While decadently fabulous high heels allure and delight like no other fashion piece can, the pleasure is almost always accompanied with at least a little pain – especially when it comes to those achingly beautiful sky-high styles. To help ease some of that discomfort, The Style Sheet shares five tips for making walking in high-heeled shoes a little easier. (Naturally, we’ve also rounded up some of our favourite statement shoes of the season – practice makes perfect, after all.)
1. The more traction the bottoms of your heels have, the less likely you are to slip over – which is why it’s best to scuff up the bottom of your shoes on the pavement, or using sandpaper, before stepping out. For those looking to keep their shoes pristine, adhering anti-skid pads to soles will also do the trick.
2. When shopping for shoes, ensure you get the fit just right. First, ensure the ball of the foot rests on the widest part of your shoes. Second, keep in mind the length of the shoes should fit your longest toe. Lastly, if you have feet of slightly different lengths, opt for the larger shoe size.
3. To prevent blisters and bruises forming when you step out in new heels, strap the back of your shoes, or the back of your feet, with soft cotton padding wherever you can feel friction. It seems obvious, but something like Scholl’s Gel Active Isoles never hurts for cushioning the blow, too.
4. Walking in heels works your abdominal muscles – so this is where your Pure Yoga classes are going to help. A strong inner core can assist you with your balance, support your posture, help you walk upright, and generally make it much easier to spend a day running around in heels.
5. A standard walk in any shoe leads with the heel – and while the technique doesn’t change for heels, it shouldn’t be as prominent. Instead, each time you take a step, land softly on the outer border of the heel and release from the toe.
Can’t get enough of decadent, showpiece shoes? The Victoria and Albert Museum’s world-class exhibition Shoes: Pleasure and Pain arrives at Pacific Place on September 27 and runs until October 28. Featuring more than 140 pairs of historic and contemporary designs, it’s a feast for your eyes, from gold-leaf Egyptian sandals from the 1st century BC to Swarovski-encrusted Cinderella slippers – and everything in between.