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Here are some figures for you. Approximately 3.5 billion dollars are spent each
year in the United States for women’s foot surgeries. On top of that enormous
cost, the female workforce misses 15 million workdays each year due to foot
injuries and surgeries. And unfortunately, many of these foot problems are
self-inflicted.
For some reason, uncomfortable footwear for women has always been in style. Take
stiletto heels, for instance. It’s no accident that these uncomfortable shoes
were named after a sharp and slender dagger. Popular in the late 1800’s, the
Stiletto is back in style in 2009. Walk into any major department store and
you’ll find fashionable shoes with five-inch heels (or higher!). Don’t even
think about it! Shoes like these are not only harmful to the bone-structure of
your feet; they are also killer on your knees. And long nights spent dancing in
them will catch up to you.
Here’s what you have to look forward to if you ignore this advice: hammertoes,
claw toes, bunions, corns, calluses, plantar fasciitis, heel pain, ankle
injuries and Achilles tendon injuries. In fact, wearing extremely tall high
heels can permanently reduce the length of your Achilles tendon, making it
impossible for you to wear shoes without heels (goodbye flip-flops in the
summer) and reducing your ability to play sports, run comfortably and lead a
healthy, active lifestyle.
When purchasing high heels, look for shoes with a substantial heel that won’t
throw you off balance (sometimes really clunky or heavy heels are worse than the
itty-bitty ones). You’ll want something that makes you feel solid on your feet
so that your body weight is evenly distributed between the ball of your foot and
your heel (you shouldn’t feel like you’re balancing on your toes). Limit
yourself to heels that are 2 inches or shorter. These shoes will give you just
enough lift to show off your legs, but shouldn’t cause or aggravate foot
injuries or deformities.
Luckily, the Stiletto isn’t the only high heel trend in 2009. The square-toe is
also back in style. This foot-friendly high heel is much better for the health
of your toes than a pointy-nosed shoe. Shoes that cramp the toes can lead to
some of the deformities mentioned above (hammertoe, bunions, corns, etc.) as
well as to ingrown toenails and fungal toenail infections. |
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