On a night out, high heels might make you look tall and glamorous, but in the long-term they could really cause you some pain and suffering.
Here are just some of the evil effects of wearing heels:
shortening of the Achilles tendon
bunions
calluses
soft corns between the toes
fractures
sprains
Anna Bared developed her 'Bared' range after spending seven years as a podiatrist dealing with crippled lovers of high heels.
"A lot of them adapt which is a terrible thing because then they can't even get down to wear a runner because their calf muscle has shortened that much," she says.
Podiatrist Brenden Brown says wearing high heels arches your back which can cause you to stoop, roll the shoulders and crane the neck.
He also says fans of stilettos, platforms and towering heels can also experience problems with posture, knees and tight hamstrings that make it difficult to extend your leg into a normal stride.
Here are some tips to give your feet a break.
If your big toe is deviating towards the other toe and you're getting heel pain when you're not walking in your high heels, see a podiatrist.
If wearing flats is not an option, wear thicker heels. The pressure from your bodyweight gets distributed better to your feet.
Wear silicon inserts to cushion the joints in the feet
An innovative pair of shoes aims to solve the fashion dilemma with collapsible heels that convert from flat to high heels as desired. Visit www.camileonheels.com
Some say that injecting Botox into the feet is a legitimate way of coping with pain in the soft tissue on the ball of the foot, known as the metatarsal region — usually from years of wearing high heels. Find out more here
For more on Bared Footwear — shoes designed by a podiatrist, visit www.bared.com.au or phone 03 9824 0454
Bared Footwear, 437 Toorak Rd, Toorak, Melbourne.
For more information on Flipsters - as seen on tonight's show - visit: www.flipsters.com.au
more on foot health, visit www.podiatry.asn.au>
