Women's Shoes: Ease The Pain

BY VANGARDE GIRL NELLE, SEPTEMBER 28, 2010

We all want to be able to wear the latest shoe trends. Because we all know shoes are an important part of your look they can make or break an outfit.  

I'm tired of attending events and parties seeing girls pull out their flip flops or just go straight ape (barefoot) on the dirty sticky club floor.  I've even been a victim of this a few times and decided a while ago to put an end to the madness.  If I can't be comfortable in a shoe I'm not buying it, end of story. Your best bet is to find a fashionable shoe that you can walk, run or dance in without pain.  Nothing is worse than having to spend a day in uncomfortable heels.  I love heels and I always get the question, do your feet hurt?  I used to travel back and forth on the MTA, attend classes then work an 8 hour standing shift with no foot pain.  I know your thinking to yourself, how is this possible?  I try my best to purchase shoes within my comfort zone.  

I know what works for me.  If I'm in shoe pain then it's guaranteed I strayed from my comfort zone or purchased a cheap shoe.  Shoes within my comfort zone are usually open or round toe.  I don't have narrow feet so pointy toe shoes are always uncomfortable.  They cram my toes tight like a pack of sardines.  I have a high arch so I stay away from shoes with little or no arch support.  For stability I gravitate towards shoes with thick, sturdy, chunky, platform or a wedge heel.  Boy was I happy when the pointy toe stiletto witch shoe trend officially died.  That was an era of pain, I couldn't find round toes anywhere I almost went bonkers.  With so many guys with foot fetishes it's not only important to have a poppin' shoe game but also have pretty feet.  Now here are a few tips I to ease the pain:

Stay away from cheap shoes:  Cheap shoes are poorly constructed and made with low quality materials that will leave your feet in discomfort.  Cheap materials rarely stretch and take shape of your foot.  From experience majority of my cheap shoes lacked stability and had slippery bottoms(which definitely isn't good if your a clumsy person like me).

Purchase 1/2 size up and add inserts:  If you cannot afford expensive shoes then gear up those puppies for war.  Buy your shoe in a bigger size and you will have room to add whatever insulation you may need without having to loose out on space.  Many times adding insoles in shoes that are your exact size still leaves you uncomfortable from the lack of space.  While in Rite-Aid the other day searching for some grips for the bottom of my cheap shoes (smh) there was an array of cushion merchandise for all parts of your feet.

Keep it real: Choose heels you know you can walk in.  Avoid any stiletto heels until you are comfortable walking in a thicker heel.  Make sure you'll be able to dodge cracks and bumps without falling flat on your face.  If you want to build comfort in heels do what I did and wear your heels around the house instead of your slippers.  If you can do majority of your daily chores in heels then you are on your way to becoming a pro.

Take a break:  If you are in pain and get a chance to sit for a while slightly raise your foot out of your shoe.  Raise your heel halfway out then pull the balls of your feet back easing the pressure.  Do not take your foot all the way out.  Doing so will cause you to suffer from swelling.  Once your foot swells you might a well find your way home, the pain will become twofold.

Simply walk less:  Although we love to prance around in heels all day, they aren't walking shoes.  Take taxis, drive, park close to your destination etc... What ever you can do to minimize walking time do it.

There is nothing cute about a woman who is limping in a pair of heels.