Study Reveals High Heels are Actually Hurting You!

Let's all face it, we all have a love-hate relationship with our high heels. The good news is, we aren't alone! In a recent study conducted by the College of Podiatry in the UK, nine in ten in the UK women suffer from foot conditions (nearly 20 million) as a result of high heels. Almost half of these women admit to wearing shoes that are uncomfortable all for the love of fashion!

According to the study, the higher the heel, the greater the pressure (aka pain). The bad news is, heels are getting higher! The average high heel is six inches high, which has nearly doubled since the 1970's. Shoe designer Christian Louboutin, known for his iconic red soles boasts to having heels over 7 inches.

Did you know that the foot makes up a quarter of all the bones in the human body? Each foot has 26 bones, 33 joints, 107 ligaments and 19 muscles according to the study. All these bones can mean only one thing ... painful feet! Women are apparently willing to suffer, with 20% of respondents reporting acute pain after a mere 10 minutes in heels.

Longer legs, a more elegant silhouette, and a walk exuding sex appeal. When you slip into a pair of towering heels, something magic happens to your self-confidence.

But most of us could cry with relief when we kick them off at the end of a long day. 

So it comes as no surprise to learn about the damage they do. 

Latest figures from the College of Podiatry show nine in ten UK women suffer from foot problems at some point (around 20  million), with almost half admitting to wearing shoes that are uncomfortable... for the sake of fashion.

A survey of UK podiatrists revealed that unsuitable footwear is the leading cause of foot problems they see in their patients. 

And according to our gruesome graphic, high heels can affect everything from your back to your battered toes.

Andrea Sott, a consultant orthopaedic foot and ankle surgeon at St Anthony's Hospital in Surrey, says: 'Damage caused by wearing heels can be permanent. 

Prevention and early treatment of problems are key to preventing painful and potentially long term damage. At this time of year, for example, women tend to wear shoes without tights or socks so they need to be particularly careful of the potential damage that can result from the friction of the shoe or sandal against the bare foot.

Shopping tips

Ms Daniels added that Irish women also need to spend more time choosing their shoes. She suggests the following tips for women to follow when purchasing shoes:

* Go shopping in the afternoon so that your shoes will be comfortable after using your feet.

* Buy natural material leather or cork soles and leather uppers.

* Examine any stitching on the inside of the shoe and identify where it will touch your foot as this may cause friction, especially if you wear the shoes with bare feet

* Look at the shape of your feet; Have you a narrow or broad foot? Is your foot triangular broad at the front and narrow at the back? An ankle strap in this case will help keep your shoe on.

* Buy shoes that are the correct size for your feet. Too big and you will get friction, and too small and you’ll get pressure

* Always walk up and down the shop three or four times and think about how your feet feel in the shoes you are trying on.