Wearing High Heels May Be Bad for Your Feet

 

"Women do love their high heels, but if you wear them all the time, significant foot pain and other problems can ensue, either as a direct result of the heels or exacerbated by them," says Dr. Morris Morin, who directs the podiatric medicine division of Hackensack University Medical Center.

Wearing high heels frequently can cause a variety of issues, most notably being pain in the toes or the heel of the foot. When women wear heels, their weight is forced forward onto their toes instead of being evenly distributed throughout the foot. Additionally, high heels constrict the natural shape and movement of the foot and shorten calf muscles, which also causes pain.

High heel shoes can also cause bunions, or bony protrusions at the base of the big toe, to become aggravated by rubbing against the inside of the shoe. WebMD also says that women who have bunions may also have a bone in their feet that is displaced, and when wearing heels, the pressure and friction from the shoe may cause additional pain. Women who wear pointy-toed heels are at a higher risk due to the shape of the shoe's toe box.

In more extreme cases, frequently wearing high heels can lead to a shortening of the Achilles tendon, which according to WebMD, causes a condition called Achilles tendonitis. This occurs because the tendon shortens when feet are placed in the position needed to wear high heels for extended periods of time. When feet are held in this position for long periods of time over many months or years, the tendon begins to shorten. Surgery is needed to correct the tendon's length and restore it to its proper position.

Another more serious condition caused by wearing high heels frequently is metatarsalgia, which is caused by large amount of pressure being put on the ball of the foot over the course of time.

When women wear high heels, their weight is balanced on the ball of the foot instead of being evenly distributed. The thick layer of fat that cushions feet while walking is worn away due to prolonged pressure. This causes the bones in the balls of women's feet to be subjected to more and more pressure and rubbing while standing or walking, which can cause severe pain and other foot problems.