7 Tips for Wearing High Heels

There is no denying the many benefits that come from wearing high heels. Not only are they available in thousands of styles, but they look sleek, sophisticated, and can even improve your appearance by making it appear as if you are taller or have toned up. Even so, if you aren’t used to wearing them or if you must be on your feet all day, walking in them can be a chore. Use these tips for wearing heels to help you stay comfortable and look amazing whether you wear them for an hour or an entire day.

Wear the Right Size

Even if you plan to buy your shoes online, find similar pairs in the store first and try them on. To further ensure you are wearing the right size, ask a shoe salesman to measure your foot and help you find the right size. While your heels shouldn’t be so snug that they are uncomfortable, they also can’t be too loose, especially in the heel. The heel should be snug enough that your foot won’t slide forward and put unneeded pressure on your toes.

When trying on shoes, do so at the end of the day. Your feet swell as you go about the day, so you’ll need a size that can accommodate that. A size eight may feel comfortable before breakfast but much too tight by the time you’ve finished date night.

Walk the Walk

If you haven’t worn high heels much — or ever — practice walking in them before making your public debut. Your instinct may be to put your entire foot down at once to maintain balance, but doing so doesn’t help much and makes your gait look very unnatural. Instead, put your heel down first, then your toe. Once you get used to the feeling, you’ll look as if you were born to walk in heels.

Choose Heels That Are Appropriate for the Activity

Everyone has seen the party scenes in the movies with the girls wearing tight dresses and six-inch stiletto heels as they walk gracefully into the club and everyone stops to stare. What the movies don’t show you is the inability to stay on your feet all night in such a shoe. If you’re going to an event where you must be on your feet most of the time or where you’ll want to spend time dancing, consider wearing a shorter heel. If you do wear tall ones, skip the stilettos for something thicker and more stable.

Add Some Cushion

One of the reason heels are so uncomfortable is because their slim designs don’t add much in the way of soft padding for you to walk on. You can ease some of the pain of spending a prolonged time in heels by adding your own gel inserts. Purchase ones that feel comfortable for you and trim them down to fit the shoe.

Wear Platform Styles

Thin-soled heels with no rubber base mean your foot absorbs every shock the ground sends to it as you walk. Purchase platform styles with rubber soles that make it easier for the shoe to absorb most of the shock. Platform styles are coming back into style, so you’ll be fashionable as well as more comfortable.

Choose the Right Style

Strappy sandals are sexy, but if you aren’t a pro at walking in heels, they are also more likely to make you topple over or look like an amateur. If you’re new to the added height, choose styles that are closed or that have t-straps to help the shoes stay on your feet. You can graduate to more open styles once you’ve mastered the sturdier ones.

Take the Heel Elevation Test

Even if you’re a pro at wearing high-heels, remember that there is such a thing as too tall. To ensure your shoes are the right fit, stand up straight in them, keeping your knees straight. Next, try to stand on your tiptoes. If you can do so and you feel as if you are lifting yourself out of the shoes, the heels are just right. If you don’t feel any lift, they are probably too high and will be uncomfortable to wear.

Remember, sometimes something will feel like a perfect fit when you try them on, but make sure that isn’t just your mind playing tricks on you because you love the shoe so much. Always break in your heels by wearing them around the house before putting them on for an entire day or night. Finally, if it turns out you don’t love them the way you thought, don’t be afraid to return or exchange them.

Avery Parker