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ladies, do you have any advice for wearing heels?

oranges

oranges

Brilliant_Rock
Joined
May 18, 2009
Messages
1,108
Hi everyone! :wavey:
I don't wear heels very often and just bought a killer pair of nude pumps to wear to an event in 9 days. Do any of you guys have any advice on how to break in heels or any tips for lasting all day in them?? I bought gel inserts, but they still hurt after an hour or so. I've also been trying to wear them around the house as much as possible. I'm not very heel savvy and would love all of the advice I can get! Thanks!
 
Is it the specific shoe that hurts, like is it rubbing a blister? Or are your feet uncomfortable at that height?

I am used to high heels and wear them often, but I love Foot Petals. They have all types of inserts that can go in diferent spots on your shoes. It's smart that you are wearing them around the house and trying to break them in.

If you don't wear heels often and these are super tall, what if you tried wearing a pair you already own that are a little lower. Wear them out for a full day to kind of "train" your feet to be comfortable at that height??
 
I was the same way.

My advice is not to get brave. If you don't walk in heels regularly, don't go out and buy 3" heels and think you can pull it off. Start small and work your way up. Start with 1/2" heels and once you feel comfortable in them, move on to 1". Also, learn what works best for your feet. I can't do pointy shoes because I have wide feet (this is true whether I'm overweight, thinner, swollen, not swollen, etc.)

I wore flats for a long time (never needed heels). Then when I started working in a more professional setting, I tried to walk around in regular heels and couldn't last an hour. So I started with my 1/2". I don't know how big my heels are now, but whatever the standard is that's what I wear lol
 
thanks for your replirs OUpeargirl and fiery!
the problem isn't blistering or anything specific---its just the general discomfort in being in heels. where can i buy foot petals? are they a specific brand or is it a type of insert? maybe they're better than the gel things i put in mine. i would wear shoes that I have had for a while, except none of them go with my dress- they are all brightly colored and the only black ones i have are too pointy and only look good with dress pants. i think that its a great idea to just wear them out for a day-- maybe i'll be distracted if i'm out and about shopping instead of purposefully on my feet pacing around the house! i love the idea of starting gradually, but unfortunately the dress that i bought practically demands high heels-- and looks 10X better once i slip them on :blackeye: thank god i don't have to learn how to walk in them-- now that would be a tall order for an event that is so close.
 
It's probably not wearing heels regularly.

When I started a job where I had to stand in one spot for 7 hours straight my feet KILLED every night. Like major freaking pain by 5PM, no matter what shoes I was wearing because, though I was able to *walk* for long periods, standing in one spot is a lot different and my feet just weren't used to it. It took months for my feet to adjust, but now, my feet never hurt at all after work. Heels are the same, I think. You just need to train your feet to take it. I can wear heels a lot more easily after getting used to standing for so long, now, actually.

I dunno if you have time to get used to wearing heels for a whole day at this point. I would probably bring a backup pair of shoes. Or find a different pair of heels. They're not all created equal- some don't hurt nearly as much, usually platform-y ones are the least painful for me. And Fluevogs for some reason- Fluevog's heels are the most comfortable heels on earth, I have a pair of 3in heeled Mini Sugar boots and they are so comfortable I can walk for miles in them fine.
 
You can look for heels with more padding. Cole Haan has heels with Nike Air technology. They are mega comfy. I buy a bunch when they are on sale.

I think you can find foot petals online (try zappos or those other shoe places), or in higher end dept stores.
 
I wouldn't try to pull it off if you at all feel uncomfortable in them. It shows. I think it looks terrible when women try to walk in heels and they don't know how. No matter how great the shoes are, if your step doesn't look effortless - don't bother!
 
Do you get blisters easily? I do, so if I'm going to need to wear a new pair of shoes to an event for a whole day, I will really try to break them in. Wearing them around the house isn't enough - I will wear them around all day, to the grocery store, mall, whatever it takes. I would say at least a couple hours of wearing them and walking around to make sure you're not going to get any blisters, or if you do, it should wear in the shoe in that point and help build up your tolerance to a blister in that spot. Plus, if you're wobbly in the shoe, it should help you get your balance.

eta: I saw that you don't think you'll get blisters, but my advice still stands. You really need to wear them out and about in the real world, all day if possible. Wearing them around the house doesn't really do anything, in my experience.
 
I keep checking to see if DF posted anything here. :Up_to_something:
 
kenny said:
I keep checking to see if DF posted anything here. :Up_to_something:
Click to expand...

instigator. not that I haven't instigated in my day, but that's another thread...
 
I wear heels quite a lot but if I have a pair that are hurting a little I don't wear them out until I break them in. I'll wear them around the house for a few weeks with socks and usually they're fine then by the time I wear them out for a night. Foot petals are great too.
 
Yimmers said:
kenny said:
I keep checking to see if DF posted anything here. :Up_to_something:
Click to expand...

instigator. not that I haven't instigated in my day, but that's another thread...
Click to expand...

I do my best. :wavey:
 
I ordered a pair of heels online once, and I got them the correct size, but due to their height, or the pointiness of the toe, it can start to hurt afer your feet start slipping down. Well, someone told me to get the shoes stretched at any ol' shoe repair place, so I did. They had it over night, I have no idea what kind of contraption they put it in, but it was $10, and the literally "broke in" my shoes for me. It never hurt again.
 
kenny said:
I keep checking to see if DF posted anything here. :Up_to_something:
Click to expand...
no comment!! :lol:
 
1) Pad the ball of your foot with some sort of insert. In heels, your weight distribution is very much focused on the balls of your feet, which can cause them to ache.

2) Keep wearing them to break them in.

3) If the backs slip off, put some heel-gripping pads in there (Dr. Scholl's makes some).

4) Get them professionally stretched by a cobbler. Usually, they spray down your shoes and put expanding inserts into them. Once they dry, they're stretched as if you had broken them in yourself.

5) As Bee* suggested, put on some socks, then put on your heels and walk around the house like that. This will help them to stretch and break in a little more.

6) Accept that some heels just won't be comfortable no matter what kind of effort you expend to comfify them. (What's that? It's not a word? Of course "comfify" is a word!) Everyone's feet are different, and what might be comfortable for one person might make the next person want to kick off those shoes after fifteen minutes. Find heels that work for you, then get them re-heeled and re-soled regularly so they stay in good shape for a while.
 
Couple questions:

How are you walking? How high are we talking here? Are you at all used to wearing heels? What brand are they? How long do you expect to have to wear them? Is it walking or just standing?

Some brands just fit different feet better than others. My favorites (for comfort) are Steve Madden, Kate Spades and Calvin Klein--I can wear them for hours, in varying heights. Jessica Simpsons kill me after a while. So do Casadeis. Often the whole "you get what you pay for" is super accurate when it comes to shoe comfort. I've noticed that the more I spend on a shoe, the higher heels are way more comfortable than the same height of heels in a cheaper shoe. Which is SO UNFORTUNATE! I hope you get it figured out!
 
Try to get an insert with arch support. And cushion for the ball of your foot.
 
thank you for all of your replies and tips :bigsmile: -- i just took the shoes off after wearing them for about 6 hours and my feet for some reason feel fine. they hurt a lot in the first few hours but somehow i got used to them and hardly was noticing them by 8. i'm going to the mall tomorrow and plan on wearing them there. walking on hard surfaces is definitely very different than carpeting-- so the mall/grocery store/bank trip tomorrow will be a challenge! i think that these heels are do-able after them feeling fine at the end of today. plus, i saw a commercial for portable ballet flats that are small enough to fit in a clutch as an emergency pair of shoes if it becomes unbearable! so i'm going to wear the shoes and have my back up. thank you so much for your replies-- i'm definitely going to try the sock tip and get some foot petals.
 
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