How Can I Make My Heels Hurt Less When Walking?

It’s pretty much a known fact to all women that walking in heels can both be tiring and painful.  What some women might not realize is that there are some ways to alleviate that stress and pain.  Some of these tips may even be surprising.  Let’s take a look.

Why Do Women’s Heels Hurt?

Something women may be interested in knowing is why women’s heels hurt so much in the first place.  There may actually be a few different reasons.

        •        The Placement of the Heel: If the heel is placed further down, you may experience pain in the ball of your foot. 

         •        The Height of the Heel: This one is pretty much a no brainer and is well known.  To further explain, your usual walking pattern is heel-toe-heel-toe, but wearing high women’s heels will throw off that pattern, therefore, causing you discomfort.

         •        The Placement of the Toe: Have you ever had someone warn you not to wear pointed toe shoes?  Well, there was actually a reason for that.  If you experience pain on the side of your foot, baby toe, or big toe, the height of the toe section probably has something to do with that.  If the toe section of your women’s heels is cutting into you around that area, that’s where the pain is stemming from.

How Can I Prevent Pain When Wearing My Women’s Heels?

There are actually a few different ways to prevent pain in women’s heels.  Let’s go down the list.

1.     Stretch Them Out: Stretching your heels out, especially new ones, can be a great way to combat pain.  There are a few different methods you can use to do the stretching.  Some prefer “the sock method,” which is to wear thick socks with your heels while walking around the house.  Some stranger methods are using a blow dryer on them before you put them on and putting them in a bag of ice in the freezer.  If you want to go for a more practical route, you can always use a shoe stretcher.

2.     Use Gel or Padded Inserts: Gel and padded inserts can help with pain, but keep in mind that they can also potentially make the women’s heels fit tighter.  So, make sure to move your foot around comfortably in the shoe after you are done with them.  There are a few different types of gel and padded inserts to consider for ailments in different areas.

3.     Arch Inserts: If you have a very high arched foot, some people find having an arch support under the insole can make a huge difference in comfort.

4.     Toe Guards or Bunion Protectors:  If your shoe irritates the outside of your foot, you can get a silicone pad that loops around your toes. It may sound odd, but these guards are designed to loop around your baby toe. Bunion protectors, on the other hand, also loop around your big toe to protect that area.  There are even silicone guards that have an added piece to the loop in order to aid in “bunion correction” and could potentially help with blisters.

5.     Tape Your Toes: This is one tip that every girl’s mom has stated for years going back.  However, there may be some truth to it. 

According to podiatrist Joan Oloff, the metatarsals or the five long bones of the foot that end at the ball can have discomfort from women’s heels. Additional pressure could also be put on the toes as well.  However, a lot of the pain comes from small intermetatarsal nerves that run in between the bones of the foot themselves, and when wearing heels, the nerves become irritated and enlarged.  Taping one’s toes can remove some of this built up pressure.

6.     Wear Women’s Heels Less:  This may seem like the most obvious solution and the one you might not want to hear, but, cutting your time with your heels will probably save your feet.  You can try little things like waiting to put them on right before a special event or bring a comfortable pair of shoes to slip on right after the event or during a down time.

Are women’s high heels really that bad for you?  There have been studies and evidence to support that yes, they can be when worn in excess.  Long-term use of high heels can lead to a shortened Achilles tendon and can also aggravate a deformity called Haglund’s, which is a bony enlargement on the back of the heel often referred to as “pump bump.”  Try using these tips to eliminate or at least ease the pain that comes with high heels.  Wearing your women’s heels in moderation is the only way to fully prevent these damages from happening at all, wear responsibly.