any tips on how to walk in heels?

[dana55]

thanks girls for your help..i want to look as natural as poosible walking in heels. any tips?

[Terri Andrews]

Practice & practice and it
is more than learning to walk in heels ,we also have to learn to walk like Women do .
I spent a lot of time observing how women walk , the small steps and the general movements .

[Diane Smith]

Practice, practice and, did I say, more practice! Get some comfortable shoes and walk around the block in them (after dark if necessary), day after day, until you build up your foot and ankle muscles and feel comfortable in them. Wearing heels only indoors around the house will give you a false feeling of confidence -- the "real world," with its longer distances, hard surfaces, slopes and ramps, gravel, broken sidewalks and other textures, is very, very much more difficult to master in heels. But it can be done if you're willing to put some serious time into training yourself.

I think you'll need to spend two or more hours a day in heels for a month or so to start feeling confident in them. That's assuming a reasonable mix of "around the house" and outdoor experience.

I've taken to wearing unobtrusive but high (4") heels most of the time in boy mode in order to increase the amount of time and distance I can put in exercising in heels, but I realize many won't be able to do that.

- Diane

[Sammy777]

Legs straight, no bending at the knees.
Back straight.
Smaller steps.
Look ahead, not down.

[AllieSF]

There are several videos on UTube and other places that show you how to walk in heels like a woman. Plus, you can do a search here for past threads on this same subject. Good luck. I use my "trainer" heels, less than 3 inches and still stumble around. Some people get it and some don't. I am afraid I may be the latter!

[Maria in heels]

Make sure that when you are walking in heels, that you do try "NOt" to walk toe to heel...it dosen't work and I don't know where they came up with that one. Smaller steps are correct, and definately heel to toe walking , as if you are in a pair of sneakers. Once you get the right smaller step, you will find that it becomes easier and easier. As Diane said, try even in everyday dress to wear a pair of heels to walk if in the dark if you don't feel comfortable. I started doing this with a pair of oversized Lucky Jeans, and a longer bottom that "drags" if I'm in sneakers. Since the jeans are bigger, a pair of square toe shoes with heels will work wonders ! The front of the shoe may show, which is why I recommend square toe with no pattern/design, and a chunky heel is easier for you to start with walking. If you can find a pair of rubber sole shoes, such as many from Kenneth Cole, this is especially helpful as they are quiet...

practice practice and then more practice

[Kasey X]

For a more femmine walk.

Smaller steps, keep your legs close together and walk from the hips rather than from the knees.

[crossdrezzer1]

imagine a line and walk it,,,toe to heel with space in between,,,that will make you sway and walk sexy like a fem

[TJ Tresa]

The others above have said it all, practice, practice and more practice, observation and more observation. I have found that women walk different with what ever type of heel they have on, and weither or not they want to catch someones eye. so study the masters of walking in heels is the best place to start. If possible get a female to coach you. good luck.

[MissKara]

I wish I could wear heels, or any kind of womans shoe to being with :(

I have size 11 Australian shoes, which means I would be roughly a 14-15 in womans, and those are next to impossible to find.

Lots of Love,
Miss Kara

[Jenny Gurl]

I saw it on youtube and it looked like a good place to start.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8h8bCoi5sY

[linnea]

A lot of good advice above: the main thing is to practice, practice, practice until you feel comfortable and confident in them.

[suchacutie]

Adding to all the good advice above, there is a "feel" when everything is working correctly. Often when I first put on heels and aren't thinking about it, even though I'm walking ok, it is really a man's gait. When I realize it I stop and think for a second, and then "lead from the hip". Your hips (lower back) must swivel and your whole leg goes forward at each step.

It's essential that this process not be hurried at first. The small steps are a good idea. The advice that your steps be more along a straight line are a result of the hip movement, not something that's leading the hip movement. If you lead with your hip, your footfall will not be far away from your direction of travel.

So, that sexy hip movement is not an accident, it is what it takes to walk in heels all day and not get tired. It won't let you move quickly (untill you are VERY used to it) but it does feel good!

tina

[Brandi Wyne]

I've seen this or a similar thread before and one thing was to not get too tall of heels to start. Also, it mentioned that women walk with the movement in the hips and men walk with movement from the shoulders.

A shorter stride and giving those hips a bit of a rolling motion can do much for the look with a an effort to get those heels out and those toes in for a straighter, more graceful, feminine look.

XXs
Mickey

[rayander01]

And then there a people like me who would love to wear heels but do to an accident my ankle will not support me. Oh woh is me. What ever shall I do?

Rey.

[Sherry-Stephanie]

Easy..think your walking on ice skates on a floor and not on the ice...and then add a swing to your butt and Voila!!! your walking in heels...

Seriously, just practice walking....it's like learning to ride a bike with practice it will come to you...

[paulaW]

Another tip I was given is this:

If you live in an area with sidewalks and curbs, walk along the curb, with one foot in front of the other. That seemed to help me alot.

[Erica2Sweet]

To get started:

1. Choose the longest room you have access to and set a full length mirror (or the closest you have to a full-length) at each end of the room facing one another.

2. Put your shoes on and walk back and forth between the two mirrors making adjustments to your body movements and steps to better mimic others who walk skillfully in heels.

3. Compare what you discover about your movements to where you want to be as often as you can. Make corrections and try again... and again. There are many videos on Youtube and other video sites that you can use to compare your movements and measure your progress.

Hope this helps!

Happy Holidays!

[donnatracey]

Another tip I was given is this:

If you live in an area with sidewalks and curbs, walk along the curb, with one foot in front of the other. That seemed to help me alot.

Don't you think that would make you stand out a bit? To say nothing of the possibility of embarrassment or injury should you stumble?

Not sure I'd try that training method but glad it worked for you....:daydreaming:

[Stephanie81]

Heel to toe, legs close together, chest out, sway your hips naturally with your legs.. then P R A C T I C E :D ..it is Soooo painful when you start wearing heels, but it does get easier!

[Shikyo]

The hardest part is to getting used to wearing the high heels, especially ones with rather high heels. The way I learned how to walk with them was rather simple.

1. Walk on a line. This makes walking so much easier and it also gives your hips a natural feminine motion so you don't have to work on it yourself so hard.

2. Smaller steps. With this you are able to walk easier as high heels aren't meant to be walked with huge steps at all.

3. Practice before you go out. Believe me, it's not a nice feeling of being god knows how far from how and you start to realize that you can't really hold yourself up anymore. It might be wise to carry another pair of shoes in case you are starting to have really hard time to walk in the high heels you have right now.

[kfsteve391]

A lot of great advise above. Try to find a pair that fits you very well. Then practice and practice. A good positive attitude helps, too. You would be amazed at how many women do not own any heel as they do not think they can walk in them.

[Tamara Croft]

Make sure that when you are walking in heels, that you do try "NOt" to walk toe to heel...it dosen't work and I don't know where they came up with that one.Yes it does work, ask any cat walk model. You learn to walk in heels by learning to walk on your tip toes, then you get used to walking toe to heel, it's very easy ;) One foot in front of the other and make sure you aren't swinging your arms, you should only move them from the elbow down. You do NOT walk in them like you're walking in trainers/sneakers, you'll ruin the heel of the shoe.

<edit> Read this: -

http://www.wikihow.com/Walk-Like-a-Catwalk-Model

[Taylermade]

As dumb as it sounds, for me practice and practice.

That's all I did.

[Yvonne Han]

keep balance is the most important......., use your hips instead of shoulders to keep balance....ant then try to walk smoothly and softly......don't just imitate the way women walk in heels.....practice more and you can get the feeling

[AmandaM]

Yes it does work, ask any cat walk model. You learn to walk in heels by learning to walk on your tip toes, then you get used to walking toe to heel, it's very easy ;) One foot in front of the other and make sure you aren't swinging your arms, you should only move them from the elbow down. You do NOT walk in them like you're walking in trainers/sneakers, you'll ruin the heel of the shoe.

<edit> Read this: -

http://www.wikihow.com/Walk-Like-a-Catwalk-Model

I agree. It works. Also, as some others said, lead with your hips. You'll feel a slight swaying motion when you have it down. Not an over-the-top-swaying like you're flaming or something. Women walk like water. Smoooooth.

Men walk like Frankenstein's monster. They move their shoulder, which pulls their leg forward, and flop their foot on the ground. Then they repeat. Or they do the opposite, they flop their foot forward, and pull the body forward. Watch men sometimes to see what they do. Some men are just tragic!

[Amanda Styles]

I agree with Jenny Gurl, the legworks video is great. Watch GG's walk, if they do it right, which all don't and practice, practice practice. It comes pretty easily to me now even though I only wear in private, or for quick forays out to the car or drive-thru store.

[Samantha Girl]

Don't fall, don't run! :p Got to this thread late so I thought I'd be a dork about it! :D

I panicked, I ran, I fell! :doh:

As others said, practice, practice, practice! ;)

[JiveTurkeyOnRye]

One suggestion too that I haven't noticed so far, and if I missed it, sorry, is to start with thicker heels. I could never walk in heels before I got my first pair of boots that had a thick heel to them, clunky ones, and those helped as well as the pair of dressy Mary Jane shoes that I have which also have a chunky heel. It gets you used to the elevated stance and walking style and how to adjust to your center of balance before you add in the difficulty of trying to support your legs on thin heels as well.

I think boots are a good beginner's heel also because to me it seems like they have just a bit more support than say a small strappy set of heels might.

[Tasha T]

Be very careful walking down carpeted stairs. I once broke a heel doing that and had to throw out my favorite pair of heels. I've never been able to find another pair like them since.:sad:

[NathalieX66]

Be very careful walking down carpeted stairs. I once broke a heel doing that and had to throw out my favorite pair of heels. I've never been able to find another pair like them since.:sad:

Ya, and walk sideways or diagonally down stairs....otherwise the whole entire shoe won't catch the steps. Women do it this way all the time. Plus , it looks feminine.:battingeyelashes:

But seriously, the only thing I do to try to act feiminine is walk in heels femininely. Somehow, traipsing the ground like Stompy the Elephant doesn't capture the effect of heels.

[Loni]

i saw this one puter video showing how and were key points of the body move.

move the hips side to side only, kinda rocking.
no front movement.

if i can find the site will post it here.

[MargaretJ]

Some very good tips in this thread. Never knew about the "smaller steps" thing. I will give it a try next time I get the heels on. The tip about trying it in boots is one I have used, as they offer a bit more support, but more importantly, they won't come off as your walking, as I have had happen in shoes on a few occasions.

[sherri52]

Put one foot in front of the other, take small steps and don't look down. The hip movement will come naturally as your legs move ever so slightly in front of the other

[dilane]

Frankly, learning to walk like a woman is the thing to focus on. And it's easier to learn that in flats, imo.

Once you can do that, heels are an easy transition (so to speak).

In terms of effort/challenge, walking gracefully is 80% Walking gracefully in heels is 20%

What I do is lead from the hips, zero shoulder rolling/swaying, shoulders back, head up. Slower, shorter steps, no lurching :)

[suchacutie]

First, what Tamara said!

Second, I responded to this thread a while ago, but since then I have found that I'm very lucky to have a feminine side. I have some 5" mules that exercise my back perfectly, to the point that I have eliminated all back problems by wearing them every morning as I make coffee, shave, get dressed, etc. It's only 15 min or so, but it's soooo good for my back.

Given that I'm now wearing heels for a part of every day, I've noticed that when everything is just right (almost always for me now...you're all right about the practice) there is a certain bounce to one's step. The footfall becomes lighter because of the little bounce and the redistribution of mass that the bounce engenders. Of course, now when I watch young women in serious heels walk I can clearly see the little bounce in their step. It's so fluid that you really have to look for it to see it. The best explanation of how to get there I can think of is that it is "active walking" vs. the "passive walking" that we do as men. Leading from the hip puts a rhythm into your step. Look at a runway model and you'll see them walking to the beat and it almost looks like dancing. That bouncy rhythm makes it MUCH easier to walk in heels...MUCH easier :)

best of luck!

tina

[AmiFL]

Practice... practice.... and more practice

[Kate Simmons]

Very carefully.:heehee:

[MargaretJ]

Wow, after reading this thread yesterday, today I put my full length mirror in the hall, put on some heels and put a few of the tips in this thread into practice. What an amazing transformation. Now walking from the hips and not the shoulder, Margaret has now got a lovely little wiggle to her derriere.

[fetishtop]

There seems to be some disagreement concerning whether or not learning to walk in heels should be a heel-to-toe movement or a "natural" movement. The female skeleton is wider across the hips than is the male; obviously the female pelvis is broader to allow birthing. The wider pelvis creates a greater distance between the tops of the femurs. So, when a woman takes a step forward, her leg must move forward a greater distance than does a male stepping. This action causes the entire hip mass to swing in a "female" manner. A woman who seems to be "wiggling" when she walks is doing so simply as a consequence of her skeletal inheritance.

Runway models using an exaggerated hell-to-toe step pattern do so to draw attention to the hip thrusting stride, thus presumably looking sexier and more aggressive (got to sell that design). A woman in ordinarylife who walks strictly heel-to-toe would probably look weird, or would appear to be play acting.

Learning to walk in heels isn't difficult. Low heels to start, take small steps, relax. What's important is to have shoes that fit comfortably. And watch out for damage to the feet from wearing heels too often, too high, and too long.

[Fab Karen]

Ya, and walk sideways or diagonally down stairs....otherwise the whole entire shoe won't catch the steps. Women do it this way all the time. Plus , it looks feminine.:battingeyelashes:

Point your toes at the railing or wall. I do this all the time in boy-mode too, in flats you can go down stairs fast.

[Ellen Ross]

After my first night I realized that I was never going to get enough real heel practice, so I walk on the balls of my feet like I have heels on. I try to stand on the balls of my feet as much as I can. I have never been questioned about it, but if I did I would say it was a leg muscle problem. Now when I do get to wear heels it is much easier - even if it has been many months.

Ellen

[Tamara Croft]

Runway models using an exaggerated hell-to-toe step pattern do so to draw attention to the hip thrusting stride, thus presumably looking sexier and more aggressive (got to sell that design). A woman in ordinarylife who walks strictly heel-to-toe would probably look weird, or would appear to be play acting. You've got that back to front, a model walks toe to heel and they are specifically trained to walk like that.

[Jamz1b]

Something I noticed walking around, is that when I have to walk in low/no light I do a much better job at it. I think because I have to balance and it forces me to look up so I dont walk into a wall rather than down at my cute shoes... Hard to do though isnt it ;)

Try it some time, but dont get hurt.

[RhondaLynn]

I got a new pair of black pumps w/ 3" heels a couple months ago. They're really attractive, but a bit narrow for a 12W, and needed to be broken in. I needed to work on my walking in heels anyway - i hadn't done it in several years, so i started taking my dog to a local park late at night & walking her. Empty park at midnight, no one around, lots of long sidewalks - it was perfect - i broke the shoes in - they fit better now, and I got quite a bit of intensive walking practice. These shoes walk best heel-toe - the stride is more comfortable. In fact, i've always walked heel-toe in heels anytime i was going to walk further than across the room.

My first pumps had a 2" heel (I literally wore the heels off them), and later i got a pair of 3" heels. The 3" heels were actually more comfortable to walk in and much more stable, since they were quite a bit wider than the old ones. The only bad things about them is that 1)the heel pad tends to tear my hose if i accidentally brush them against my legs, and 2)the top of the shoes cut into my foot, eventually tearing a run in my hose.

I just ordered a pair of 4" pumps over the weekend - they haven't came in yet. They looked too narrow for a 12W in their photo, and i almost didn't buy them, but i did, so i guess late walks in the park are in my dog's future once again.

I guess my point was that yes, as everyone has posted - you've gotta walk a mile in her shoes to know what it's all about. And, taking the dog to the park for late-night walks has been the best practice i've ever had.

[JustWendy]

After reading all the suggestions, I thought I'd give it a try. It's like learning to walk all over again. Lead with the hips, shoulders back - The thing that sounded the weirdest but made the biggest difference was the toe to heel. I picked the stretch of my living room that leads to a wall unit with a mirror. I've got a lot of practice ahead of me, but occasionally I got it right, and what a difference in appearance. I think I've found my new exercise program. Thanks everyone for some great advice.

Wendy

[stephi]

Best advice is to relax and forget they are heels ...... your ankle and calf stiffen up other wise. Imagine they ar eflatties and walk with feet crossing over a centre line this makes you wlak from the hip

:):):)

[Janet K.]

Personal experience---make sure that your heel clears the step that you are on before stepping down. I was walking down some concrete stairs Saturday morning and had a heel catch on the step that I was on. Four steps later I finally came to a stop in a heap. My first bounce was on my left knee, and I will find out today how costly that bounce was. It is the size of a grapefruit and hurts when I bend it.
My advice---be careful around steps!!! I had gone up and down steps with no issues before this happened. I was in a hurry wearing a pair of 3 1/2" slingbacks (I normally wear closed heel pumps) and wasn't ready for the heel/shoe separation. Funny thing was, I had gone down the steps at the hotel about two hours earlier without any problems. I took my time, made sure I walked down with my foot at an angle, and had no issues.

[Vieja]

Carefully.

Vieja

[TxKimberly]

Yeah - don't over analyze it - just do it!
I can't recall ever having a hard time wearing them. All that stuff you see on TV with young ladies or men trying heels for the first time and wobbling all over is just theater. It's really not that hard.
The only other advice I'd offer is to stand up straight. Believe it or not, the ideal posture for a man and woman is pretty much the same - Back straight, tummy sucked in, and chest out. I notice that a LOT of TG's tend to slouch a lot - try to avoid that. :-)

[TNRobin]

I cheat, just ask Kimberly.:D

Being in a wheelchair I just put them on my feet, put my feet on the chair's footrest and roll around. Of course Kimberly keeps trying to steal it; the more that she drinks the harder that she tries.:tongueout

[ellenwannabe]

start small and you'll soon be able to handle at least a 3 inch heel easily and comfortably - Ellen

[Abbey Lane]

Like the rest practice and short steps. Start at 3" heels and now I am at 5" as shown by avatar. I absolutely love heels higher the better.

[echo]

When I have hung out at strip clubs, it is easy to tell the rank amatures from the pros. Pro's look totally comfortable puting one foot directly in front of the other which will automatically generate the hip sway/booty pop.

The amatures look completely uncomfortable and walk with thier feet side by side and nearly in line with thier shoulders and it ends up looking exactly like a duck walk with the head and shoulders swaying side to side.

Next time you are at the strip club look for it...you will see. hehehehehe (seriously)