Getting used to wearing stiletto heels

[Abby Lauren]

Hi Gals
I am soon to spend three glorious days as Abby at Fantasia Fair in Provincetown. Like many of you, I absolutely adore my stiletto heels as well as my other high heels. However, I have yet to be able to feel at all comfortable in them after about ten minutes on my feet. Quite the contrary. My feet scream out at me in pain. Anything above 2 inches gets my feet to writhe in agony pretty quickly.
I was wondering if any of you have progressed from sheer pain (as opposed to those of you who may never have had such pain) to being able to comfortably wear these heels. And, if so, what helped you get to that point? I would be grateful to all of you who reply.
Hugs
Abby

[Mollyanne]

Hi Abby, I too LOVE my heels but alas my feet have a mind of their own. It seems that whenever I am just thinking about putting on my heels my feet dictate another course of foot wear. I can wear two inch heels w/o a problem, I can wear three inch heels for four hours and anything higher then this "shall we say is verboten". And I thought it would get better!!!


Mollyanne

[Nicki B]

I absolutely adore my stiletto heels as well as my other high heels. However, I have yet to be able to feel at all comfortable in them after about ten minutes on my feet. Quite the contrary. My feet scream out at me in pain. Anything above 2 inches gets my feet to writhe in agony pretty quickly.

It's simple - try some more shoes..


What hurts? The balls of your feet? Your calves? Your toes?? Would a size larger help?

[TxKimberly]

If they hurt your feet THAT bad I doubt it is something your going to suddenly become accustomed to. I think you should give some thought to WHY they hurt your feet that bad, because I think even your typical GG will agree that while not comfortable, they aren't excruciating, especially after only 10 minutes. I would have a few things I'd consider if I were you:
1 - With heels, you DO get what you pay for. Cheep shoes (and yes, most of us have 'em) are NOT going to be as comfortable as better made shoes. Personally, I will not spend my money at Payless for heels anymore. They fit poorly, are made poorly, and are not comfortable.
2 - Size. Most of us HATE that our feet are so large. Some of us try to hide this from others and ourselves by wearing shoes that are a little too small. The fact that you can get your foot into it doesn't mean it "fits". Make sure your wearing shoes that fit right.
3 - Open / Closed toe shoes. I have found that closed toe shoes are GOING to hurt, and the worst are those cute little pumps with the pointed toes that we all love. Here's a little secret for you - in most cases you can wear a size smaller with an open toe shoe.

[janet1234]

quality helps, I also will stop buying from payless, they look good but are really not so good. One exception, the little retro mary janes, 2 1/2 inch heel are cute and I wear them all day then in the evening go to a four inch heel, a jante from pierre silber, really pretty and comfortable.

[Suzy Harrison]

I think you should give some thought to WHY they hurt your feet that bad

1 - With heels, you DO get what you pay for. Cheep shoes (and yes, most of us have 'em) are NOT going to be as comfortable as better made shoes. Personally, I will not spend my money at Payless for heels anymore. They fit poorly, are made poorly, and are not comfortable.
2 - Size. Most of us HATE that our feet are so large. Some of us try to hide this from others and ourselves by wearing shoes that are a little too small. The fact that you can get your foot into it doesn't mean it "fits". Make sure your wearing shoes that fit right.
3 - Open / Closed toe shoes. I have found that closed toe shoes are GOING to hurt, and the worst are those cute little pumps with the pointed toes that we all love. Here's a little secret for you - in most cases you can wear a size smaller with an open toe shoe.

Kim is right. It's not necessarily because the heels are high that makes them painful to wear. I have a pair of 4 inch heels which are really comfortable to walk in - they just fit like a glove. I also have a cheaper 3 inch pair which are very painfull to walk any distance in. Also, as she said, open toed shoes are more comfortable too..

[Veronica Fallon]

I'm blessed/cursed with naturally dainty "girly feets"- size 9-9 1/2 (woman's), very narrow, & with a high arch. I'm blessed because shoe shopping is easy for me, but I'm cursed because my high arches make the balls of my feet hurt in any shoes (male or female) except the highest quality hiking boots. So I've learned to just suffer through it & hope for the rare times my feet actually go rather numb.

I'm sorry I couldn't offer a solution- I'm still looking for myself!!


Hugz & Footrubz,

Veronica

[Suzie Green]

Try different shoes too. The position of the heel in relation to the entire sole of your foot and your center of gravity can make a big difference. Even a 1/2 inch forward or backward feels different. All shoes are not made the same. I have several pairs of 4 inch heels and they all have their own "feel" to them. I have 2 pairs like these from MissHighHeel.com and I can walk in them all day long with no problems, they are as comfortable as my running shoes. And at $22 they are a bargain too!

[christid66]

...and this is why this site is so great.
I've been singing the praises of Payless and the shoes I've bought there - but I've only ever worn them around the house. As I'm getting closer to going out, I'm going to feel self conscious enough first time without my feet killing me.
Thanks to all of you who have given such great advice.

[docrobbysherry]

I don't have any shoes with heels less than 4" high. Most r 41/2" to 51/2". I've bought most mail order, but some in stores that I tried on at home. My feet r large, but not too large or wide. I never wear shoes longer than 2 hours at a time. But some r so painful, I'm in great pain in just 15 minutes. I have found no corollation between comfort and price. However, quality costs more. As so many have already written, closed toes and pumps r the worst, generally.
I have also discovered that after wearing these really high heels for years, I have learned to walk differently than when I am drab. I swing my weight and my center of gravity r quite different in heels. I don't have think about it as I once did. It looks and feels sexy AND I'm more comfortable now. I love the feeling of my stretched calves after wearing them.
RS

[JenniferR771]

May I suggest that support is most important. Short boots that support the foot all around and prevent wobbling seem to work best for me.

[Jackie67]

practice, practice, practice.
I have only 4 and 5 and to top it off 6 inch heels wear them all day some times, BUT you get what you pay for I have a pair of 41/2 inch that were over 3 big ones and they are the best I ever had.

[Michelle I]

[QUOTE=TxKimberly;1041295] - With heels, you DO get what you pay for. Cheep shoes (and yes, most of us have 'em) are NOT going to be as comfortable as better made shoes. Personally, I will not spend my money at Payless for heels anymore. They fit poorly, are made poorly, and are not comfortable.

I have to agree with Kim on this point, I have bought both Payless and Nine West shoes. The Nine West fit and feel better. I finally got the courage and went into Nine West in male mode and bought a pair of 2" heels. Great fit and great service, even though the salegirl looked a little shocked at first. I have been back several times and bought a couple of more pair. Just be ready to spend some extra money as they are not as cheap as Payless.

[celtic.blue.eyes]

If it's your toes that hurt, try a round-toe pump. Jessica Simpson had a nice feminine style, and they keep you foot looking smaller
Here's a sample: http://cgi.ebay.com/Jessica-Simpson-...QQcmdZViewItem

I can tell you from experience that it does make a tremendous difference!

[Angela Sheers]

Good luck Abby, I resigned myself to a maximum of 3" heels, I think they look very sensual and sexy and still give my feet a great shape. Im blessed with good legs, but could not and WILL not subject myself to pain for the sake of a couple of inches. And perhaps making my legs look a little better. I need to fish and broken ankles don't fit well when fishing lol.

[brandi1717]

I have a couple of 4 inch high heels that I am comfy in but they are not point toe heels either. For some reason I have never had a problem in heels.

[Angie G]

It must be the shoes I have some that kill me in a short time and others I can wear all night with no problem
Angie

[Monique Althea]

I have at least one pair of boots that, for whatever reason, have stiletto heels that are impossible on which to stay balanced while wearing. Other stillettos seem to be able to handle my center of gravity perfectly. Each pump I own seems to fit slightly differently from the rest, some shoes break in better than others, and some shoes (or boots) are always going to be painful to wear after a certain period of time.

GG's who almost exclusively wear pumps have told me that their feet had to become conditioned to standing in them all day. I've noticed many GG's with the smaller two toes on each foot bent almost diagonally, presumably from wearing narrow pumps on a long-term basis. I think foot discomfort is part of the price a girl pays for fashion; until I experienced it, I never understood how orgasmically wonderful it can feel to finally remove a pair of heels after several hours. This is also why women on dates tend to lean against their man towards the end of the evening.

[Blonde]

Also make sure your toe nails are cut short. I've found that after I have just cut my toe nails, I can wear my pumps longer than when the toes nails start to get longer.

just my $.02

[Rachel Morley]

Hi Abby,

I'm really lucky as I only take a US women's size 8 in shoes which means I get a lot of choices in shoes, which does include high stilettos. My highest pairs are 5 inch pumps. However, I can't stay on my feet in these for longer than about 3 hours. I normally go for 3-1/2 to 4 inches when I go out.

How does one get used to it? For me, it was a case of practice makes perfect, plus I tend to buy my shoes "used" from Goodwill so that the leather is already soft and worn in.

[MsRicky]

Practice and persistance
From the pain whene wearing heels through the pain in the ball of your foot whene you go back to flats to the pleasure of standing and walking on 6 inch spikes. Go do it

[MarinaTwelve200]

Try different shoes too. The position of the heel in relation to the entire sole of your foot and your center of gravity can make a big difference. Even a 1/2 inch forward or backward feels different. All shoes are not made the same. I have several pairs of 4 inch heels and they all have their own "feel" to them. I have 2 pairs like these from MissHighHeel.com and I can walk in them all day long with no problems, they are as comfortable as my running shoes. And at $22 they are a bargain too!

You are exactly right there. My first pair of 4 inch heels, I can hardly stand in, much less walk, yet I have another pair that seem almost natural. I have no problems at all wearing. Some shoes have a better, more functional design than others. I cant tell you how to tell , however, other than trying them on. its something about the position of the heel. You can feel if its right almost immediately.----and the shoe can be cheap too.

[erickka]

Quality is probably 90% of the answer. I have some 5"heel China specials, and they are painful. Then again, I have one pair of 9 west, and they are a delight. I found that the gel ball of foot inserts do help to some extent with ball of foot pain in the cheaper shoes.

[LoriNC]

Quality is probably 90% of the answer. I found that the gel ball of foot inserts do help to some extent with ball of foot pain in the cheaper shoes.

I agree with you erickka. I have boots with a 5 inch heel that i just love the fit till i stand up they use to kill the ball of my foot till i got gel a true foot saver.

[Kenix]

Glad to see you back Abby.

Make sure you are wearing a comfortable (if that is possible) pair of heels and practice walking in them. As a couple member have said the right shoes do make a difference.