High heels are always very fashionable. They make our legs look beautiful and our height tall. But what about the harms? We have a proverb that says there is no mercy without effort. But I think if our feet could speak, they would object to this proverb. Because unfortunately, the feet suffer the punishment of the mindless head.
High heels complement both our business attire and our head-to-toe clothing style; It makes women's legs look long and lean and increases their height. However, high-heeled shoes increase the hump in the back area and push the pelvis (lower abdomen) forward, disrupting the standing position. This causes the calf muscles to tighten and shorten.
According to the American Podiatric Association, constantly wearing heels longer than 7.5 centimeters causes the Achilles tendon at the back of the legs to shorten and the calf muscles to harden, causing chronic pain. Long-term use of high heels causes foot problems such as neuroma, hammertoe and bunion. Changes in the nature of walking can cause knee, hip and back pain or even precipitate arthritis in these joints. In light of all this information, what should those who still cannot give up high heels do?
What can we do
Choose shoes that match your foot size. Shoes must fit the foot. There should be some space between the longest toe and the shoe. When buying shoes, time your shopping at the end of the day when your feet are already swollen. Please also pay attention to the width of your feet. Many women try to fit their feet into tight shoes. These measures will help prevent bone changes and damage that will lead to bunions, neuroma, and hammertoe.
Crush them. Before you start using your shoes, leave them in the shoe mold for a few hours, or wear them at home with thick socks and walk around for a few hours. Wear shoes that are made of leather and can stretch rather than synthetic materials.
Put a pillow inside your shoe. Place gel pads, also called metastarsal pads, under the base of the toes on the sole of the foot. To protect against friction effects, cotton velvet (moleskin) can be used, especially in bony areas. Remember, these will not relieve hip, knee or back pain caused by poor posture caused by high heels.
Change it. Change your shoes during the day. Wear heels only during certain periods of the day and give your feet breaks.
Wear platform-soled shoes and choose rubber soles. Prefer wedge-soled models over stiletto models. Prefer short heels over high heels. Perhaps good news for women is that the shoe industry is scientifically studying the physical condition of high heels. Studies are being carried out on walking biomechanics in shoe production. We hope to see models very soon that will knock the dust off the catwalks but won't kill our feet.