops over the weekend. (Around these parts, however, with all the students it's more of wearing flats throughout the week and growing 5 inches taller on the weekend!) 

When conducting a study on the feet, it was found that "women who wore so-called 'high risk' shoes that lacked sound structure and support, including high heels, sandals and slippers, were more likely to complain about foot pain later in life."

Listed are some common problems associated with wearing heels (or frequently switching from heels to flats to heels):

• Bunions- Experts say bunions, when the big toe points toward the second toe causing a bump to appear on the outside edge of your toe, are partly genetic. Wearing pointy-toe high heels can make the problem worse.
• Hammertoes- Shoes that crowd the toes together can cause the second, third, fourth and fifth toes to become bent, like a claw.
• Corns- Thickened skin on the top or side of the toe.
• Neuromas- Pinched nerves that cause a burning sensation, tingling or numbness between the toes and in the ball of the foot.
• Heel pain- Plantar fasciitis commonly causes inflammation of the thick tissue on the bottom of the foot, which leads to pain in the bottom of the heel.

What it comes down to is if height is important to you, wear wedges instead of platform or high heels. I personally recommend Danskos (I wear them everyday!) however, they are an investment, but they will give you the height and the support you need.

Also, make sure to stretch, yes it may sound silly to stretch after removing your heels for the day, but it will help in the long run with pain, swelling and discomfort!
Here are some quick stretching exercises we recommend: Plantar Fasciitis stretches and Heel Pain stretches