High heels - Oh, the pain!

twirlagig

Hi Ladies!
After mistakingly wearing a new pair of a boots on a day out recently (:o), I have a question for ye...
What would ye recommend as a good insole type thing for high heels? It's not that they were too small or anything, it was just the sheer agony of pressure of the ball on your foot!
I know you can get those 'Party Feet' things but I have to say I didn't find them much good in the past. Not a big high heel wearer but sometimes you do need them for a certain outfit etc. Any ideas? Because I swear, that day recently I was in agony!

Lia_lia

Just don't wear heels. Works for me! I really don't see the point on wearing shoes if they make you uncomfortable. And those insole things never work in my opinion.

squeakyduck

I have the sticky party feet for the ball of your foot. It will do for a while but not the whole night. I still have to take my shoes off as they ache being in such a position for hours dancing, walking etc.

Worth a try!

lace

I'd say finding a comfortable pair of heels is more important. Party feet and other insoles don't really work (for me anyways). I like my heels with a nice platform. It absorbs all the shock and makes your heels look higher than they actually are. Thick heels and wedges are in all the shops now and they're also a lot more comfortable than the average stiletto.

twirlagig

Thanks all! I was hoping for some miracle remedy!
I do think a nice pair looks fab, I just don't think I'm cut out for them! Must try and get a nice pair of those platform ones though, anything is worth a try! I really don't know how people can wear them everyday though :eek:

Shoe Lover

If you have enough room in them, then you can't really go wrong with a nice big thick pair of socks. Not the sexiest look in the whole world, but they are boots, so only you would know you have them on!

I have a number of high heels. They look very nice sitting on the shelf in my wardrobe, undisturbed. :pac:
Seriously though for boots, I wear big thick socks over my tights or whatever I'm wearing with them. It's the only way.

Eve_Dublin

Don't wear heels but I do wear espedrille wedges like these sometimes..

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=espedrille+wedges&gs_sm=e&gs_upl=1000l6502l0l6788l17l16l0l0l0l0l356l3292l0.9.6.1l16l0&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&biw=1331&bih=605&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi

I just don't see the point of being in pain when you're supposed to be going out to enjoy yourself.

Lady Chuckles

twirlagig wrote: »

Hi Ladies!
After mistakingly wearing a new pair of a boots on a day out recently (:o), I have a question for ye...
What would ye recommend as a good insole type thing for high heels? It's not that they were too small or anything, it was just the sheer agony of pressure of the ball on your foot!
I know you can get those 'Party Feet' things but I have to say I didn't find them much good in the past. Not a big high heel wearer but sometimes you do need them for a certain outfit etc. Any ideas? Because I swear, that day recently I was in agony!

I have the very same problem. It seems to me the shoe is too thin around the ball of the foot (it felt a lot like walking straight on the asphalt), so I tried to put in a small jelly cushion in the shoe but unfortunately it didn't help at all. I wish I could be of better help, but my suggestion is that next time you buy shoes, you make sure that they have thick soles

I have a gorgeous pair of heels that I have no problem wearing thanks to the thicker soles

dammitjanet

I'm a sucker for a pair of heels (especially iron fist- yum) but I'll only wear them on nights out where I know I'll be sitting most of the time. I completely agree with eve_dublin, wedges are a godsend- all my regular day to day sandles and boots are wedges because I know I'll be comfortable in them. Funnily enough ever winter I've gotten an amazing comfortable pair of wedge boots from Pennys! They just seem to do nice squishy souls

stargazer 68

dammitjanet wrote: »

Funnily enough ever winter I've gotten an amazing comfortable pair of wedge boots from Pennys! They just seem to do nice squishy souls

I get mine in dunnes. Ankle suede (they do leather too) with a wedge. Think I have bought a pair every winter for the last 4 years!!

Dovies

Dovies wrote: »

I get mine in dunnes. Ankle suede (they do leather too) with a wedge. Think I have bought a pair every winter for the last 4 years!!

Oh that sounds lovely. Off to dunnes I go!

I've got to agree about platforms. I used to think they were ridiculous, because they looked so high, but they're so much more comfortable than normal heels. Ankle straps can help too, as they take the pressure off the ball of your foot and transfer it upwards, and reduce effort in keeping balance. I also use the party feet with the suede-y type covering that stick to the shoe, plus the ones that stick to the back of the heel, but that's because I have wide feet so I buy shoes a size too long for me.

stargazer 68

bluewolf wrote: »

Oh that sounds lovely. Off to dunnes I go!

They are great and mine even lasted through the snow! Not in store yet I dont think but it wont be long

Acoshla

I wear platforms and find them great, but due to a weird family trait with my feet I need insoles for the balls of my feet for anything over a flat heel. I think Party Feet are shite, I'm convinced the only people who buy them can walk fine in heels anyway! I have found great insoles thanks to a friend that are kind of suedey on top, sticky on the bottom, and quite thick. These are great, they don't move and are so comfy.

Another thing I found helps is to get grips for the bottom of the shoes, sometimes that makes them comfier just because they're much easier to walk in. I have them for all sorts of flat and heeled boots and shoes that have slippy soles (why make footwear with slippy soles?), got them from Shoe Petals, love them.

Asphyxia

I used to be killed wearing heels I always took them off by the end of the night, always had a pair of flats in my handbag to change into. Last Saturday night was the first night I actually was able to wear heels for the entire night! I was also wearing higher than normal heels and I wore them from 7.30pm till 5.00am :eek: I'm not sure how I managed to pull it off as I didn't have anything in the shoes bar my feet.

Miss Olenska

I hate high heels, HATE them. Low and mid heel are fine but high high? Hells no. Especially thin high heels - far too much pressure being concentrated on a tiny area. I don't wear high shoes any more, I am at one with my shortness.

Allegedly, Irish women are known for being bad at walking in heels. For this particular Irish woman, tis true!

Acoshla

Oh yeah I don't wear stiletto heels at all, only chunkier ones, can't walk at all in stilettos.

Azureus

Im obsessed with ridiculously high heels-I love them and wear them at any occasion that I can get away with em without looking stupid
The first trick is to find a shoe that FITS you-this can take some practise. I now know that I need a size smaller in a heel than in normal shoes because Ive a very narrow foot-but some people need to go a size up because their feet swell in heat, so it really does depend on you.
Personally, I find the Scholl gel pads useless, but a thick leather insole can really make a difference. I buy mine in Barratts for about €8 put you can transfer em to whatever shoe your wearing so theyre worth the few euro for me anyway.
Another thing is a platform. Yes, the shoe looks higher, but its actually taking a massive amount of pressure off the ball of your foot so your shoes wont hurt you near as much as they would a lower heel with no platform.
Ankle straps can help for this too-but be warned that if you've chunky ankles/short legs itll draw attention to em and make your legs look stumpier.

All these help me and my heel addiction, but the one thing I will say is that if you cant wear high heels gracefully without them hurting you-just dont wear em. Nothing looks worse than someone stomping about in heels they cant walk in/limping because of the pain of them. Also, who wants a night confined to a chair when you could be up dancing? Find something your comfortable in or just plain dont bother.
Buy a pair you love and practise walking in them around the house if you need to-I often do the housework in a new pair of heel for a few days to break them in before a big night out! You never know how a new pair of shoes will treat your feel til you wear em!

Pythia

I have wide size 8 feet with sexy looking bunions. High heels are therefore not my friend. In fact shoes in general are not my friend but particularly high heels. I will only buy heels if they are super comfy, I find wedges are most likely to be. I do like Party Feet and also got some longer gel insoles from Aldo.

I generally wear flat shoes, I look for nice ones with pretty details to make up for it.

Tayla

twirlagig wrote: »

Must try and get a nice pair of those platform ones though, anything is worth a try! I really don't know how people can wear them everyday though

I have a few pairs with platforms that are honestly as comfortable as runners!


Heels with platforms are just fab, so easy to walk in and no pain whatsoever.

daenerysstormborn3

I love high heels. Don't find them particularly uncomfortable, not more so than any shoes after standing in them for hours.

I just find a pair of really well made shoes are more comfortable. They might be more expensive but if it means comfortable shoes I don't mind the price.

I find shoes from dunnes and penneys really really uncomfortable and they seem to have more of a flat shape to them than shoes from lets say aldo and I think that has something to do with how comfortable/uncomfortable shoes are. I think when you're walking your foot curves as you move and therefore shoes with a bit of a curve towards the toes are more comfortable.

daenerysstormborn3

Azureus wrote: »

Im obsessed with ridiculously high heels-I love them and wear them at any occasion that I can get away with em without looking stupid
The first trick is to find a shoe that FITS you-this can take some practise. I now know that I need a size smaller in a heel than in normal shoes because Ive a very narrow foot-but some people need to go a size up because their feet swell in heat, so it really does depend on you.
Personally, I find the Scholl gel pads useless, but a thick leather insole can really make a difference. I buy mine in Barratts for about €8 put you can transfer em to whatever shoe your wearing so theyre worth the few euro for me anyway.
Another thing is a platform. Yes, the shoe looks higher, but its actually taking a massive amount of pressure off the ball of your foot so your shoes wont hurt you near as much as they would a lower heel with no platform.
Ankle straps can help for this too-but be warned that if you've chunky ankles/short legs itll draw attention to em and make your legs look stumpier.

All these help me and my heel addiction, but the one thing I will say is that if you cant wear high heels gracefully without them hurting you-just dont wear em. Nothing looks worse than someone stomping about in heels they cant walk in/limping because of the pain of them. Also, who wants a night confined to a chair when you could be up dancing? Find something your comfortable in or just plain dont bother.
Buy a pair you love and practise walking in them around the house if you need to-I often do the housework in a new pair of heel for a few days to break them in before a big night out! You never know how a new pair of shoes will treat your feel til you wear em!

I do this too. I must look hilarious in tracksuit bottoms and heels going around the house.

Neyite

Dovies wrote: »

I get mine in dunnes. Ankle suede (they do leather too) with a wedge. Think I have bought a pair every winter for the last 4 years!!

Boot Twins!!! €20 and you dont have to feel guilty chucking them in the spring!

I'm addicted to my fit-flops, even today when I knew it would rain, I still wore them into work, but I love pretty shoes. I seem drawn to the most hurtful, painful high-heels in any given shop. The ones determined to make me cry.

Platforms are decieving to the eye, if you "measure" with your thumb and forefinger the platform then subtract it from the heel, a lot of the time they are very managable.

If you cant walk at a decent clip in the shop in them then you will walk like a duck in them with your arse stuck out. Classy . Test first.

My high-heel arsenal includes:

Vaseline - rub on the inside of shoe where it rubs against bare skin. Brilliant for strap or thong type sandals or flip-flops that rub against tender skin. You'll never get a blister again

Tit-Tape - in winter when your opaque tights have no grip on the heel of the shoe, tape your heels liberally with it and they will be very difficult to get off.

Gel-pads - for the balls of the feet in the shoe. The common mistake I made a few times was putting it on the flat part, not the rise of the shoe, put it on half in half so that it will wrap around the ball of your feet.

Good moulded insoles with a suede /non slip upper. Those cheap green ones in most shoe shops feel grand for about 3 uses. Schuh have 'sport' ones that are shaped and quite rigid, and are blue. I interchange these in different boots/ shoes.

Never, ever believe the salesperson when they tell you that the next size up with an insole will work. Speaking as the owner of a pair of size 3 feet and stupidly buying size 4 shoes (with crap green insole :rolleyes:) it does not work. Ask them to order your correct size, or source them online.

Most people have feet that get slightly swollen at the end of the day or after a long day of walking around shoe shops, so bear this in mind when trying on shoes. The size up from your normal ones might fit on the day, but with wear they will loosen up a lot and become too loose for you.

The best bit of advice I can give you is to forget about insoles, etc and start paying better attention to the types of heels you're wearing. When I consider the pairs I have, my two most comfortable are the two highest; one has a platform and the other are stilettos. What makes them so good is the way they're made. This means ensuring that~
1. They're sturdy. And I don't just mean the heel, I mean the whole shoe is sturdy so that you're not pressing your weight onto the balls of your feet and hurting your entire foot, ankle included.
2. The lining isn't too tough for you. If you've got soft feet, look for the softest lining you can find. Lacquered finishes look nice but they're not worth it if your feet are in tatters by the end of the night.
3. You know how high/thin you can go before losing your equilibrium. There's no shame in saying 'they're too high'

Tayla

Deleted User wrote: »

The best bit of advice I can give you is to forget about insoles, etc and start paying better attention to the types of heels you're wearing. When I consider the pairs I have, my two most comfortable are the two highest; one has a platform and the other are stilettos. What makes them so good is the way they're made. This means ensuring that~
1. They're sturdy. And I don't just mean the heel, I mean the whole shoe is sturdy so that you're not pressing your weight onto the balls of your feet and hurting your entire foot, ankle included.
2. The lining isn't too tough for you. If you've got soft feet, look for the softest lining you can find. Lacquered finishes look nice but they're not worth it if your feet are in tatters by the end of the night.
3. You know how high/thin you can go before losing your equilibrium. There's no shame in saying 'they're too high'

Great advice, some of my comfiest shoes are by a brand called rascal, so soft and feel like you're wearing runners, I could wear them all day long.

I have these shoes in pink, black and cream, love them 5 and a half inch heels! I didn't get them on ebay though.

I can't wear shoes from new look at all, they kill my feet Even the boots are so uncomfortable, don't know why that is!

Fluorescence

If I ever wear heels (which isn't often because they kill my feet!) they're usually boots with heels in them. I just wear 2 pairs of socks and I'm normally fine. I prefer flats though, despite the fact that I'm a shorty and could do with the extra few inches height :pac:. I only have 2 sandal type high heels and I never ever ever wear them. They're pretty, but they're for weddings and such where boots just won't do . They get taken off fairly quickly and replaced with dolly shoes as soon as is socially acceptable. Have never found any insoles that did the trick.

Acoshla

Tayla New Look heels kill me too!

KittyeeTrix

Headed to town now to see about getting a comfy wedge type sandal to wear out to the Galway - tLL beers:D

Neyite

fluffyorganic1 wrote: »

Headed to town now to see about getting a comfy wedge type sandal to wear out to the Galway - tLL beers:D

*Runs off to check TLL private for date of TLL Galway Beers*

Acoshla

Neyite wrote: »

*Runs off to check TLL private for date of TLL Galway Beers*

Don't think it's in the private one, it's on the main tLL and Galway city ones!

shinikins

Speaking as a high heel lover, and with my many years of experience behind me-you need to be able to walk in heels before you buy them. If you can't walk as comfortably in high heels as you can in flats, then you really shouldn't be wearing them. Stand tall, fold your shoulders back and tuck your bum in. You'd be amazed at how much more comfortable your heels will be if you stand correctly in them.

I have wide feet, and I know that certain shoes just will not suit me, so I don't buy them, stilletto's with a pointed toe will do nothing for me, so I don't buy them, but I'm amazed at how many people will force their feet into a shoe that is too tight, too small or too big for them. My friend is one of these cases-she takes a size 5 shoe, but I've known her to buy size 6 or even 7 shoes just because they are pretty, and then she shuffles around in them and ruins the heels and suffers with blisters for a week afterwards.

Use vaseline, to prevent shoes from rubbing. Boots sell their own version of a shoe rub that is very cheap and small enought to be slipped into the smallest of handbags to rub on sore spots later.

Invest in a set of Party Feet, especially if the soles of the shoe are thin. Nothing as bad as hot, sore feet the day after wearing a pair of heels.

Buy some wedges!! There are so many pretty shoes with wedge heels and they are so much more forgiving, especially if you have difficulty wearing thin heels or stilletto's. A wedge heel doess't have to mean a bg heavy clumpy shoe.

joanmul

Shoe Lover wrote: »

If you have enough room in them, then you can't really go wrong with a nice big thick pair of socks. Not the sexiest look in the whole world, but they are boots, so only you would know you have them on!

An alternative to that would be a pair of memory foam insoles. I know someone who had a lot of foot pain, nothing to do with heels, and she got those to put inside her golf shoes and she was absolutely delighted with them and had no pain at all.

The Lovely Muffin

Acoshla wrote: »

I wear platforms and find them great, but due to a weird family trait with my feet I need insoles for the balls of my feet for anything over a flat heel. I think Party Feet are shite, I'm convinced the only people who buy them can walk fine in heels anyway! I have found great insoles thanks to a friend that are kind of suedey on top, sticky on the bottom, and quite thick. These are great, they don't move and are so comfy.

Another thing I found helps is to get grips for the bottom of the shoes, sometimes that makes them comfier just because they're much easier to walk in. I have them for all sorts of flat and heeled boots and shoes that have slippy soles (why make footwear with slippy soles?), got them from Shoe Petals, love them.

Are these the insoles you use?

http://www.footpetals.com/

Acoshla

Yes PB Foot Petals, I had the petals bit right! I don't use their insoles, just their grippy things.