Stilettogirl

Archive for the ‘Tips & Howto’ Category

One of the things many times comes up during social events are questions about my passion for high heels. Questions which are often the same. That’s why I sometimes answer frequently asked questions here. Next to this kind of personal questions, I’m also asked frequently for some advice about shoes and high heels. Today part 1 -  Some shoes and high heel buying tips:

1. Buy the right size. Don’t just buy a size 6, cause you always have a size 6. Employees in the shoe store should know how to make sure you’ve got the right one. If they don’t, you’re in a wrong store! Walk out the door (don’t forget your shoes) and never walk through that door again.
2. Choose preferable leather shoes if you can afford it. You’ll be very glad I told you that after an hour in your brand new shoes.  Also, leather lasts much longer.
3. New leather shoes may be a bit squeezing, but not painfull. The leather will model to your foot when you really start wearing the shoes in a short period of time. Other materials must fit from the start. It won’t model to your feet, despite the stories you might hear from store eployees.
4. Be sure you can actually walk on those killer heels. Or be at least confident you can walk on the shoes after some practicing. Nothing so embarassing to see you wiggling like a duck down the dancefloor.
5. Always wear your shoes around the house for a couple of times to let the leather model to your feet. It also helps to roughen the most of the times very slippery sole a bit. You can also use sandpaper.

The video of the item “Hoge hakken” (High heels) in the Dutch spoken show “Ook getest op mensen” (literally translated: Also tested on humans) at the national Belgium television I tweeted about last Tuesday is available online.

It’s a bit negative story about high heels. That was to be expected as the tests in the show are somewhat medical. However, it does give some great medical insight into what high heels changes to the body compared to flat shoes.

Unfortunately I’m unable to embed the video here, so you have to go the website of the Belgium television network: Eén to view it. Just for the record: If you don’t speak or understand Dutch (Flemish), it will be hard to follow.

I’ve always ignored the many stories about how bad and dangerous high heels could and would be to health. Doctors and other specialists always warn for problems with the feet, ankles, calves and back. Also I’ve been warned of course, several times.

The big high heels news last weekend was that the queen of high heels, Victoria Beckham, was spotted (again) on flats. Several blogs, papers and news sites are writing about this horrendous and shocking news. Gossips are going around she can’t wear high heels anymore due to feet problems. Other gossips just say she takes a more laid back approach to her appearance.

Let’s assume Victoria does have some feet problems. A while ago I’ve seen some pictures of her when she was wearing stiletto pumps, revealing much of her feet which didn’t look very well. How could this happen? Are specialists right about the dangers of wearing (too) high heels? Well, I think specialists are right in a way. Wearing too high heels too many times could give problems one way or another. Victoria was always wearing towering heels. She has admitted several times she never wears something else. It looks like she will also get another title: the queen of the bunions. Simple due to the fact she wore too high heels too many times.

So, here is my piece of advise: You can safely wear high heels, as long as you don’t wear stiletto’s every day. Change the height of the heel daily. I won’t wear stiletto’s three days in a row. In some cases two days, but on day three definately a lower heel. If you have sore feet at the end of the day, take your shoes of when you’re home and make your feet relax.

Every girl who has been standing for some tine on high heels know this. Your arches are starting killing you. But you’re feeling very sexy and very pretty. That bit of pain is just a small inconvenience.

Now you’re home and it’s time calm your feet. They need it! Take a reusable round water bottle, not the Vittel ones. Fill it half with ice cubes and the other half with cold water. Sit down. Place the bottle on a towel to collect condensation, and place the arch of your bare foot on the middle of the bottle. Rock your foot forward and back, rolling the bottle underneath. Apply as much pressure as you want, and continue this for a few minutes. Your feet will calm down and you’ll feel relieved.

Thanks to FitSugar.

This is the best version of a flowchart for buying (more) shoes I’ve ever seen.

There is also a version for men. Especially note the (slight) difference in the process of deciding.

Via Cracked