10 Golden Rules That All Elegant Women Need to Follow When Wearing Heels

We love heels! It’s impossible not to, with how great and stylish they look. They can make any outfit look more elegant. But in many cases they also cause pain, are uncomfortable, or our feet just can’t get used to them. The good news is that there are many ways to avoid discomfort and fully enjoy a beautiful pair of heels. For example, by choosing the right size, the right sole, and the ideal heel height, not only do you prevent damage to your body, but you can also make the most of them. So why stick to bad habits?

Bright Side thought of looking into how to wear heels properly. And we found 10 tips that we want to share with you, so that you can wear heels, while at the same time taking care of your feet.

1. Make sure you are wearing the right size.

How many times have we fallen in love with a pair of heels that weren’t available in our size? Most likely many, many times. And maybe you just tried them on (even though you knew in advance that it wouldn’t work out how you wanted it to). But let’s not forget that there’s a reason that shoe sizes exist, especially when it comes to heels. If the shoes are too small for you, just forget about them right away, there’s no way to fix this situation. If they are a little bit too big, your foot will slide forward and this might cause you toe pain, but there’s a solution. There are a few tips on how to wear heels (even if they are a little bit too big) without them causing you pain. For instance, you can use silicone insoles to prevent your feet from slipping forward.

2. Find out what type of feet you have and look for the most suitable shoe for them.

In order to do this, you should always try on both shoes instead of just one like many people do. This is because our feet generally have a slight difference in size. Try them on with the type of stockings you are going to use (especially pantyhose). It is better if you can do this in the afternoon or at night, because at this time, your feet are slightly more swollen after a whole day of walking. This is a good tip to avoid an unpleasant surprise later on. Always check to make sure there’s enough room for your toes, that the shoes do not fit too loosely, and that the heel is comfortable but does not slip. Remember that the shoe should fit your foot, not the other way around.

3. The thicker the heel, the better.

Let’s face it: the stiletto heel is not the most comfortable thing in the world and on top of that, it’s not good for your body. Since it’s so thin, all of your weight gets forced onto your metatarsal bones (the 5 bones just behind your toes) and that generates a lot of pressure on one single spot. In the long run, you can end up hurting your body if you wear this kind of heel for long periods of time. A thicker heel distributes the weight across the ankle and provides greater stability.

4. Let’s stop being afraid of animal print heels, patterned shoes, or flashy colors.

Even if it’s sometimes hard to step up to the challenge and leave classic colors behind, trying new things won’t hurt! Printed shoes go well with a lot of clothes and add a touch of personality to a classy outfit. For example, animal print heels go very well with black, white, beige, dark green, orange, purple, pink, and denim. It’s just a matter of courage and trying new options that’ll make you feel comfortable and confident with your look.

5. Learning how to walk in heels

There are certain shoe styles that it’s almost impossible to feel comfortable and walk around in freely. There’s no doubt that if you’re tripping and stumbling all the time, besides risking getting hurt, you won’t really look very stylish. If you want to avoid this, here is another article by Bright Side with all sorts of tips on how to walk in even the thinnest heel and not suffer (or suffer less) in the process.

6. Add high boots to your wardrobe.

High-heeled boots are a classic that will always be in style. They are beautiful and match very well with a number of different outfits. A great example is Monica Geller in Friends. Remember the episode where she spends a huge part of her paycheck on a pair of boots? They were beautiful! But she couldn’t walk without suffering (although she still looked great). We recommend that you think of the ideal pair of boots as not only a beautiful addition to your wardrobe, but also as a comfortable choice.

7. Get a pedicure every now and then.

A pedicure not only takes care of the health of your feet, but also their appearance. Among its many benefits, the most important one is to relieve stress and revitalize the skin. If you don’t feel like or have the time to go for a pedicure, you can read this article by Bright Side that will help you take care of your feet at home using simple ingredients, that you most likely already have.

8. Avoid thin soles.

Thin, flat soles are not good for our bodies, as they can hurt our metatarsal bones. Also, if you suffer from flat feet, shoes without any kind of heel might exacerbate your condition and cause pain. Having flat feet is a condition in which the arch of the foot collapses, causing all or most of the sole of the foot to touch the ground. Ideally, the sole of your shoes should be made of rubber, a material that provides stability and more cushioning to absorb pressure when walking. Having a wide heel that is between 3 and 4 cm is also recommended.

9. Choose heels that provide adequate coverage to hold your ankles.

We know that this is impossible to achieve with every pair of shoes we wear, but ideally they should at least have some kind of hold to avoid twisting or spraining your ankle. The back of the shoe should be closed and should fit tightly over your heel. If the shoe is open, like a sandal for example, it’s ideal to have a strip below the ankle to provide that grip.

10. Choose a medium height heel.

When you walk barefoot, your body weight is equally divided. About 40% is supported by your metatarsal bones, while the remaining weight falls on the heels. If you walk around with a 4 cm high heel, the weight will be moderately proportioned, but as the heel increases, more weight is transferred to the metatarsal bones. If the heel is higher than 7 cm, you can reach the limits of human stability and you might very easily feel unbalanced. But depending on how experienced you are with wearing heels, that number can increase. Therefore, we recommend that you not overdo it with heels. If you have to wear them every day, look for a pair that has a thicker heel and a height of about 4 cm, maximum.

What kind of heels do you usually wear? Do you have any other tips to share with us? Let us know in the comment section!