Wedding Shoe Shopping Tips

Next to the search for the wedding dress, looking for your wedding shoes are one of the hardest things on your to do list. You might have to sacrifice comfort for style. You might have to choose comfort over style. You might have to choose price over comfort. Or you can go on the quest for comfort, style and price as most brides do. Expect to do a lot of shopping and expect a lot of frustration.

Wedding shoes are a once in a lifetime purchase. They are part of your wedding attire and will show when you take off your garter, so you want them to complete your look. Remember to budget in wedding shoes so you don't think of them as an additional afterthought expense.

Why are wedding shoes so hard to find?

Most retail stores don't stock them, they order them because its expensive to stock a lot of shoes that will go out of style or may discolor if they sit on their shelf for long periods of time. Most shoes will not discolor, but if they are cheap shoes with glued on satin, the glue may yellow and give the shoes a yellowish color.

Wedding shoes are special occasion shoes and the demand isn't the same as a flip flop or pair of cute boots.

Wedding shoe buying tips:

Shop early and keep your options open. Shop so that you have your shoes in time for alterations because your hem length on your dress is dependent on the size of your shoe heel. You may need to buy the shoes before you order your wedding dress if you are having your dress ordered with your hem length.

Some brides decide to wear a color to match the accent on their wedding dress. If you decide to do color, make sure you wear color accents in your jewelry to tie it all together.

Don't rule out leather shoes. There is no rule that your wedding shoes have to be fabric. Fabric shoes don't breathe like leather and don't stretch like leather.

Look for a shoe that supports your foot and ankle and that you can stand and dance in for long periods of time.

If you choose a heel, look for a shoe that has padding in the ball of the foot so your feet don't start to burn and hurt.

Strappy shoes can cut into your feet after standing a long time and cause blisters.

Feet will swell as the day goes on. Buy them large enough to accommodate dancing and happy feet. You can put in a comfort gel pad and take it out as your feet swell.

Buy shoes that you can wear all day. Taking off your shoes at the reception looks tacky and will make your dress too long. You risk falling or tripping if your dress is too long, not to mention having your feet stepped on with your dance partner.

There is a huge difference in quality in wedding shoes. Price doesn't always indicate quality. Sometimes you are paying for the designers name. Sometimes you are paying for silk shoes versus satin or polyester fabric. Some of the same shoes that are unaffordable in silk can be ordered in a less expensive fabric so you have the same look at a more affordable price.

If the shoe rubs your foot, pinches or feels like it won't bend, don't buy it.

If the shoe is too big at the heel of the shoe, see if adding a heel pad will make a difference or try a shoe size down. If you walk out of the shoe, don't buy it.

If the shoe is too narrow, don't buy it, you will be miserable. Some wedding shoes come in wide widths, some don't. If you wear a very narrow width, it may be unavailable except in the most expensive custom shoes. Consider buying a leather shoe if your foot is very narrow.

After you buy your shoes, make sure you break them in. Wear them around the house with a pair of socks to make them comfortable. If they have a leather sole, make sure you take them to a shoe shop to have a non skid pad put on the bottom so you don't fall. Bring along some self adhesive moleskin to the reception that can be applied to the part of the shoe that is rubbing so you don't get blisters.

The Cone Heel Is Back for Fall—Meet Its Inventor, Maud Frizon

The fulcrum of this fall’s trendiest footwear isn’t a chunky platform or a rakish stiletto, but a throwback cone heel. This upwardly swelling support, revived by Anthony Vaccarello at Saint Laurent and Isabel Marant, was first popularized in the 1980s by Maud Frizon, a French shoe designer whose sophisticated creations and personal glamour made her an all-round style star.

Though Frizon and her husband sold their namesake company in 1999, the legacy of the brand is still active on many levels. Sarah Jessica Parker cited Frizon as an inspiration for developing her own label, and the French woman’s designer roller skates predate this season’s YSL novelties by decades. The outsize careers of Manolo Blahnik and Christian Louboutin also largely adhere to the template set by Frizon’s runaway success, of which some of the markers were a castle in the Loire Valley, a Deco-filled Manhattan pied-à-terre with wraparound windows, and a helicopter license—all catnip for journalists. “Not since Cinderella has a woman caused as much to-do about shoes as Maud Frizon. Not even Imelda Marcos,” gushed The Miami Herald in 1986. Five years earlier, in 1981, Andy Warhol dedicated a diary entry to stalking Cher at Frizon’s Upper East Side boutique, a popular outpost of the era’s “get set.”

Danielle Maud Frizon’s shoe story began in 1941, when she was born in Paris, to a French father and English mother, with a special attribute: “I have,” Frizon once explained, “a perfect foot.” From a young age Frizon was shoe obsessed. “It’s a sickness,” she told People in 1980, “and I’ve never been cured.” A tall brunette with sculpted cheekbones, Frizon started modeling after high school, parading for the likes of Christian Dior, Jean Patou, and André Courrèges. She also showed shoes for André Perugia, the famous bottier for whom her first husband, François Villon de Benveniste, worked. On the phone from France earlier this week, Frizon explained that it was while touring shoe factories that she thought she could do her own collection. “My inspiration was really to see the workmanship and how they made the shoes,” she said.

Concept became reality in 1969 when, on the Rue des Saints-Pères, Frizon and her second husband, Italian shoe manufacturer Luigi “Gigi” de Marco, launched their namesake line of handcrafted shoes. Brigitte Bardot is said to have been a fan of Frizon’s high red leather boots that worked so well with leg-baring minis. From the start, color and materials were central to Frizon’s aesthetic. “I have no rules about shoe design,” Frizon said in a 1979 interview. “I just love everything bright. I feel the same way about dressing. There should be no rules. Everything is so much more fun when you mix.” Perhaps it was this open attitude that attracted fellow Left Bank habitué Sonia Rykiel to ask Frizon to design runway shoes for her collections. Claude Montana, Azzedine Alaïa, and others would follow suit, making Frizon’s label closely associated with fashion and trends. “Having been a model for the haute couture in Paris,” Frizon told me, “I had this background of couture, if I may say.”

As magical and eye-catching as Frizon’s shoes were, they were never frivolous despite their decorative aspects. Although the designer said that an interesting shoe must have “something a little bit crazy about it,” she was fixated on craftsmanship. “For me, shoes are an architecture,” said Frizon. “I have always had with all my shoes a preference for the heel. [And] the cone heel for me was really something interesting. It was like an architectural project. With a classic pump [the cone heel] is perfect, because it takes all the importance.”

5 Tips for High-Heel Lovers This Fall

Fall fashion has made its way from the runway to the streets. Sky-high heels that were part of Fashion Week are now trending as today’s look. There is no doubt that heels can complete an outfit, but what about the pain? There is an old adage that without pain one cannot achieve beauty. I think our feet may disagree on this one.

Whether it is to complete work attire or for fashion, heels make legs look longer and leaner and boost a woman’s height. High heels change standing posture by causing an increased arch of the back, pushing the pelvis forward. This causes the calf muscles to tighten and shorten. Some of the catwalk movements are actually the body trying to compensate for the changes in gait your body needs to make during the walking cycle.

According to the American Podiatric Medical Association, wearing heels three inches or above on a regular basis can contribute to shortening of the Achilles tendon, the tendon in the back of the leg, causing tightness and chronic pain in the calves. Other issues such as neuromas, hammertoes and bunions can also result from long-term wear. Gait changes may also lead to knee, hip, and back pain and can even accelerate arthritis in these joints. With that knowledge, still some cannot ditch the heels, so what can be done?

1. Choose the right size shoe. As simple as it sounds, the shoe needs to fit. Make sure there’s some space from the longest toe and the shoe. When shoe shopping, buy at the end of the day when your feet are already swollen. Also, look at your width of your feet. I see too many women with wide feet cramming into a narrow shoe. This will help avoid bony changes and damage that can lead to bunions, neuromas and hammertoes.

2. Break them in. Wear socks at home while wearing shoes for a few hours, or use shoe stretchers. Wear shoes that give, that are made of leather rather than synthetic, so they can stretch.

3. Cushion inside the shoe. A gel cushion in ball of the foot (also known as metatarsal padding) can do wonders! Moleskin can also be used on bony areas of the foot to protect from friction. Unfortunately, this discomfort won’t do anything to alleviate the calf, knee, or back pain that results from posture changes caused by wearing heels.

4. Switch it up. Change your shoes throughout the day. Wear heels only for periods of time and give your feet a break.

5. Wear a platform and find shoes with a thin rubber sole. Choose wedges over stilettos, a lower heel over sky-high, and one that encompasses the ankle, allowing for more support.

For the time, heels are here to stay. The good news for women is that the physics of high heels are now being more closely studied. Biomechanics as well as gait changes are finally being considered in shoe development. Let’s hope this will lead to a shoe that looks killer on the runway, but that does not kill our feet!

How to Repair High Heel Shoes at Home

There is no need to visit a shoe repair shop the next time the heel breaks on one of your pairs of stylish pumps. And there's no need to prematurely toss your high heels into the dustbin either! Most broken heels can be satisfactorily repaired in the comfort of your own home with just a few simple tools at hand.

The first step is to gather your materials. You will need glue and some shoe nails. Make sure to use one of the following types of glue: Krazy Glue, Super Glue, shoe glue (Shoe Goo is a well-known brand) or Elmer's Carpenter's Wood Glue. Super Glue is great for a quick fix because it dries so quickly; but glue specifically for shoes will give you the best long-term results. Shoe nails can be purchased at a shoe repair shop and may also be carried by shoe and hardware stores. Often you can reuse the nails that were originally used to hold the heel in place.

Broken heels can be classified into two categories: heels that have broken completely off the shoe and heels that have broken into two pieces. If a heel has completely broken off the shoe, the first thing you will need to do is glue the heel back in place. Nails alone are not sufficient to securely anchor the heel. Coat the sole of the shoe with one of the above mentioned glues.

After carefully aligning the detached heel, press the detached heel to the sole of the shoe and hold it there. Allow the glue to dry. (The amount of time necessary will depend on the type of glue you use, so be sure to read the glue's instructions.) Once the glue is dry, carefully tap the nails back into their original holes. It is important to coat the nails with glue before hammering them in place. This will ensure that the nails stay put. You may want to insert a few additional nails for added stability.

If a heel has broken into two pieces, use one of the above mentioned glues to rejoin the broken pieces together. You should carefully hammer in a few additional nails in order to reinforce the heel at its breaking point. Remember: never insert the nails until the glue is fully dry.

Most of the time glues and shoe nails do the trick! If the heel breaks again it may be a sign that you do in fact need to visit the shoe repairman (or invest in a new pair of shoes)!

These Nike Sneakers Let You Doodle and Stencil Them at Home

What's better than a fresh pair of sneakers? A pair of sneakers you can DIY. Now Nike is hopping on the DIY train and offering a sneaker that has swoosh stencils so you can customize your kicks. The DIY Nike Gakou Flyknit drops on August 24. According to Nike, "Indecision about how the swoosh would appear on the shoe led to the creation of rubber stencils, allowing consumers to personalize the shoe on their own." Is this the best DIY project ever? Any sneakerhead would argue yes, and, frankly, I do too.

Proof that fitness can help you find love: this amazing 94-year-old bride, who just married her 98-year-old groom. They met at the gym, naturally.

Is this story better than The Notebook or what? The couple, who wed on August 5, met at the gym and still go to the same gym together twice weekly. If those aren't #fitcouplegoals, then literally none in the world exist. Check out the full story in The New York Times.

You can now cut down on your amount of food waste by, like, 50 percent. Which translates to a lot of dollars.

Food waste is a real problem. The National Resources Defense Council reports that Americans aren’t eating about 40 percent of the food they buy, which not only hurts the environment but also burns a hole in your wallet. (Think about all that kale gone bad.…) There are a slew of easy ways to cut down on it, but this smart new gadget is changing the game. Meet the FridgeCam, a new device out of Britain that monitors the status of your fridge, alerts you to its contents, snaps pictures of its insides, and tracks the expiration dates of all your perishables, as reported by Food52.

In addition, the camera and corresponding app monitor expiration dates, will alert you as they approach, and will suggest recipes for you to make based on what you've got left in your fridge. Incredible, right? The FridgeCam promises up to 50 percent less food waste per year. You can pre-order now—or wait until it officially launches next month—for roughly $130. That might seem pricey to some, but if it helps you waste less food (and therefore buy less food), there could be serious return on investment here.

Say hello to the fly AF Adidas Tennis Collection by Pharrell Williams below, which references iconic players from the ‘70s with modern-day performance fabrics. Look for polos, cable knits, track tops, and more in primary color-block and off-white pinstripe motifs for both men and women. The collection launches on August 31—just three days after the U.S. Open technically kicks off.

The tennis player, who hasn't been on the court since she tested positive for the performance-enhancing substance meldonium at the Australian Open in 2016, has been selected by the USTA as one of eight invitees (all of whom are unseeded) to play in the 2017 U.S. Open, as reported by NBC Sports. Think it's time for her to be back on the court?

Ever wanted to know the science behind delicious desserts you (I mean I) so desperately love? Now you can with this new baking book.

I love cake. Come at me. (You guys know the drill: It's all about balance.) One chef and newly minted author, Stella Parks, wanted to learn what's really behind our favorite bakery delights, which she does in her book (and same-named blog), BraveTart. It's science meets history meets sweets, as Grubstreet discovered, and now I'm hungry for cake.

I'm obsessed with any new sports-bra technology. But a sports bra made out of coffee grounds?

When it comes to sports bras, I'm very serious about my picks, thanks to my large cup size and smaller band. They're hard as hell to fit, and it's even harder to keep them in place without any chafing. I have to say, though, I'm curious about this new sports bra and workout line, RUMI X, supposedly made from—wait for it—coffee grounds. According to the brand, "Recycled coffee grounds are embedded into a fiber, to create a unique fabric with odor controlling, dry­fast, UV protection, and breathability properties." Think it's legit? Should I try it? Most important, will it energize me?! So many questions.

Nike Dunks - Your Shoes With Comfort and Fashion

Nike Dunks shoes can be best described as "comfort and fashion" shoes which have gained a lot of popularity. With a long history of marketing, Nike Company has released a series of new stylish shoes like, Nike Basketball shoes, Nike air Max shoes, Nike Air Force one shoes and so on. Among these various styles of shoes, Nike Dunks combine glamour and comfort. This classy and elite footwear came into market in early eighties. Initially it was designed to cater the needs of basketball players. You can't stop yourself from talking about Michel Jordon when you talk about basketball. Nike gained much promotion with this name. The sole was given a very low profile so as to come up with a design which is light in weight and stays closer to ground

A major criterion of shoe lovers is to get the shoes for them which are very comfortable and look attractive. Comfort and style have given ample importance in designing of Dunks by Nike. Nike Dunk has become a huge hit among sneaker lovers for its vibrant colors and innovative technology. They have become popular as comfortable, spunky and good looking shoes. Although women rarely wear sports shoes, Nike Dunks shoes for women introduced for women by Nike are getting fame as well.

Design of Nike Dunks has undergone changes for 21 times since its first launch. The Nike Dunks SB which was introduced in 2005 by Nike is a result of such changes. Basically it was launched for the players of skateboarding but similarity of the both games made it comfortable for both of them. Both games require strong board grip and swift feet movements which are easily achievable with use of Nike Dunks SB shoes. The double stitched outline makes the shoes classy and stylish. The shoes are available in 65 different color combination and verities and worn by players in basketball court as well as by in nightclubs as a fashion symbol.

The Nike Duke is available worldwide at about every well known store. Its price is reasonable and consumers feel satisfied. $65 to $99 is the average price of this pair of this elegant brand. Possibility of online purchase of this brand has made Nike Duke very popular and its demand has increased tremendously.

The next time when you are out to purchase shoes for your sports activity, buy Nike Duke for you. You will feel yourself that what a comfort and style is provided in these sports shoes.

How to clean white shoes

You can’t miss them, because white shoes are everywhere this season. No matter if you are a female fashion blogger, a teenage boy or an 8 year old, chances are you have a pair of white sneakers, heels, sandals or canvas shoes.

But we all know the troubles that come with white – they stay like that for like 30 seconds until the first stain disaster happens. So if you’re not a fan of a white-greyish used look and want to see them shiny and bright again here are some tips to help you clean white shoes:

Magic Erasers

If your shoes are not too dirty overall and just have some stains on the sole or the non-canvas upper try a magic eraser that you can get in the supermarket or hardware store. Wet it a little and wipe away the stains. So easy and so fast!

Dishwashing Soap

Dip a toothbrush or dishwashing brush into a mixture of water and dishwashing soap (a little splash of dishwashing soap will be enough) and move the brush in small circles. Wipe any excess foam or soap away with a damp cloth and let the shoes dry for a couple of hours. They’ll be shiny and new.

Baking Soda

Just add a little baking soda to your dishwasher soap mixture and repeat the steps before. Make sure that baking soda and detergent are mixed in the ratio 1:1. This is kind of a home remedy that lots of mums and grandmas would recommend – and don’t they always know best?

Toothpaste

Apply some white toothpaste with an old toothbrush on your shoe and let it sit for a couple of minutes. Wipe any excess toothpaste away with a damp cloth and repeat the steps if necessary.

Watered Down Bleach

Be very careful when using bleach and make sure you use it in a well-ventilated area, wear gloves and protect any materials from getting in contact with the bleach. Use a toothbrush or even a cotton bud, dip it into your bleach-water mixture and brush away any stains. This is a great trick to get rid of yellow staining on rubber soles.

Designer High Heels - A Girls Best Friend

Every girl who owns and loves designer high heel shoes can remember stepping out in her first pair. The feeling that starts with the smell of the fine leather, the feel of the shoe in the hand, the way your eye is drawn to the detail in the stitching, the lining the subtle marking on the sole identifying the type of leather used. Hand made in Italy by artisans from the finest leathers, python skin, crocodile or suede to provide a feeling on the foot never before experienced in a high heel. The first few steps and you are transformed by the glamour the impeccable style and design, they are graceful and sensitive to the foot providing comfort in even a 5 inch heel. The first time in designer heels is for many of us a defining moment, heads will turn, compliments will abound and a lifelong love affair has begun.

The obsession many of us have with designer high heels can seem to some as bizarre and overindulgent with the price of a pair of heels often referred to as outrageous and even obscene and I have no intention of defending or debating that view. I can only add that for me personally designer high heel shoes and boots are worth every penny.

Designers are always at the leading edge of innovation and creativity. They have a love, dedication, passion and skill that shines through in their work producing at times what can only be described as masterpieces. Iconic shoes that can define a generation, heels that can capture a moment in history and preserve it or timeless classics that convey the same stylish understated elegance today as they did 50 years ago.

Although high heels have been around for a long time designer high heels are relatively modern. As women become more independent and have a greater disposable income all designer products not just shoes are becoming more affordable. Although seen as prohibitively expensive, it is possible for most women to own at least one pair of designer heels and as the fashion world is in constant flux and tastes change many luxury designer labels are available on sale at a very reasonable price. One pair of handmade Italian all leather heels will outlast countless pairs of poorly made, mass manufactured shoes and provide the wearer the luxury and style she deserves.

I would like in conclusion to state my heartfelt and passionate belief that the joy and pleasure that many of us get from owning and wearing beautiful designer high heel shoes provide the perfect panacea to the increasingly hectic lifestyles we live.

Factors To Consider When Buying High Heels

High heels give you a classy look and make you feel sexy. When buying the shoes you need to consider a number of factors that include:

Fitting of the shoe

As rule of thumb ensure that you buy a shoe that is fitting. When making the purchase, remember that when wearing heels, your feet tend to be pushed forward thus you need to buy a shoe that is a little bit larger than the one that you normally wear. The taller the shoe, the larger it should be. For example, if the high heel is 2-3 ½ inches, it should be a ½ size larger. If it's 6 ½ inches and above, go for one that is 1- ½ sizes larger.

Type of heel

There are many types of high heels. The most common are:

Kitten: The heels are less than 2 inches tall thus easy to walk in.

Stiletto: Most are 8 inches tall but there are a few that are up to 10 inches. They are ideal when you are attending a dressy occasion. It's recommended that you avoid these if you haven't worn heels before.

Wedge: They feature full heels that range from the front to the back of the shoe. The designs range from open-toe to closed. The cool thing about them is that you can wear them with almost any type of cloth and they look great.

Mules: They have a backless slip-on design thus ideal when you are looking to show some skin. Their main flaw is that they have limited ankle support thus you can't walk in them for long especially if you are a newbie.

Pumps: They are similar to stilettos but often come in either peep-toe or closed shoe styles. They are recommended for those that are used to wearing heels.

Material used in making the shoes

The material used in making the high heels is another factor that you should consider when making the purchase. For durability go with shoes made from leather or suede. While the shoes made from the materials are a little bit expensive, they are breathable and tend to last for a long time. They have also been found to be comfortable to wear even for long periods of time.

Conclusion

These are the factors that you need to consider when buying heels. Comfort should be the first thing to consider when making the purchase. To ensure that the shoe is comfortable, first, walk in it in the shoe store.

A Few Hints to Help Choose the Right Pair of High Heeled Shoes

There are a world of assorted types of high heeled shoes, including pumps, platforms, sandals, wedges and high heeled boots for ladies...there is also the increasing trend for men to now wear heels, this indicates just how many styles today's shoe fashion embraces. Heels don't have to be too high to be in fashion and acceptable ...so here are a few ideas for choosing the right pair of high heeled shoes:

Choose the right heel and shoe shape for your legs.... If legs are too thick, heels with a pointed toe may seem much smaller and may make feet look out of proportion with the rest of the body. Find a heel that makes the legs look in proportion with the shoes. Many people make their legs appear leaner by choosing a wider design in heeled shoes. Heels that are too sturdy may make your legs look sturdy also.

What shoes are suitable for an outfit?

Color, dress length and style are critical to shoe choice, as an example, if very high heels such as stiletto are worn with a mini skirt there is real danger of the wrong message being given out. A pair of heels will enhance the look of long skirts on a shorter person but take note of the height of the heel as the dress or skirt must not appear too long or too short. A full length dress does not require elaborate shoes because they will not be visible. Mid height heels may be more suitable for knee length outfits.

Be careful of wearing highly decorative shoes with a longer dress particularly as they may conflict with the dress details. Extravagant shoes achieve better results with shorter dresses. Simple classic heels are more suited to longer elaborate dresses. Avoid black shoes with pastel outfits unless bags and belts are coordinated. If wearing jeans, the shape of the bottom of the jean leg can also determine the type of heels that should be worn. Platform heels can be great with jeans and if the jeans are longer the impression is that you are taller which can be a bonus!

Safety.... With high heels and stilettos, beware of strappy shoes. They can look super sexy but ankles can be twisted easily. Take care that straps are firmly attached and the heel chosen is well balanced. Maybe choose a wedge heel. An additional idea would be to roughen the bottoms of new heels which can avert a nasty accident on the dance floor.

Flexibility.... Wedge heeled shoes can provide greater flexibility and can give all the 'leg slimming' and 'extra height' benefits of a heel that's not so high. They are great with mid and mini skirts and are great for wearing to the office. heeled boots can also be very flexible and can be worn with almost all outfits. They are great with skirts and suitable for office wear.

Comfort.... High heels don't have to mean 'super high heels' or stilettos which can be very painful if not selected properly, and they are also not geared for walking too far in. If heels do need to go hand in hand with comfort, which is a sensible option..then a lower heel or a kitten heel should be selected. Maybe choose a style with squared-off toes or open toes and shorter, chunkier heels instead of stilettos or maybe, again, the all round wedge heel which slopes the foot gently and supports the whole of the foot area. Wedge heels are good for the office because they can be worn for longer periods of time without too much strain on the foot. maybe shop later in the day as feet swell as the day goes on. Also break them in in advance if one intends to wear them to a special function. Ultimately, the heel height one chooses should be determined by how many aches and pains one can allow oneself.

Sex appeal....Sandals with heels and boots with heels are very, very, sexy, and very versatile as well. In addition to enhancing ones femininity, sandals fastened at the ankle, or higher up the leg, will draw attention to legs as well as feet. Most sandals, including flip flops, some of which do fall under the category of high heeled shoes, have small, delicate heels, called kitten heels, which gives them a look that can be dressed up or dressed down, depending on what one prefers.

Everything You Need To Know About High Heels

High heels are footwear commonly used by women. People say that wearing high heels immediately makes a woman look and feel sexy. Although this type of footwear is most commonly associated with the female gender, there are designs made for males too.

Cuban heels and cowboy boots are worn by men. Cowboy boots has no lace, has a curve on the tip and have high or tall shaft. This particular style is widely used for riding horses and are most commonly worn by cowboys. A Cuban heel, on one hand, has a fair height with a straight front and is a little bit narrow at the back. Heels have many varieties and come with different types which are mostly worn by women.

Different types of high heels for women

· Stiletto

Stilettos have slimmer heels with a minimum height of 2 inches and not more than 0.4 inch in width. The highest stiletto could be as high as 10 inches. It gives you the visual illusion of having long and slender legs and it makes you appear taller as well. An added advantage is that it makes your bust and buttocks become more prominent.

· Wedge

A wedge covers the whole space under the heel and arch fractions of your foot. Its height varies so you can easily choose as to what suits your comfort level. What classifies it as a wedge are the length and shape of its heel. This heel type is quite popular in contemporary fashion.

· Puppy

The height and diameter has a measurement of roughly 2 inches. The heel is square, black and is usually thick.

· Louis or spool

This type of high heel is wide and has an obvious slimmer look at the midpoint.

· Prism

The heel appears to be triangle in shape at the tip with its triangular flat sides.

· Cone

The heel is round and wide and clearly narrow at the tip.

· Kitten

The heel is short and slim with a maximum height of 2 inches and width of not more than 0.4 inch.

The History of High Heels

High heels had been in and out of the fashion scene since World War II. High heels are worn by most European royalties during the 16th century. Back in 1580, men with power or influence had been known to wear high heels. It was back again in the later years of the 80s and again in the early 1990s. Typically, it is worn by most women today with height variations ranging from 1.5 inches kitten heel to 4 inches or more known as stilettos.

Disadvantages

Heels that are more than 5 inches in height are normally used for aesthetic reasons and are not advisable to wear. It can be the cause of most severe foot problems and has been an issue in health care. Results of wearing very high heels include the following repercussions:

· You can have foot pain because of too much arching of the foot.

· You may tend to walk slower.

· You will increase the possibility of sprains and fractures.

· You will have uneven or a wobbly walk which could predispose you to injuries.

· Foot deformities can be created.

· Your calves will appear stiffer.

· Those always wear high heels have a higher risk of degenerative knees.

· You are incapable of running.

· You can have foot and tendon problems.

But wearing high heels is not all flaws. The reason why high heels are still being used until now is that they also have their own benefits.

Advantages

· You instantly look taller.

· Your legs tend to appear much longer and slender.

· Your feet arches become well defined.

· Your posture is changed for the better.

· For shorter people, you can sit on a high chair with your foot on the floor. Plus, you will be able to reach items on higher shelves.

5 Tips on How to Wear High Heels

Who needs diamonds when you’ve got a pair of heels to help you stand out from the crowd? Diamonds may be pretty and sparkly but they definitely won’t make you look slimmer, taller or boost your confidence. The only downside to picking heels over diamonds is that wearing a pair of 5 inch heels may be a little more difficult than wearing a pretty necklace. If you need some help on how to strut your stuff in heels, then here are a few tips! Just remember to practice around the house and you’ll be a pro heel-walker in no time at all!

1. Remember: Short & Dainty Steps

Wearing heels requires more balance than just wearing your everyday flats or trainers. You should notice that when wearing heels your walking pace is much slower as you have to take shorter strides. The general rule is the higher the heel the smaller the stride. If you stick to this then your walk should look a lot more natural.

2. Heel to Toe

Just because you’re wearing heels it doesn’t mean you have to change the way you walk. As you would any other pair of shoes you must always remember to put your heel on the ground first, followed smoothly by your toes. Once all your weight is at the balls of your feet you need to transfer that weight to your tip toes.


3. Improve your Posture

Women wear heels because it gives them that feminine posture which makes your bum and your chest stick out. You should never slouch or shuffle your feet along when wearing heels and you need to make sure you put your shoulders back and avoid staring at the floor.  The whole aim of wearing heels is to look comfortable and confident so getting your posture right is crucial.

4. Look out for the Invisible Line

If you’ve ever watched a catwalk model walk down the runway you’ll noticed that they will often cross one foot slightly over the other which gives their hips more sway. The best way to achieve this walk is to imagine there’s a straight line on the floor and you need to walk perfectly along it. With a bit of practice this is easy to master.

5. Break in your Heels and Avoid Blisters

If you have a lot of flat shoes you’ll know that the first few times you wear them you often need to carry round a batch of plasters to avoid any unwanted blisters, which is why you need to break them in a bit before any lengthy usage. Well it’s the same for heels! Before you decide you’re going to take your new heels on a night out you need to wear them around the house and make sure they fit properly. If you’re worried they’re going to hurt you can buy special gel pads to insert into your heels, these will help to cushion your foot and make wearing heels much more comfortable.