10 tricks to make heeled shoes more comfortable
Wearing high-heeled shoes for several hours can be difficult and painful. There are tricks to make them as comfortable as possible, in order to resist events without trying that desire to take off your shoes.
Heeled shoes are beautiful, elegant and make the body more slender but not very comfortable. Not all women wear them, there are those who prefer flat shoes, such as beautiful ballerinas, sandals or boots without heels that go well with some outfits. Tall women, for example, don't need to stretch their legs even further, but even those who are shorter in stature can choose to stay comfortably at ground level.
There are instead women who cannot give up a shoe with a heel, and wear it with extreme grace. But how do they do it? Do not make the mistake of thinking that they do not suffer, because, especially when you are not used to it, feet with heels cause pain. It seems that these shoes are made to torture, but in reality a little practice and some tricks are enough, that the problem is solved.
A method is known to find out if the shoes with the heel will be comfortable or not, but in any case, if used for many hours in a row, the evil will be felt at some point. To be able to wear shoes with heels without resorting to the trick of taking them off to rest your feet, which could only worsen the pain once put back, here are 10 secrets to make them more comfortable and feel less pain.
1. Choose the most suitable heel
For some time, the plateau was in trend in the world of footwear: the higher it was, the cooler the shoes. In the fashion of the last few years, the famous rise that softened the difference in height between the toe and the heel has remained, but has gone into the background, lowering itself. Consequently, it has become even more important to choose the most suitable heel, both in terms of size and type.
Spring / summer fashion comes to our aid, because it shows shoes with heels of different heights: the pumps with very high stiletto heels, alongside lower heels, up to the 5/6 cm kitten heel. Furthermore, for beginners, or for women who are tired of very narrow heels and looking for more comfort, there are very current alternatives, such as square heels and wedges.
2. Do not use new shoes
A fundamental rule for wearing heels without pain is to never wear new shoes to go out, without having first used them at home. The new shoes are more rigid, they still have to take the shape of the foot well to make it adhere and cause blisters, especially on the heel and on the sides of the toes.
Heeled shoes should therefore first be worn for a few hours a day to run errands, at home, or at work, if you do not have to stand for a long time. At the time of going out they will have softened and the foot will have got used to the new shape of the shoe.
3. Shoes with the right size heel
A useful tip for any type of footwear, which also fits perfectly in the case of shoes with heels, is to choose the right size. If the shoe is in fact larger than even half a size, the foot slips and does not adhere perfectly to the sole. This creates a series of discomforts that amplify evil: the fingers push on the toe, the shoe is likely to slip off and you are forced to move your foot continuously to fix it, also risking to get crooked and struggle to walk.
This is why it is important to choose the right size shoes, absolutely avoiding the bigger ones, and at most, if you really can't give up a shoe that has run out of its size, you can take the one of the smallest half size, implementing before wearing it methods to enlarge and soften it.
4. Spread the heel of the shoes to make them comfortable
There are several ways to soften the inside of the shoes and widen them, so as to constrict the feet as little as possible. In fact, the pain is usually caused both by the position of the arched foot, which is felt under the sole, and by the toes tight on the toe and sides, pain that then radiates to the whole foot.
Wear them frequently throughout the day, so as to get used to them slowly and widen them
Maintain the shape, inserting balled paper like that of the shops
Fold and twist the shoe in a decisive but delicate way, to avoid breaking them. In this way the material is elasticized and softened
- Moisten the interior, being careful of materials that are damaged by water. You can do it by dabbing with a damp cloth, and shape the shoe as you prefer. Another way to moisten the interior is by using a potato, which releases moisture and maintains the enlarged shape
- Use special products that enlarge and maintain the shape found in stores
5. Use heat
Another remedy for enlarging shoes is to use heat. You must wear shoes with cotton or wool socks, not too thin or too thick, and pass the hairdryer at a distance of at least 15 cm from the shoe, flexing your fingers to soften and shape the skin of the shoe. It is a trick that often works, because using socks the foot is wider, and when you move on to barefoot or pantyhose you feel the difference. In addition, the heat of the hairdryer helps to widen the material.
6. Insert the bearings
There are methods on the market designed specifically to make shoes with heels comfortable. These are transparent gel pads, easily available on the market, even on Amazon. Applied inside the shoe, they help the foot not to slip. They are also soft, and relieve the pressure of body weight on the feet. Finally, being transparent is important, because they cannot be seen and can be worn with any type of heel shoe.
7. Tie your toes
It is a trick that models on the catwalk also use, and it is very useful especially for shoes with pointed heels, which are back in fashion. With pointed shoes, the main problem is to have your toes in an unnatural position, narrowed in very little space.
A tip in this case is to tie the third and fourth fingers with surgical tape, which relieves the pressure of the nerves, making the pain disappear or in any case decreasing. This trick is applicable with all types of closed shoes, while it is to be avoided with open-toe shoes, because it would be seen.
8. Walk, don't stand still
Standing still during an evening or an event in which you are standing is the worst choice when you wear uncomfortable heels. In fact, this position is the one that makes evil feel much more, the whole weight of the body is concentrated in the balance on the heels, and it is the feet, legs and back that suffer most. A useful trick is to continually travel small distances, with the excuse of going to the toilet, or having a drink, saying goodbye to someone or simply taking a tour of the environment in which you find yourself.
9. Move your toes
When you have to spend a few hours standing in heels, the best advice is certainly to, as soon as you have the opportunity, sit and rest for a few minutes and stretch your feet. If you can't sit down, you can still do exercises that help your circulation. You need to move your toes and ankles so they don't stay in the same position for too long. They may in fact decrease sensitivity, making them extremely unpleasant.
10. Roughen the sole
Finally, to have more comfortable heels, they can be made safer. Roughening the sole is important, because it makes them less slippery and makes more friction on the floor. This way you can walk more confidently, rest your foot in its entirety, and avoid painful sprains. You can use a piece of sandpaper, which in a short time roughens the sole without damaging it.
