A survey conducted by the College of Podiatry found that most women felt pain in their feet after just one hour of wearing high heels. 20% of women in the survey said that they felt foot pain after just 10 minutes of wearing high heels. Over half of the women polled reported foot problems caused by wearing uncomfortable shoes. One out of four women polled stated they have kicked off their high heels and danced barefoot at a nightclub or bar. Unsurprisingly, nearly half of the women in the study stated that they are willing to endure the pain caused by uncomfortable shoes, like high heels, for the sake of looking fashionable.

Continuous wear to the feet caused by uncomfortable shoes, like high heels and flip flops, can cause serious, long-lasting foot problems such as arthritis, bunions, cracked heels, ankle trauma, and ingrown toe nails. The College of Podiatry advises to wear well-fitting, round toed shoes for day to day wear to avoid excessive strain to the feet. Many of the problems caused by overly tight and comfortable shoes may require surgery or other medical treatment.

This doesn’t mean that you should not ever wear high heels or other fashionable shoes. Try to limit the use of these to special occasions to avoid excessive wear to your feet. Consider the POSITION of the heel as this is more important to the health of your feet than the style or thickness. The heel should be right under the heel bone to promote proper balance. Look for shoes with added comfort features such as shock absorbing heels and multiple contour footbeds, which can reduce the impact and improve foot support. If you can’t avoid those sexy new heels that hurt your feet oh so badly, then be sure to soak your swollen feet after a big night out in a cold foot bath for 15 minutes followed by applying foot lotion or cream to prevent cracking and blistering.