The following comments are specific to heels greater than 2.5 inches.

Walking properly and gracefully does take practice. So practice.

Obtain a shoe that fits correctly.

Once those two items are accomplished, there are a few other items that I perform on my new shoes before I actually wear them in the public and real world. Or in private. (You know what I mean.)

First, when I try them on, I am generally on carpet. Carpet may not be the flooring on which I plan to wear the shoes.

Based on where I expect to wear them, I have the following things done to them. It doesn’t matter if they are $100 pair of heels or a $500 pair, taking care of my shoes is important. Everything I wear above them depends upon them.

I go to my cobbler. In your area this may be a little shoe hospital, bootmaker, etc. Go someplace that smells like bootblack and has folks behind the counter who have dingy hands.

I have seldom bought a pair of shoes with “real” heels on them. (Call me provincial.) They have a piece of plastic. (Although I have bought shoes that had the
plastic heel in place and the ‘extra heels’ in the box WERE rubber.)

I have the plastic heels replaced with a rubber heel. Replace this heel often if you are walking on concrete or other abrasive flooring. It only costs a few bucks
to put on the rubber heel (may be a synthetic rubber, but has ‘give’ versus the plastic heel that is hard and wears away easily).

Then, depending on where I expect to be wearing the heels I have a half-sole put on, either leather or a ribbed neoprene.

Particularly if you plan to ambulate across tile, polished granite or any very slick surface, you will want the ribbed neoprene half-sole. The leather looks better at the Opera, the neoprene works well in city life. Full soles are fine, too, if you can afford
them.

I also have the shoe doctor put a ‘nail’ in the toe. This is a small brass tack with broken ridges or impressions. The purpose of this nail is to hold the half-sole in place firmly and to give the foot a ‘gripping’ point beyond the ball of the foot. It allows your toes to work and protects the toe of your shoe.

Between the rubber heel and the brass nail, the shoe will ‘grip’ the surface and the foot will flex while walking correctly.

Alrighty. That’s the outside of the shoe.

On the inside:

In heels over 3 inches, you will be standing primarily on the ball of your foot. This causes extreme and high-point pressure on the joints between the metatarsals (particularly the first, second and third) and the phalanges. This pressure can extend to the medial and intermediate cuneiform, as well. This makes your whole foot uncomfortable.

To relieve this, I use a gel pad for the front half of the shoe (a “forefoot pad”). Additionally, for my stilettos, I prefer a specific type of pad, which is a forefoot pad with metatarsal “dome”. The “dome” can be made of gel. This may be difficult to find (I’m sorry, I don’t have a brand name). The “dome” is like a small ‘roll’ or cushion that fits under the toes and against the front of the ball of the foot.

This device aids in redistributing the impact of walking and standing across the ball of the foot. This type of pad will significantly lower the pressure feeling or numbness that some experience after several hours of wearing “high” heels.

Keep your feet, legs and back in good shape. Do exercise your lower back, your calves and your feet (tiptoe stances up and down and toe flex motions).

Watch your weight.

Have pedicures regularly to remove dead skin and nails which can cause problems with shoe fit and with walking.

Take care of your shoes. If you are not willing to polish and condition them, take them to a shoe hospital. The prices are usually reasonable.

I apologize for the wordiness here. I could blather on for another twenty paragraphs or so, but I think this gets to the gist of the topic of ‘walking in heels’. Some may disagree with my findings and that’s fine. I had to learn this as adult and I wish I knew more.

These procedures work for me and may work for you. Worth a try if you are new to heels or never found them comfortable.

Think how great you’ll look in ‘em!

Of course, I’m sure other women figured this out long before I did, but I thought it was worth mentioning. ;)