How to find the perfect pair of high heels that don't hurt your feet

A top podiatrist has revealed a three-step formula to find a pair of heels that won't leave you in agony.

Choosing the perfect shoe that won't give you blisters all comes down to the shape of your feet.

Consultant podiatrist Emma Supple says that some women are built to wear them skyscraper-high, while others will suffer after mere moments in the lowest of heights.

To work out which category you fit into, Emma says there's a three-step formula to calculate your perfect heel height (PHH) in a matter of minutes.

According to Emma, the measurement is based on the flexibility of a curved bone that connects the foot and the leg.

She told the Daily Mail: “If the talus tilts downwards when you are holding your leg out straight and relaxing your foot, then you have a lot of mobility and can wear high heels with ease.”

While this is good news for those with a flexible talus, other women just aren’t cut out for wearing them and there’s nothing they can do about it.

So how do you measure your PHH?

1) Take off your shoes, sit down and hold one leg straight out in front of you keeping your foot relaxed. If your foot sits at a right angle to your leg without dangling then you have less mobility and will be more comfortable in a pair of flats. However, if the top of your foot follows the line of your leg then you are a natural heel wearer.

2) You’ll need a friend for this next part. To find your ideal heel height, get someone to place a tape measure from your heel in a straight line on the floor, then place a pencil at the ball of your foot at right angles to the tape.

3) Wherever the tape measure hits the pencil reveals your PHH.

Thanks to this simple formula you can now feel a whole lot smarter about your footwear purchases, and wave goodbye to a multitude of high heel horrors.

Why I won't let my five-year-old wear high heels like Harper Beckham

Five-year-old Harper Beckham can run in high heels. In fact, according to her proud mum, Victoria Beckham, Harper can carry off a pair of towering platforms better than the average woman.

"[Harper] loves to run around in the garden with her brothers and play football, but she is very, very feminine.

"She has been able run in [Alia] platforms for a few years right now she can wear heels like most grown ups cannot!" Victoria said on the UK's This Morning.


Of course, all children like to emulate their parents, and when your mum is a fashion icon, high heels and make up are par for the course. But when I think of Harper legging it around the Beckham residence in a pair of heels I feel a bit uneasy.

I have a daughter the same age as Harper (Miss Beckham is four days older) and as much as she would love to totter around in high heels, there is no way that I would let her – not even for play.

There have been times that my five-year-old and her big sister have raided my wardrobe and wobbled out of my bedroom in heels (always wedges – unlike Harper, I can't walk in anything else). But after joining in the game for a few moments I ask them to put the shoes back. Yes, I am a killjoy, but heels and kids are not a sensible combination.

My first concern is falling. While five-year-olds have mastered the art of walking, they are accident-prone. Look round any schoolyard and you'll see an impressive collection of scabby knees and bruised shins. As kids grow their centre of gravity shifts, so they can fall unexpectedly, especially when running.
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Throw in a pair of heels and that centre of gravity shifts further. Walking can be hazardous, and with further to fall, the consequences can be more serious than a grazed knee. They don't call high heels 'ankle breakers' for nothing.

On top of this, heels can actually damage children's feet. Podiatrist Brenden Brown told Fairfax Media that high heels are concerning because kids' bones are very soft. This means that changing the position or angle of the foot could cause bones to ossify into a misshapen position.

Research from the International Journal of Clinical Practice backs this up. Doctors from South Korea found that high heels may actually alter the muscle balance around the ankle joint, leading to instability and balance problems. While this study focused on adult women the findings are still alarming.

High heels have also been associated with lower back pain, sore calves, restricted blood vessels and crooked feet. Obviously these issues come from years of walking in high heels. But considering the long-term consequences, I plan on keeping my daughters away from them for as long as possible.

But there is another reason that heels on young girls make me uncomfortable; they are unnecessarily sexualising. As much as we want to believe they are just a bit of fun (and often a thing of beauty – we've all had a pair of stilettos we can't take our eyes off) they are shoes for adults – not children. We wear them to make our legs look longer, to appear slimmer and because they are sexy. None of which matters to a five-year-old.

My daughter may share a birth week with Harper Beckham, but while I have a say in it, she won't be sharing her taste in footwear. High heels are impractical for grown women, but for children they are ridiculous.

10 Tips for Walking in High Heels: A Guide for Crossdressers and Transgender Women

Heels are the ultimate feminine accessory, so is it any wonder that most crossdressers and transgender women salivate at the sight of stilettos?

As a petite woman, I share your passion - but let's face it: learning to walk in heels is a daunting task for genetic women and crossdressers alike! Fortunately, it's something anybody can master with practice.

Ready to polish your supermodel strut? Here are 10 essential tips for walking in heels:

1. Work your way up. The higher the heel, the greater the challenge, so start with a pair of heels no more than two inches tall. Once you've mastered that pair, you try a higher heel.

2. Practice standing in heels. Before you take your first step, practice your balance by standing in heels. Experiment with different poses as you get used to the added height.

3. Improve your posture. Keep your shoulders back, your spine tall, and your chest forward. Good posture keeps you steady in the highest of heels.

4. Take a few steps. Now you're ready to walk! Take your first steps on a hard surface since carpet can throw off your balance.

5. Point your feet forward. Beginning crossdressers tend to turn their feet out as they walk, so remember to keep both feet perfectly parallel.

6. Keep your legs together. Women walk with their legs close together, so imagine that you are placing each foot along the edge of a ruler – you shouldn't have more than two inches between your feet.

7. Shorten your stride. Big steps can trip you up; instead take small, delicate steps. The higher the heel, the shorter your stride should be.

8. Straiten your legs. Bent knees throw off your balance and look inelegant. Practice walking with strait legs.

9. Challenge yourself. Once you've mastered the basics, try turning in different directions. Take a few steps on different floor surfaces and practice your stride on stairs.

10. Practice makes perfect. Walking in heels is totally different from walking in tennis shoes, so don't expect instant success. Just keep practicing and soon you'll be strutting with the best of us!

How to Avoid Foot Pain in High Heel Shoes

High heel shoes, women love them! However, sometimes a woman sacrifices comfort for looks. heels makes you look pretty and sometimes even sexier than most, but what about your poor feet? Have you ever heard that old say, "My feet are barking today?"

Women like to wear high heel shoes because they make them taller or some believe it lets them show off their butts by making it stick out a little more. No matter the reason you wear heels you really need to take care of your feet. After all, your feet are what take you from point A to point B.

Many doctors in the podiatric medicine field warn that if you wear high heel shoes all of the time eventually you will suffer from some sort of foot pain. The problems a woman can suffer from wearing high-heeled shoes on a daily basis are calluses, bunions, corns, misshapen hammertoes, and horrible pain in the ball of the foot. What is so sad is women will deal with the pain just to wear that gorgeous pair of heels.

Tips on how to avoid pain when wearing high heel shoes

OK, everyone knows it is a proven fact that no one can tell a woman not to wear her high heel shoes. But, suggestions can be made in order to avoid pain in your feet. Below are some tips to avoid pain in your feet while wearing heels.

1. When shopping for high heel shoes make sure to purchase a heel that fits your foot. Do not buy a heel that makes your foot slide forward, this causes too much pressure on your toes and the ball of your foot. Look for a pair of heels that does not leave a gap at the back and that fit your foot snug but not too tight.

2. If you are going to stand for long lengths of time while wearing high-heeled shoes make sure you put some extra cushion in the shoe. There are cushion pads that are called silicone metatarsal pads that can help with absorbing the shock your feet will have to endure.

3. Instead of purchasing a thin heel try for a thicker heel. By wearing a thicker heel your weight can be distributed more evenly than on a thinner type heel. Or another idea is to rotate from high heels to a shorter heel. By doing so, can help to reduce the pain and pressure on your Achilles tendon.

4. When purchasing heels make sure you look at the slope in the shoe. If it is a straight down slope try to avoid them. A slope that has a gradual drop is easier on the foot and has less pressure on your toes. The gradual slope will also help ease the pain you may be experiencing on the ball of your foot.

5. If you are experiencing calluses or corns maybe a cute open-toed shoe would be more appropriate. If you have corns or calluses see a podiatrist to have them medically removed and avoid the shoe(s) that may be causing the problem. If you wear open-toe shoes this can help to eliminate the pressure that is causing the problems to begin with.

Heels may be what you like but be sure to follow some precautions to keep your feet healthy.