High Heels Walking

There are many different heights to heels and each height does have its own particular classification. Some people call any heel high heels, but here is a breakdown so you will know the heights of heels I am talking about on this lens.

~ Low Heel ~ less than 2.5 inches
~Medium Heel ~ 2.5 to 3.5 inches
~High Heel ~ 3.5 to 5 inches
~Platform~ anything above 5

As noted in the above list high heel shoes can vary between 3.5 to 5 inches in height. But they can also vary in the type of heel of the shoe. A shoe may have a wedge heel and be 3.5 to 5 inches in height, or a shoe of that height may have the standard looking heel which is detached from the sole of the shoe and comes down from the heel. Whichever style you may be wearing, it's all the same height.

There are definite benefits to wearing high heel shoes. A lot of women (like me for example) who aren't the tallest women to begin with like the height of heels to feel and look taller.

High heels are also great for making your legs look longer, thinner, and more toned. Because high heel shoes force your foot to slant forward, you are using more muscles in your legs to stand and walk straight causing your leg muscles to flex more. You can especially notice the muscle tone in the calf area. Your feet will also appear smaller and the arch of the foot is emphasized.

I personally like wearing heels because I am 5 foot 4 inches and my husband is 6 foot 4 inches, so when we go out I can talk and dance with him without getting a sore neck from looking up at him the whole night. I also love heels because if I have my shoes on a few minutes before we leave to go out, I can reach so many things in the cupboards and shelves in the kitchen. (HAHAHA) It makes such a difference though.

Now, as fun as high heel shoes are, there are some disadvantages to wearing them. So before you slip on a pair of sexy high heels, keep a few of these other points in mind.

High heels can make your feet hurt, especially if you don't wear high heels very often or if they are a new pair of high heel shoes. Don't worry; I will talk about what to do in those situations in the next heading of this lens.

If you don't know how to walk in high heels shoes, or if you are inexperienced, you are at a higher risk for sprained ankles or worse yet, fractures due to slips, falls, and other accidents. Don't worry; I will talk about what to do in those situations in the next heading of this lens.

Depending on how often you wear your high heel shoes you can get bunions, hammer toes, and sore knees. If you wear your high heel shoes occasionally when you want to dress up and go out, you'll be pretty safe not to have to worry about those things though.

Last but not least, you just have to remember that when you are wearing high heels you want to make sure that you won't have to do any sort of running or fast walking. When walking in high heels you want to make sure you are walking at a comfortable pace to avoid any injury mentioned above.

In the previous heading I mentioned a few things to be careful of when wearing high heel shoes. The first one I mentioned was:
High heels can make your feet hurt, especially if you don't wear high heels very often or if you just bought a new pair of high heel shoes.

If you don't wear heels very often I will give you a few tips to try to help you avoid sore feet. There is nothing worse than being out with friends or on a date and all you can think about is going home, taking your high heels off and soaking your feet.

First and most importantly is to make sure your toe nails are not too long. Don't worry though; you don't need to do a hack job on your toenails the night before your plans because that can also be painful if you cut them too short. Just make sure that your toe nails are flush with your toes or maybe a touch shorter. This way your toe nails won't be hitting the tips of your shoes (if they are closed toe or peep toe shoes) as this can cause very sore feet.

Another tip is to have your outfit planned out ahead of time so you can choose which high heel shoes you are going to wear. Once you have everything picked out, periodically wear your shoes for 10, 15, even 20 minutes at a time while you're watching T.V., getting ready for bed, or just walk around up and down the hall way, or slowly up and down the stairs holding the railing.
Your probably thinking, well I would do that if I knew how to walk in high heel shoes! HAHAHA Don't worry that will be explained in the next heading.
If you have just bought a new pair of high heel shoes, I suggest wearing them for about a half an hour to an hour or more 2-4 days in a row while sitting down watching T.V. and then slowly move to walking around the house. These tips will help you wear your shoes in to the shape of your feet so they aren't shocked on your night out making every step you take a painful one.

If you don't know how to walk in high heels shoes, or if you are inexperienced, you are at a higher risk for sprained ankles or worse yet, fractures due to slips, falls, and other accidents.

The last thing you want to do while you are out with your friends or on a date is to wipe out and need medical assistance. The way to avoid this is to make sure you can walk in high heel shoes before you leave the house. I will explain how to walk in high heel shoes in the next heading. Before that though here are some tips to keep in mind that will help out whether or not you can walk in high heel shoes or not.

Make sure you know where you are going and there are no surprises afterwards. I have personally been in situations where my husband and I were invited out to dinner with some friends at a nice restaurant. So I got all dressed up as I like to do and put on an awesome pair of high heel shoes. Well to my surprise after supper, it was suggested that we go for a walk around the trails because it was such a nice night out. I obviously made sure that didn't happen because I didn't want to end up on crutches. We ended up going to our place for a movie but those situations can happen. So my point is to either have a pair of comfortable shoes in your vehicle as "just in case" shoes, or make sure find out the details of your night. No surprises needed.

Along the same lines is to make sure you know the area you are going to. If you are invited to a nice outdoor evening party, keep in mind that you will likely be walking on different surfaces such as concrete, grass, patio stones, or other surfaces. In this case a low to medium heel might be a wise choice as they are easier to walk in on changing surfaces, especially if you come across gravel.
With all of these things taken into consideration you should be ready for your high heels.

Before you "get to steppin,'" you will want to make sure your posture and body positioning is correct. If you look at some women from the side when they are standing still with high heel shoes on, you may notice they are slightly leaning forward. This is because high heel shoes slant forward on a slope making your feet slant forward, so your body automatically follows suit.

If you want to avoid standing this way, find a full length mirror, put on your high heel shoes, and stand straight and tall. Look at yourself and take note of how your body feels in order for you to stand straight and tall and not leaned forward. It may take a little extra effort than just standing in flat shoes but you will look like you know how to wear your high heel shoes with confidence.

Once you know what it feels like to stand straight in high heel shoes, it's time to start walking in them. One mistake I see in many women who wear high heel shoes is what I call the robot walk. You may already know what I mean before I explain it. These women walk in a very choppy robotic motion because first of all, they may be trying to walk to fast for the height of heel they have on, and second, with each stride they take they are landing the heel of their shoe and the toe of their shoe on the ground at the exact same time as well as not bendin their knees naturally.

When I got married my cousin was in my wedding party. She was 12 going on 13 and she was so excited to be wearing high heel shoes. She came up to me though after we bought them and asked me, "How do I walk in these shoes?" I basically told her everything I have written in this book with one added tip that has made me an expert high heel shoe walker.

That tip is as simple as repeating in your mind:
"Heel-toe, heel-toe, heel-toe, heel-toe, heel-toe, etc.
My cousin said she always remembered what I said for years after my wedding and she can now wear high heel shoes like a champion.

Here is what you do:
Once you have your high heel shoes on and you are standing straight and not leaning forward, say in your mind or out loud as you practice, "heel-toe, heel-to, etc." Say the word heel as your heel touches the floor, and say the word toe as your toe touches the floor. Do it at your own pace and practice until you can walk steady and straight with good posture and no wobbling. It's probably a good idea to walk along side a wall just in case you need help with balance.

If you find your heels are slightly wobbling it's not a big deal. It's all about balance so the more you practice the less you wobble, until you eventually will be able to walk "wobble free".

Keep practicing until you feel comfortable wearing the high heel shoes of your desired height.
Another tip you can follow is to start with a low to medium heel and once you get comfortable wearing that height, you can buy a shoe with a higher heel and practice with those.

Whichever method you choose, this saying holds true, "Practice makes perfect." When you practice walking in your high heel shoes while following the tips and advice in this book, you will be ready to walk in any height of heel in almost any condition.
So go out and find your favorite pair of high heel shoes, follow these steps, and in no time you'll be ready to strut your stuff.

Happy Shoe Shopping!