HIGH HEELS

It’s not unknown that wearing high heels can be bad for your posture and health. The heels thrust the foot onto the front of the shoe, which throws the weight of the body onto the ball of the foot, crushing the toes. The higher the heel, the greater the body’s incline.

Bunions and hammer toes which can be caused by high heels can also lead to postural problems. 

Sam Singh, Orthopedic Surgeon at The London Clinic says that excessively high heels push the centre of the body forward so the spine compensates by bending backwards. This is a sure fire route to muscle strain and lower back pain and the strain can carry up to muscles in the neck and head, leading to tension and headaches. If high heels are worn long term, and that means for more than 6 months, they shorten the calf muscles and lower the arch of the foot – leading to knee and hip problems as well as painful Achilles tendonitis and plantar fasciitis (severe heel pain), which can all be long term problems.

These conditions are a high price to pay for a few hours of vanity, which may not even be comfortable!!

If you have to wear heels it’s suggested that you select lower heels and wear them only for short periods. You can also take folding shoes, such as CocoRose ballet pumps, with you as these can be slipped on at the end of the day to save your feet.

UGG BOOTS

As these don’t have an insole, they don’t provide any support at all for the foot or ankle, nor do they provide any shock absorbency so the joints are exposed to a lot of pressure. If the boots are tight on the calf, the muscular activity of the calf can be affected – this helps the blood flow to the head and can cause circulation problems such as oedema which is an accumulation of fluid round the ankles. 

If you do wear Ugg boots then ideally, they should be worn with an insole for damage limitation.

WELLINGTONS

Again, some Wellingtons provide no support to the arch of the foot, so prolonged wearing throws the posture out of line. The body tries to compensate using knees and hips and even the muscles in the neck and head, causing tension in the shoulders leading to back pain. Wearing footwear with no secure foot support can lead to plantar fasciitis which can be a long term condition and is very painful. There are healthy Wellingtons available and Love Those Shoes launch healthy versions every year so you can keep up to date with trends without compromising your health! As Wellingtons are usually made of rubber or plastic, they cause the feet to sweat creating a perfect environment for fungal infections so if your wellies are made of either of these materials it’s advised that they are worn for short periods only

FLIP FLOPS

When wearing flip flops the toes have to claw to keep them on the feet, this puts strain on the plantar fascia ligament and can lead to plantar fasciitis. When looking for flip flops it is advised that you choose a style which can be adjusted to fit your feet so the toes don’t need to claw or a style such as the Beech Sandals which have individual toe posts which keep them fitted to the foot or Scholl styles which feature adjustable buckles. Another issue with flip flops and sandals are that they have a very thin, firm sole which doesn’t offer any support to the feet and cause the joints to absorb all the shock on impact. The sandals featured above all have a supportive footbed so even in the hot weather you can still look after your feet!

BALLET PUMPS

Although ballet pumps look harmless they too can cause damage to the feet. If the pumps are too big the toes have to claw to keep them on the feet which can lead to plantar fasciitis and put pressure on the ankles and knees as they overcompensate, however if flat shoes are too small the toes can get crushed. When looking for flat shoes it is important to look for ones which fit your feet properly and will stay on your feet, adjustable buckles or ankles straps are all good features. Ballet pumps often don’t give the foot any support either, if the sole is ultra thin but the foot can’t flex and move this can cause problems, however barefooting flat shoes such as Vivo Barefoot have an ultra thin sole but allow the foot to move as freely as if you were barefoot which has positive effects on the whole body. Other flat shoes such as Earth offer anatomic support which are perfect if you need something that offers more support to the feet and arches.

 Although there are many unhealthy shoes available on the market we do our best to offer healthy alternatives which let you keep up with the latest trends without risking your health!