If you’re experiencing pain when you wear high heels, here are 4 tips to help you choose and wear heels that are more comfortable.
1) Opt for a lower heel in order to:
- Reduce the stress on the ball of your foot.
- Lessen the pressure on your toes and toenails.
- Improve stability and alignment.
- Reduce the angle between the ball of your foot and your heel for better weight distribution
2) Choose a shoe with a wider toe box, such as a round or square toe, in order to:
- Avoid toe compression.
- Prevent your toenails from rubbing against your shoe.
3) Reduce the amount of time you wear heels in order to:
- Prevent your calf muscles from becoming overly tight and sore.
- Reduce the risk of injury to your toes and toenails.
- Lessen pressure on your back, hips and knees.
4) Choose shoes with a thicker heel in order to improve stability.
Below are some helpful treatment and prevention tips for specific issues caused or accentuated by wearing high heels:
-
Daily pain in the ball of foot area:
- To ease pressure on the balls of your feet, use cushioning pads, such as Dr. Scholl’s Ball of Foot Cushions for High Heels.
- Choose shoes with a lower heel so that less weight is shifted to the balls of your feet.
-
Heel pain:
- Try a shoe insert that absorbs shock and provides extra cushioning, such as Dr. Scholl’s Invisible Cushioning Insoles for High Heels (heels 2” and over).
- Massage and stretch feet and calves to ease tightness and discomfort.
-
Ingrown toenails:
- Wear open toe shoes with plenty of room in the toe box while ingrown toenails have a chance to heal.
- Use a treatment that includes a pain reliever plus a protective cushion, such as Dr. Scholl’s Ingrown Toenail Pain Reliever.
-
Bunions:
- Avoid wearing high heels that are too narrow or tight.
- Try Dr. Scholl’s Bunion Cushions with Duragel® Technology to ease pressure on painful bunions and help prevent shoe friction.
