The effects of high heels are both good and bad for your feet

Any woman with eyes knows there are tremendous benefits to wearing high heels. They make the legs look longer and shapelier. The added height makes a woman appear taller and thinner. They attract attention. They make clothing, especially slacks and jeans, fall better.

Many women endure the pain caused because they think the benefits of wearing tall shoes outweigh the cons. The effects of high heels are numerous, including improving one’s appearance while, conversely, taking a toll on a woman’s feet.

PROS

No one is about to argue there are no good effects associated with heels because there are many. If short, you appear taller. If heavy, you look thinner because the height lengthen you.

An ordinary outfit can transform into a drop-dead gorgeous ensemble with the right pair of shoes.

When wearing tall shoes the calf muscles become more evident, making the legs shapelier and more curvaceous.

Pumps can be very dressy and a must-wear for a glamorous evening. Flat shoes just don?t have the same impact.

CONS

The disadvantages associated with wearing heels include the appearance of calluses, bunions and corns on the feet as well as misshapen, also known as hammer toes.

Some women experience pain in the front portion or ball area of their foot because the weight of the body shifts forward when wearing tall heels. When the weight moves forward, toes get squished. The wearer is carrying as a large amount of weight on the ball and toes of the feet.

~

Shoes of this nature change the normal shape of the foot. Pumps compress the foot, which is not the normal shape of the foot.

Younger women may fair better in pumps than older women because the older a person gets the less fat she has in her foot. The fat on the sole of the foot acts as a cushion and safeguard feet from injury. Fat shifts as one gets older and moves toward the toes.

Another con to wearing heels for years is year is the possibility that the wearer’s Achilles’ tendon shrinks. When the tendon shrinks it results in pain when the person is walking. Stretching the tendon daily helps relieve some of the pain. There is an option to get the tendon lengthened via surgery.

Devoted high heel wearers are at risk of developing bunion, which occurs when a bone gets displaced. The bone is located at the bottom of the joint on the big toe.

Hammertoes curl under. The curled under toe rubs against the toe shoe. This hurts.

Calluses and corns can crop up with dead skins thickens on the feet or toe as the result of rubbing against a shoe.

This type shoe has been linked with foot arthritis and other foot conditions, so take this into consideration. Wear pumps when you have to but the rest of the time give your feet a break and wear comfortable, supportive shoes.

Shorter and thicker heels give the wearer far more support and comfort than stilettos and are not as hard on the feet.

According to Dr. Oz, heels throw the body off balance, which puts the wearer at risk of falling.

The higher you go, the worse the impact on feet and the more likelihood arthritis develops in the knee. The higher the heel the more improper alignment results, leading to osteoarthritis.

The 26 bones in the foot ?set the stage? for the rest of the skeleton. When foot bones are negatively affected so is the rest of the body.

When wearing flat shoes, a woman?s feet are planted firmly on the ground and no forward motion of the body occurs. The back and knees are in alignment. When wearing heels, the body weight is pushed forward. Knees and hips are tilted forward. The back must compensate and becomes hyper-extended to prevent the woman from falling down.