High Heel Comfort      

You can wear high heels in comfort; it just takes a little know-how – or a good podiatrist. Of course, high heels can lead to foot problems including pain under the ball of the foot, heel pain, bunion pain and toe pain. But high heels can also be very attractive shoes for work and fun and if you want to wear them we can help you do so in comfort.

There are a several ways for you to wear high heels with more comfort. The first is to choose heels that are a bit better for your feet; the second is to put something in the shoe that transfers force off of the ball of your foot (dress shoe orthotics) and the third is to put something in your shoe that provides cushion.  

Let Us See Your Heels

Make an appointment and then bring your favorite heels into our Seattle office so we can evaluate the heels and how they fit your feet. We’ll then give you suggestions to how to make your favorite heels more comfortable to wear.

High Heel Custom Orthotics

Research has shown that the most effective way to decrease force on the ball of the foot, and reduce pain under the ball of the foot and the heel is to use a specialized custom orthotic that transfers pressure off of the painful areas of your feet and provides extra cushion under the forefoot1. After taking a mold of your foot we prescribe a pair of orthotics that are designed to fit perfectly in your high-heel fashion shoes. You can learn more about dress shoe orthotics on our dress shoe orthotic page.

High Heel Prefrabricated Orthotics

Orthaheel Women's Dress Slimfit Insoles is the best prefabricated orthotic we have found for women’s high heels and boots. By transferring force off of the ball of the foot and the heel, they reduce pain. They can also reduce back and leg pain by improving body alignment and balance

Orthaheel Women's Dress Slimfit Insole

Cushioned Pads

You can also use pads that simply provide cushion under the forefoot. These have not been shown to be as effective as custom orthotics for high heels, but they are inexpensive and can be a good way to start. The best ones are made of silicone materials. You can see one of ou favorite at www.FootAnkleStore.com.

More Comfortable High Heels

There are several brands of beautiful high heels on the market that are fashionable AND better for your feet. If you are in the Seattle area, you can visit shoe stores that specialize in fashionable yet healthy shoes. These include SHOES-n-FEET and Wooly Mammoth. Some specific brands to look for include:

Cole-Haan for example, teamed with Nike to introduce a line of heels with Nike
Air technology. They are cushioned with Air Pads in the ball of the foot. Some of their shoes include:
        
Air Sandal            Air Boot        Air Wedge

Another group of high-heels incorporates a product called Insolia that acts somewhat like a built in orthotic. Insolia products fundamentally change the inside of high heel shoes, shifting weight off the ball of the foot back to the heel. It actually feels like you are wearing much lower heels which is a true comfort factor for many women. This weight shift seems to improve body alignment and balance reducing leg and lower back fatigue while reducing pressure on the ball of the foot. There are several shoe manufacturers using Insolia technology. Those include DKNY and Nordstrom.

     DKNY Pumps with Insolia

Other comfortable high-heels include brands such as Ariat and Theresia.

The take-home message here is don’t let yourself suffer. We can help you wear the shoes you want to wear in comfort. To get started, call us to make an appointment in our Seattle office. Be sure to bring your favorite high heels.

All pages on this website © 2005-2010
Douglas Hale, DPM & Lawrence Huppin, DPM
Foot and Ankle Center of Washington, Seattle
The material provided on this web site is for informative purposes only.
If you need specific medical advice, please contact the office for an appointment.