And I don't just mean your emotional well being either, although that's huge for me, and probably for many of you as well.
We have all heard of podiatrist and orthopedic surgeons pronouncing how bad high heels are for your body.* So why do we wear them? Because they look AWESOME on anyone who wears them. I've even seen men in full suits (drab) with heels and they look amazing. I can't overstate this. In spite of the foot pain and other negative effects, I think it's worthwhile to endure the minor discomfort when you can make your feet and legs look so amazing.
But there's another dimension you don't often hear about. A moderate heel can be good for your posture. I don't understand how or even what is meant by "moderate", but I was told this by my physiotherapist while she was treating me for a spinal fracture. It's her business to know these things, so I'll just accept her word, never mind that it suits me to do so!
My own experience confirms this. Having played hockey for over 40 years, it was natural for me to walk with*my feet splayed out quite a bit. At the same time, I had a lot of pain in my hip and knee joints. Once I found the courage to try* wearing heels, I was forced to walk with my toes more straight forward. That has now become my normal walking style in drab shoes, too. And now my joints hardly ever give me pain.
More recently, some muscles in my behind have been giving me a lot of pain. Because of the winter conditions, heels have been a no-no. But one day, I just had to dress up and that included my 4 inch pumps. The muscle pain made it difficult but I got them on, the pain subsided, and stayed away for a couple of days. The pains returned again today, so I wore my 3 inch wedges out to dinner with my wife and the pain is gone again.
I know, there's potentially a lot of things wrong with my tale. One person's anecdote does not represent a trend. It could be just a coincidence. Correlation does not mean causality. Et cetera. But things have been working out for me, so I choose to spin it in the way that puts me in my pumps more often.