Foot Numbness after wearing heels

[Eryn]

For a holiday party Mimi and I went shoe shopping and found a fabulous pair of strappy 4" heels in gold. Obviously not shoes that are made for comfort!

At 6'2", I normally wear flats when I go out, but this party was with a CD group so I looked forward to the chance to strut with the Big Girls.

I didn't want to repeat the uncertainty of my last outing on heels, so I wore the heels around the house through most of the day to get used to them.

It worked! I dressed and Mimi and I went out the door. Driving went well and I managed to navigate gracefully into the restaurant. Thank goodness for valet parking!

At the party we spent quite a lot of time standing and chatting. Great fun with a good mix of CDers and GGs there. I limited myself to one glass of wine, no sense getting tipsy on those heels!

Toward the end of the evening I noticed an odd feeling in my left foot. It felt as if a stocking was wrinkled under the outer ball of my left foot. I didn't pay it much attention, figuring that my feet were just complaining about being in heels so long. If a GG can tough it our why can't I?

Evening ended, drove home, and took off my heels and nylons. Kneading my foot, I found that the outer part of the ball of my foot and middle toes were noticibly numb. I thought that this was to be expected after a long evening looking so good, so I showered and went to bed.

The next morning, I was alarmed to find that the numbness had not gone away. In fact, it stayed pretty much the same for a week, and has gradually diminished since then. Apparently I did some nerve damage that is taking a long time to heal.

This puts me in a bit of a quandary, since I do like to wear heels. Before this happened I used to wear conservative 3" chunky heels around the house to stay in practice but I haven't worn them lately since because I'm worried about doing more damage to myself. My feet feel as if they are back to normal now.

Have any other ladies had a similar experience? If so, did you make it back into heels or do I have to consider myself permanently grounded?

[MissMarcie]

Just a guess, but probably not enough support in strappy heels for you.

[Barbara Ella]

Ouch, that cant be good. Maybe some Dr. Scholl's high heel inserts would help relieve the pressure on the ball of the foot, which is what they claim to do. I use them, but dont have the experience of wearing a pair for that length of time though to know.

Good luck

Babes

[Jodi]

I stay away fom sandals with very thin straps. I've learned that they can really cut the feet after a while.

I had gg's teach me years ago about how to stand while in heels. One must learn to move slightly while standing. Move the weight from foot to foot. Do not stand for a long period without doing this. Watch g's while they stand in heels. An experienced heel wearer knows how to move.

Also, today's strappy heels are not designed to be worn with hose. Hosery will cause the feet to slide too far forward and cause extreme pressure from the thin straps. This causes compression on a nerve with causes numbness.

A pinched nerve will regenerate at the rate of about 1" a month. So, if you pinched the nerve about 1" above the toe, it will take about one month for the numbness to go away.

Jodi

[Stephanie47]

I think you kind of answered the question yourself-maybe! "If a GG can tough it out why can't I?" You make the assumption a GG can tough it out, but, can they? The GG's I know really hate four or five inch heels, especially after they have latched onto their SO. I never saw GG's in 4"-5" high heels in an office setting. And, at a party? Most have slipped them off or sit down frequently. And, if driving, it's barefooted.

I ordered two pairs of four inch heels (black and white pairs), which turned out to be five inch. They kill my calves and back. They wreck my toes. At home I stay with a three inch heel. That one inch difference only represents less than 1% of your height. I do not want to wreck my feet any further than time has done so already. I'd rather wear three inch heels than have my feet give out and wear flats for the rest of my life.

I think the media has something to do with expectations on heel height. I watch many shows with female actors wearing four-five inch heels in the most stupid situations

[RenneB]

I just love my 4inchers. On a normal school day, I get to wear them for about 5 hours at a stretch.. It's really important to get the fit just right. Those inserts are the key as not all size 11s are made the same. My Aldo's are my favorite. I could wear and walk in them all day. Then I picked up a pair of red patent leather 4inchers. I can't wear them for more than 5 minutes, so I picked up a shoe stretcher and they are being stretched right now... I'll let you know if that works....

I also have a few pairs of strappies and even tried the open toe ones, but for me it's the rounded toe that seems to work best..

Renne.....

[marlacd]

That for which you describe, could be the beginnings of a foot problem called "Plantar vasitis" My ex had that and she ignored it for too long, before going to a podiatrist for help. And she also aggravated this condition through some sort of health spa class that involved kick boxing moves. As we found out, the excercise, and heels, were not the only thing that was causing it. Poor fitting shoes, with bad support, and also worn out shoes, was the main issue.
So, she needed to buy specific shoes to clear the problem up. (Which took about two years!)

Now, somewhere along the line, I decided to buy a shoe that was simular to her's. And to my suprise, a good fitting shoe with proper support made my feet feel better. And spending most of the time in good shoes, made wearing heels easier to do, and I could spend more time in them, in comfort!

That one I hardly expected, but was certainly welcomed.

[noeleena]

Hi..

some sound advice , or wear them any way..

.many women had later on in life foot problems because of high heels hence thay can not wear heels plus some major issue's that could not be repeared by time.

Now i know many dressers love thier heels & if they continuly wear them for long periods they too will have the same damage. or may be major surgery. tho im not sure concerning that.

If you wear them for short periods then you may get away with that tho your body did tell you & yes you now know what happens. . have them for a little while & change them with some flat'es,

The other point is of the day those women who wore them where lighter so not the weight detail. were as males are well many are heavy er . & it depends on how you walk & are you nimble on your feet.
im not going to say what i wear or do. he he .......

...noeleena...

[Eryn]

Well, I weigh 165, a bit on the heavy side for a female, but not excessively so. I think that the main factor was "too much, too soon" and not paying attention to what my feet were telling me. Next time I'll find someplace to sit down now and then.

I don't seem to have any problem with 3" heels, so I think that I'll have that as my limit unless the shoe also has a platform. As I said, I usually wear flats when out so I don't feel too restricted by this.

[Ellyn]

Wow. 6 foot 2 inches and only 165 pounds! I am envious. I think I better shed some weight. At 5 foot 7 inches I outweigh you by 20 pounds. I really need to trim down. I have always wondered how "hefty" women can wear high heels. I know it is not comfortable because there is a company which makes a pair of slipper shoes that fit into a pouch which can be carried to parties, and other events so they can slip them on when the pain starts.

[Momarie]

Have you ever injured your back?

It sounds like slight nerve damage being aggravated.

[Princess Chantal]

May I suggest some simple foot and ankle strength exercises. The exercises may do wonders for the time spent in heels.

[Sara Jessica]

Without a picture of the accused perpetrators (the 4" gold strappy sandals which are likely relegated to an evidence locker somewhere, awaiting conclusion of this "trial"), it's hard to say exactly what the problem is but from what you describe, it might be as simple as others have pointed out: The strappy parts are digging into your foot in all the wrong places.

I guess one way to test whether you have to set aside all heels in favor of foot health & comfort is to test out some other styles to see if you have the same result.

[daviolin]

I know the feeling darling. I wore a pair of mary jane heels to a halloween party one year. They were to tight and I payed for it dearly. My feet were numb for a long time after that. They have since got better. My solution to the problum, is make sure the shoes fit right. I always buy new shoes, never used thrift store shoes. Try to break them in first. I usually wear some kind of shoe insert for extra comfort. Also, very important. Carry a pair of flats in your purse. If you are going to be standing alot, they are a girls best friend. Stay pretty Eryn. Daviolin

[sometimes_miss]

Eryn, welcome to the world of wearing heels. No one's feet are shaped the way those shoes are. Yours aren't, either. Your feet are telling you something; stop wearing shoes that don't fit right. Thousands of women have to have surgery on their feet every year to correct the damage done by wearing heels. It's like cigarettes; your body tells you it doesn't want them, but you insist anyway. I think from now on, I will make a rather odd request of women when I ask them out; I'll ask them to wear sneakers. If we're going somewhere nice, I'll ask them to wear nice pretty sneakers.

[Shananigans]

Happens all the time. Usually, for me, it's not so much the height of the heel but the steep of the pitch on the shoe. I have a pair of red patent leather pumps that are 5 inches. The pitch on these shoes is so steep that I am basically on my tip toes. By the end of the night, I can't feel my toes. One night, I wore them long enough that my big toe was numb for a few days and eventually my toe nail fell off.

Yep...it sucked.

I have a few other pairs of heels that leave me numb in certain areas for a day or two, but none as bad as the patent leather pair.

When I picked out the heels and put them on, I knew they weren't going to comfortable or terribly good for my feet/back/legs. But, I'm not going out in Birkenstocks...

[kimdl93]

Yeah, happens to me when I'm in my highest pair of peeps. Like Shana describes above, my toes have gone numb after a long evening in high heels. I try to get off my feet as often as I can, and let them dangle from my toes for a few minutes now and then. It helps the blood get back into them.

[Eryn]

Without a picture of the accused perpetrators (the 4" gold strappy sandals which are likely relegated to an evidence locker somewhere, awaiting conclusion of this "trial"), it's hard to say exactly what the problem is but from what you describe, it might be as simple as others have pointed out: The strappy parts are digging into your foot in all the wrong places.

I guess one way to test whether you have to set aside all heels in favor of foot health & comfort is to test out some other styles to see if you have the same result.

Here are the perps:

http://i.ebayimg.com/t/NINA-GRAYSEN-GOLD-RHINESTONE-SANDAL-4-NIB-8M-98-/00/$(KGrHqEOKicE14+k5cOPBNgWNd8ZPQ~~0_35.JPG

I don't have a lot of cause to wear these, so no worries there. I have been wearing more reasonable heels lately and the problem doesn't seem to be recurring. I only get to wear heels out about once every month or two so it won't kill me to be grounded for a while.

The odd thing is that I spent considerable time at DSW trying on different shoes to find the ones that felt the best while still looking good. I think that if I had just been smart and taken the load off my feet now and then I would have done fine. Those who can wear heels whenever they want probably do this without even thinking about it.

[Kate T]

One night, I wore them long enough that my big toe was numb for a few days and eventually my toe nail fell off.


Now THAT is suffering for fashion!!

[docrobbysherry]

I think Shana makes a good point! Remember, size means A LOT when it comes to shoe angles! Shana's 5" heels mite equal my 6" heels angle! Likewise, Eryn, your 4" heels mite equal my 3 1/2" heels slope! I'm size 10/10 1/2.

My feet ALWAYS warn me with lots of PAIN well before they go numb!

[Eryn]

I think Shana makes a good point! Remember, size means A LOT when it comes to shoe angles! Shana's 5" heels mite equal my 6" heels angle! Likewise, Eryn, your 4" heels mite equal my 3 1/2" heels slope! I'm size 10/10 1/2.

My feet ALWAYS warn me with lots of PAIN well before they go numb!

Might be. I'm size 11 in open-toed shoes. I also ignored a fair amount of discomfort. Not very smart, live and learn! :)

[Dana7]

Those are very pretty shoes, Eryn. Too bad they messed up your feet, strappy shoes can be hazardous. I was a shoe salesman in college, working at the two largest and busiest shoe stores in my city. I have seen a lot of deformed feet on older women who continuously wore badly-fitting heels. A bad pair of shoes can do more than nerve damage, they can turn your toes around and damage the bones as well.

There are techniques we used in the store to alleviate the stress of those straps hitting the wrong places. A good pair of wooden shoe stretchers may be in order here. And regarding the banishment of all heels, I think that might be a bit too harsh. A pair of good-fitting pumps should be just fine to wear, as long as the heel is of reasonable height. Just be sure they fit well.

When I last went out and spent a considerable time on heels, I wore my favorite black stilettos. They worked just fine, even with dancing, as seen here (http://www.crossdressers.com/forums/showthread.php?163024-Halloween-Dancing-and-Out-on-the-Town!&p=2644050&viewfull=1#post2644050). But they are not strappy shoes, although they have around a four inch heel, and they have excellent ankle support as seen here (http://www.crossdressers.com/forums/showthread.php?163024-Halloween-Dancing-and-Out-on-the-Town!&p=2644044&viewfull=1#post2644044).

Just make sure you give your feet some time to rest while out and about.

[Chickhe]

I had that happen a couple times. What I do now is massage my toes and foot first and make sure everything is comfortable. I also noticed, you need to let it heal first, but once healed it happens less often after.

[Eryn]

I don't really feel that the shoes were too tight as they didn't compress my foot inward at all. Even though they were strappy, they felt secure on my foot when properly adjusted. I think my problem was simply the relatively unaccustomed foot position held for a long time without relief. I was careful to practice walking and even twirling about in those shoes, but didn't think about what they could do simply standing still.

But I looked sooo good! :)

[Kate T]

There is a website somewhere written by a GG on how to walk in heels (google "how to walk in heels"). It's not a video but an actual site. It has some really good tips and focuses on getting the right type of shoe and techniques for relieving pressure on the feet when standing for long periods of time.

[Sara Jessica]

Ya know, just by looking at them, I wouldn't think those heels would cause the problems you are describing. I kind of pictured something with really narrow straps and perhaps just a few of them, something that would really dig in regardless of how well it seemed to fit. But still, you found it didn't work for you and like someone described before in these pages, perhaps those shoes are best reserved for "sitting at the bar and looking pretty" outings.

All that said, I'm glad you aren't giving up on your heels. It's all a matter of time & place. Taking your heels out of the box once or twice a month isn't a bad thing at all.

[Persephone]

If the pain/numbness ranges across several pair it might be worthwhile to consult a podiatrist as there are several treatments that may help, depending upon the cause. Some podiatrists even specialize in keeping women high heel ready.

I have a Morton's Neuroma for example and it can be fixed by cutting the nerve. It is common to loose some of the padding in the ball of the foot as we age and that can be treated by injections. Such treatments can make a big difference in keeping us in our stilettoes.

On the other hand, some of the posts on this thread made me wonder what I'd be reading after some here had gone through pregnancy and childbirth! :-)

Hugs,
Persephone.

[jillleanne]

Welcome to the club Eryn, unfortunately. It not the tightness that would cause numbness or pain but of course can. I can even get it in pumps. It's the amount of pressure on the ball of the foot for too long a period. I can hurt for 2 days afterwards. I do not own platforms so all my 4" heels are 4" heels, and I have alot of them and love them too. If I step down to a 3" heel, problem solved. Oddly, it's only my right foot, somewhere around the three middle toes for me. The numbness I can handle, but the pain can be excruciating. I do use support pads and they help but do not provide total relief.

[rachel de Corvus]

You should look into something called Morton's neuroma, caused by tissue growth or scarring around the nerve that feeds the third and fourth toes.

[hmerkin]

High Heel Numbness!
Yes, dressed as a female airmen in pantyhose and black patent Pumps!!! Standing in formation with High Heel Black Patent Pumps, pantyhose, and nyon panties is the the way to mission successfulness! Long Live The Military!!!

[hmerkin]

rachel de Corvus


New Member - Hey Toes ED!!!
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