How To Wear Heels Without Feeling Pain (A Detailed Guide)

Do you want to know how to wear heels without feeling pain? Stay put if yes.

“Oh no! I have to wear those heels again today!” Is this how you feel sometimes when you are selecting your outfit for the day, either to work or a social event? Well, I can sure tell you for free that you are not alone in feeling that way every time you have to wear heels.

Those pumps, beautiful as they are, terrify you anytime you have to wear them. You think of a million ways you could sustain an ankle injury while rocking them or just that discomfort and irritation you feel after wearing them for some time. Truth is, a lot of ladies stare down the face of this same challenge quite more often than you may think.

However, as the popular saying goes; “necessity is the mother of invention”. Well, feeling pains when wearing heels has necessitated the invention of different hacks to navigate wearing heels and not so much as feel a pinch. You can train yourself to wear heels comfortably and relegate those associated pains to being a thing of the past and we’ve got some great tips to help you achieve that.

In this article, we will discuss in detail how to wear heels without feeling pain

Let’s move right in!

How To Wear Heels Without Feeling Pains

Know your shoe size, foot type

in this how to wear heels without feeling pain, the first step to achieving your goals is knowing your shoe size. Women feet can change in size even deep into full adulthood. Certain triggers like dramatic weight change, pregnancy and childbirth amongst other factors, can lead to changes in shoe size. It is advisable to have your feet measured once a year. Taking into account not just the length but the width and height as well.

The next step will be to determine what type of foot you have. There are basically two types of feet; a flat foot or a high-arch foot. If a podiatrist isn’t readily accessible for you, the D-I-Y method of finding out the type of foot you have is to wet the sole of your foot, then step in a piece of paper.

The print it makes on the paper will show how flat or high-arching your foot is. It’s necessary to know your foot type because some heels are better suited to a certain type of foot type and you will be best served wearing heels better suited to your foot type.

Your toes matter too. If your toes are long, you may find yourself experiencing pain when wearing pointed or peep-toe shoes. This is because your toes will be crammed into the small space allowance in the toe box and this seemingly minor discomfort can lead to other pains as you trudge on in those shoes.

Shop at the end of the day

Podiatrists advise that the best time of the day to buy your shoes are towards the end of the day. Sorry dear, ordering your stuff online is not what we’re talking about here. The shopping being referred to here is the actual going to stores to test shoes before picking the best fit.

This is because at that time of the day your feet are more likely to be swollen. The advantage of this is obvious, if your feet are swollen when you test shoes for fitting, then it’s more likely to be loose and more comfortable when you wear them earlier in the day.

Cut the size

It follows commonsensical that if your 6 inches heels cause you pain when you wear them, then you should opt for heels of smaller lengths. Trying out shorter heels will help you determine if the length of the shoes is the problem or there are other factors that could be causing you discomfort.

Buy the heels here

Heel Placement

Sometimes, the heel is placed towards the very end of the shoe and this can make for uncomfortable wearing for some people. If you are among that category, the trick here is to ensure that no matter the type of heel you’re wearing, the heel is placed firmly under the heel bone.

So when next you’re fitting for shoes, go with the ones where the heel is placed a bit inward, such that the ball of your foot rests squarely on it.

Gel cushions, Foot pads and other inserts

You see those shoe pads, gels and other accessories you see displayed in shops and malls, they are not the products of charlatans or folk who just want to rip you off.

Foot cushions, heel liners, insole inserts, toe guard (bunion protector) are just some of the types of products that can give you relief when wearing heels. However, with inserts, you have to be careful that whichever one you go for doesn’t take up room in the shoe thereby causing tightness and different pain.

Thicker heels and Platform soles

Stilettos, stilettos, stilettos. Don’t we all love them? But the pains they put us in can sometimes ruin an entire evening. Start going for shoes with broader heels such as wedges.

Due to their larger heels, they provide a better equilibrium which gives you better balance. If you must wear those high heels, then go for the ones with platform soles so as to reduce the steepness of the shoes, making your feet more relaxed when wearing them.

A little Break in and Stretching

Yay, good news, you’ve got these amazing new pumps and you just want to show it off to whoever has eyes to see. Okay, sure, why not. Before you do that though, why not do this instead? We all know there is a certain tightness that comes with new shoes, especially those made with leather.

Buy the heels here

Usually, the tightness wears off along the line as we wear the shoes often, which translates to an initial period of discomfort wearing those shoes. To get rid of this tightness before ever stepping out in them, try wearing them casually around the house preferably in the evening – nighttime.

This way you stretch your shoes to comfort before using them outdoors and once you feel any discomfort while stretching them, you take them off and continue at a later time till you are comfortable with how they feel on your feet.

Alternatively, there are these shoe stretchers in the market now that can help you stretch your shoes, they are modelled like feet and can be adjusted to whatever foot size you want. In this how to wear heels without feeling pain article, once you purchase one, you set it to your desired size and insert it into the shoes you intend to stretch and you leave it there for hours, maybe throughout the night or a twelve-hour stretch. Keep doing this until you achieve your desired comfort.

Tape your Toes

This may be the oldest known rumoured hack when it comes to avoiding pain with heels. However, it isn’t just a myth, taping your 3rd and 4th toes aids in easing the pain of wearing heels. It has been scientifically proven that there is a nerve that splits between these two toes, so taping them together reduces the stain on this nerve and more importantly, reduces pressure on the ball of your foot.

Good Walking and Standing Postures

Your poise and gait when you walk in heels while being for aesthetic purposes still have a lot to do with balancing your weight on those fragile looking pumps.

When in a standing position, it is best to put one foot slightly ahead of the other and keep them apart a bit, like an opera singer. This position gives the best balance for the human body in a standing position and being on heels is no exception.

When you walk, keep your chin up, back arched forward in a subtle way. Basically, keep your upper body at an alert position. Be intentional with each step you take, control your movement yourself. Let your full legs be involved in your steps, let your steps start at your thighs. We, humans, are used to just letting our legs do the walking but when you try to control it, you take pressure off the ball of your feet.

Wear them less. Take breaks

This is not just a cliché; you have to try not to wear your heels for very long hours. For example, during the whole working period of the day which is about 8 hours.

Try as much as you can to take breaks from prolonged standing or walking situations and while you are at it, kick off those shoes and let your feet breathe and stretch out for a few minutes. This simple step will help in avoiding the pains associated with the prolonged wearing of heels.

Foot Massages and Stretches

If you have to wear heels regularly, it is pertinent you massage and stretches your toes once the shoes are off, before the next time you have to wear them again. If you will be going to an event where you have to wear those pumps for long hours, then it is better to prepare your feet for what’s ahead.

Simple stretch exercises you can use for your feet include just wiggling your toes around and straightening them. You can also take one foot off the ground and while keeping it suspended in the air, try to rotate your foot in a circular motion using your ankle as the fulcrum and base of this operation. You change the motion to a forward-backwards motion. Do this for 30 seconds and move to the other foot.

After removing your heels, you can gently massage your feet to calm the nerves down there that may have been strained. Pay particular attention to the ball of your feet and the heel bone region.

Buy the heels here

Conclusion

All the tips on how to wear heels without feeling pain given here are guaranteed to help ease the pain of wearing heels in one way or another. Nonetheless, you can try them out a few times and see which tip or which combination of tips works perfectly for you.

Personally, this writer suggests you start with knowing your shoe size and foot type. Then you can purchase your heeled shoes in the right sizes alongside pads and shoe inserts that make you feel comfortable.

Let us know what you think in the comment section and kindly share this article with as many people as you can.

Thanks for reading!