That will usually get any women's attention! Every woman is looking for the perfect high heel shoe, hot, sexy, goes with their favorite outfit and of course supportive, comfortable and does not hurt. The last three being the most important, lol! But if there was a shoe product that was easy to place in a shoe that would take pressure off the ball of the foot, make the arch feel more supportive and not make the shoe tighter or visible when wearing them that would get the attention of most women. The problem with most shoe accessory products today is that they are too big and bulky, uncomfortable or just doesn't work that well in their shoes and eventually end up in a bag in their dresser drawer. So women continue to buy shoes that they love and can't live without hoping they can get through the day or evening without being crippled.
As a podiatrist we are always faced with the questions such as, "how can you make my shoes more comfortable and supportive without telling me you can't wear those shoes anymore or buy a larger size". We are also asked "why do I continue to develop these things on my foot" or "why do the balls of my feet burn when I wear my heels"?
They are referring to the painful corns, callouses and blisters found on their toes, back of the heels and ball of the foot. The answers are friction created from your feet moving and sliding in your shoes as well as how steep the pitch of your high heel is. The steeper the pitch or angle of your heel height the greater the downward force on the ball of your foot. The ball of your foot grinds into the floor of the shoe and that will cause of the burning when you walk.
As we know, feet come in different sizes and shapes but our favorite dress shoes only come in different sizes and heel heights. The shape of your foot will unfortunately dictate the type of shoe you can wear comfortably. The shape of your foot is predetermined genetically by the bone structure you were born with, that's right, mom, dad or your grandparents. Depending on how flexible the joints in your foot are will tell the tale of whether you will have flat feet, a normal type arch or a high arch. Combine the two and that is the reason for wide or narrow feet. These are the keys to being able to buy your favorite high heel shoes and wearing them all day and night with or without pain. It is that simple!
Now that I have your attention let's make those challenging high heels, wearable, comfortable, supportive and pain free! There are arch products and soft insoles available on line that can fit into your heels and make those shoes more comfortable. A soft thin insole placed in your heels will provide instant comfort and cushion for your feet and may be all you need. There are also arch products that are placed in the arch area of your heels which provide instant arch support, take pressure off the ball of the foot, stop the foot from slipping forward, help eliminate pain in the great toe joint and reduce abnormal foot pronation. Use these key words to find products to help make your heels fit better. Instant arches, arch supports for high heels, orthotics for high heels, foot support, foot arch support, arch support inserts, arch support shoes, dress insoles and arch supports for backless heels. You can also go to your local shoe repair shop and ask them to stretch your shoe a tiny bit to see if that helps.
"And she walked happily ever after"!
