As a girl who works a 9 - 5:30 shift in heels, on my feet all day, let's start with the basics.
1. Buying the shoes
Go shopping at the end of the day for shoes but give yourself about an hour at least. Your feet are bigger at the end of the day because you've been on them and they swell.
If you have time, try on all the shoes they have in your size. You'd be surprised what you come away with. Don't try and squeeze into a half size too small - it's a waste of time and money.
Walk around the store at least twice before saying yes or no. This will give an idea of where a shoe is most likely to rub: the heels, the ball of your feet, across the ankle strap, over the tops of the toes or sides of the feet. You can only wear so many bandaids, so here are the fixables:
- Heels - there are so many brands of heel gel pads out there to cure pinching heels or ones that rub and blister.
- Balls - see above
- Top of the toe - the thinner gel pads around can often fit to the top side of a shoe but it's a temporary fix. If it's not too tight, the shoe can be stretched with the measures below. Otherwise, give it a miss.
- Sides of the feet/toes - this is the worst because it actually hurts to wear any other shoes and can cause callouses and bunions (ew). But bandaids if they fit under the shoe can help.
I have a general issue with bandaids in that they tend to work loose as it were, or bunch up and cause more trouble. So instead of bandaiding up, try wearing in the shoes.
If your shoes are too tight:
- On your day off or day at a desk, pop on a pair of nice thick socks and put on the heels. Keep your feet in them properly by putting your feet together with your legs straight and knees together. This is great because you need good posture to keep this position.
- Do what my mum did and hand them to your half-size larger daughter to wear around the house. This only really works for flats.
Leather shoes that pinch:
- There is a product around that you spray on leather and stretch it out. Go to a nice shoe store that sells secondary care products or the sales assistant should tell you about it if you say that the shoes pinch. It works miracles on those awful heels that are cut a little too high.
If you get pain/rubbing on the edge of the sole of your feet, go up half a size. It means that the sole of the shoe is too small.
Ankle straps - these are great for beginners because they have a bit more grip and you won't feel as though the shoes about to fall off. But they can make your ankles look wider or legs look shorter so choose carefully. Go for a mary jane style, with a strap across the top of the foot instead.
How to walk in heels:
Put on some low heels to begin with, two inches or so. Give yourself room to take ten small steps before turning and walking back on a flat surface. Stand at one end with you tummy sucked in, shoulder back and back nice and straight. Think of a string through the top of your head pulling you up tall. Take small steps, putting your toe down first directly in front of you. Try to avoid staring at your feet as you walk, it will ruin your posture.
Posture is so important in looking good in heels, I was pretty appalled at a valedictory dinner when girls walked across the stage with shoulders forward because it makes them look so ungraceful. So, shoulders up and back, relaxed but holding in your core muscles to get that slender look will make you look even taller.
Experiment with walking slow and walking fast and how you bring your feet forward, if you lift your feet right up and brush it past your calf to bring it down again or if you just lift it a little to step forward.
For different surfaces:
Carpets: sink your heel in first for grip.
Concrete: Place your foot down evenly and watch for any cracks or lifting that could trip you.
Tiles: small tiles can be tricky in stilettos so opt for thicker heels when you start out. If you're wearing stilettos, toes down first, avoid putting any weight on the heel because it could slip in the grooves. For big tiles, make sure you get the toe and heel on tile, not grout.
Slate: If you can't get a big man to carry you, keep your weight on the balls of your feet and take small steps to avoid overbalancing.
Grass: same as slate because your stilettos will aerate the soil. This leads to muddy heels which is such a pain to clean especially if they're fabric (*my poor diana ferraris*)
Gravel: Get a big man. Seriously. You'll hurt something. Badly. (in my case it was an ankle and a broken shoe)
Loose dirt: take it easy.
Stairs!
Going upstairs is relatively easy, just make sure the whole shoe is on the step before moving up. Down; get a handhold on a rail/friend and keep your posture to maintain a centre of gravity. Don't lean forward, you'll topple over.
Got a scenario?
Ask me!
