Before you say it, yes it is possible! Here are a few things
that can transform wearing painful shoes into moments of luxury...okay that’s an exaggeration.
Let’s start with the shoes themselves. My first piece of
advice would be to always try them on before you buy, none of this online
shopping business when it comes to shoes. If you are anywhere near as fussy as
I am with heels, trying on before you buy easily eliminates shoes that were
never made to be comfortable. Intricate cut outs or complicated straps can be a
recipe for disaster; remember everyone’s feet are different and fit into shoes
differently, so for you it may be that rubbing and blisters are a definite
outcome.
The awkward ‘walking around the shop to get a feel for the
shoes’ regime is a must; yeah we look a bit stupid but it is necessary! If you
can’t walk there, there isn’t much hope on cobbled streets under the mild
influence of alcohol.
The type of shoe to choose is also important. Try to get
shoes with good ankle support; ankle boots or courts with cross straps are
great. A larger surface area on the soles of shoes will also help, so I find wedges
great to wear. Lastly, to my confusion, there are some heels around that tilt
at the front, making it inevitable to lose your balance when walking. AVOID at
all costs.
Next step is to wear your new heels in. Walk around the
house, walk on different surfaces, just wear them sitting down if you want. The
warmth from your feet will help to mould the shoes to the right shape, therefore when
you wear them out for the first time, they will be much more comfortable and
you will feel more confident walking in them.
Another, probably quite obvious tip is to look after your
feet. Keep your feet moisturised and soft and they will feel better in new shoes.
A mega important thing is to keep your toenails trimmed, seriously, when your
toes are crammed together you do NOT want nails digging and cutting into other
toes! Lastly, Vaseline is great when wearing strappy shoes; rubbing a bit over
the area helps prevent sores forming.
Last but not least, the creator of shoe inserts should be
blessed – I don’t know what I would do without them. Scholl or brands similar
have a selection of pads to fit into your shoes, from heel shields to sore
spots, or thin strips to line straps. I put a pair of heel shields into nearly
every pair of heels I own, and it stops all kinds of rubbing and also stops
heels from slipping when you walk. Not cheap I know, but really worth it. The
gel pads for the soles of your feet are also great; it does give you that extra
bit of comfort to last the whole evening.
So I hope this guide will help all heel wearers out there to
find comfort in their shoes and prevent unnecessary agony!
