Walking in heels - how do you do it?

[Jean Louise Finch]

I never wear heels because they hurt every bit of me. I'm in a wedding in a couple of weeks in which I have to wear heels, so I'm tottering around my apartment practicing. Does anyone have any tips for how to walk like a normal person and not like a weird stumbling beast?

[Teaser]

1. They're all my wife wears.

I'd ask her, but she's asleep.

[Jean Louise Finch]

7. It amazes me

when I see folks tooling around town all day in heels. Your wife is an enigma. I really just don't understand how she can do it. They hurt my back, they hurt my knees, they hurt my feet. I am sure you build up some kind of muscle if you wear them often enough...or maybe your wife just has some super cool super powers.

[ofrfxsk]

2. I don't

[silverweb]

3. Do you HAVE to wear heels?

I can't wear them, either, but I've found that there are plenty of dressy flats available if you're willing to shop around.

Why would heels be required, especially if they cause you pain? If you're wearing a long gown, nobody's going to care about whether you're in heels or not, anyway.

[Jean Louise Finch]

9. a couple of reasons

the bride requested it, so i can suffer at least for the ceremony. But additionally, I'm a little five foot tall person and the other three bridesmaids, and the bride are literally all six feet tall. Hmmm. This means if I don't wear heels (and they all will) I'll be sort of freakishly small. I do like the way they look, they just make me walk in a weird stunted way (plus they hurt).

[silverweb]

21. I see your points.

Hopefully you can find something of a reasonable, intermediate height that will do the trick and cause you minimal discomfort.

I'm so glad my bride's maiding days are long over!!

[warrens]

4. I wear beatle boots

You just keep straight up, and walk kinda slow. It ain't that hard.

[evlbstrd]

5. Very carefully.

Cause I'm a guy, I never wear them, and can barely walk barefoot.
You should wear sneakers.

[SarahB]

25. You took my answer.

Actually, just practice.
I wear sneakers and my Teva flip flops way more than heels, but sometimes I feel like going from girly girl to super girly girl and I have a few shoes that I pull out.

[evlbstrd]

32. I think you can super girly girl

and still walk safely.

[Left Is Write]

6. I don't know - I just do.

Not as often as I used to, but it seems to be instinctive with my feet.

If your shoes are hurting you, appeal to the bride's sense of decency. Can't you wear something with a lower or chunkier heel?

[librechik]

8. you gotta get into it with the hip swing and excellent shoulder posture

or you are doomed.

(personally, I only wear flats--heels are too much pressure!)

[Book Lover]

10. Can you get a fat-heeled shoe?

Practicing is an excellent idea. Your muscles and bones are not in the habit of organizing themselves this way; of course you hurt. If you feel you must wear a heeled shoe, try finding something fat and low. When you practice, walk heel-toe and balance on the heel before putting your whole foot down. It is not uncommon for attendants to bring a second pair of shoes for the reception, also. You are hardly the only woman who never wears heels but feels she is obligated to for a formal occasion; you'll probably find other attendants are doing the same thing.

[Jean Louise Finch]

14. I should have posted before I shopped

Dammit! I got little spikey ones rather than a fat heel. Should have done the opposite. The heel-toe tip is working though, and makes me swing my hips in a rather lovely and sexy way.

I'll definitely bring other shoes for the reception, no way could I boogie down all night in these things.

[yvr girl]

11. avoid salt for several days before the wedding

It makes you retain water, and your feet swell.

Lift your feet up a bit more.

Heel / Toe: Put your heel down first, push off with your toe.

[babylonsister]

12. Barefoot sounds perfect; that's my preference.

Wear them for the ceremony, and end the torture there.

[RevCheesehead]

13. I gave up heels about 10 years ago -

right after I fell down a short flight of stairs and broke my foot because of the damned things.

NEVER AGAIN.

[Neoma]

15. I'm too tall for heels..

[fleabert]

27. no such thing baby!

My dh is the same height as me barefoot, I tower in heels, and I still wear them

I have a gorgeous pair of hooker red boots that are three inches high and pointy as hell...I call them my 'ass kicking boots', get compliments every time I wear them! I am 5'11" in them, love it!

[Neoma]

28. So I'd be....like what?

6'3" in high heels?

[fleabert]

29. awesome! my mom is 5'11" barefoot, she wears heels all the time!

flaunt it!

[Lydia Leftcoast]

16. Wear the lowest high heels possible

and make sure the body of the shoe fits properly.

That being said, I learned to walk in heels so long ago (in the early 1960s at the age of about 13) that I no longer remember how I learned. They were NOT optional in those days.

[bettyellen]

17. more than practising- break them in, bend those puppies......

and bring those thin water proof bandaids in case you start to blister, because then you're dead meat. also, bring matching flip flops. trust me, you won't be the only one.

[Technowitch]

18. True story -- I didn't learn until my early 30s

Had to have my sister-in-law teach me. Some tips:

- Be sure to get shoes that fit! In particular, get the right width, as many currently sold are too narrow for comfort.
- Since you're not used to them, get heels as low as you can get away with for that wedding (I don't usually go over 3 inches)
- Avoid the really spikey stilletos if you can; get shoes to suit you, not some wafer-thin supermodel
- When walking, try to put your weight down evenly on the ball of your foot (most people lean to one side or the other), not on the heel -- but not too much on the toe either
- Go with closed-toe pumps rather than sandals, if possible
- Buy "Dr. Scholl's" inserts for high heels

Good luck!

[Turn CO Blue]

19. There's a website for everything!

How to wear high heels successfully
<http://netdump.com/users/jenny/wearing.htm>

Visit the sections on "walking technique" and "walking style mistakes"

As you walk, you must continuously adjust your centre of weight to maintain your balance. The correct position when standing is a slight backwards lean and relaxed position so that the weight is evenly split between your heel and sole. Try to imagine your centre of weight coming down your legs in line with the heels, but just forward(1-2in(38mm)) of them. Another way to think of this, is the first movement up on tip toe puts all the weight on your toes, but then you just shift it back slightly, settling half of it onto the heel. A common fault is leaning too far forward which causes small mincing steps in order to prevent over-balancing. The remedy is to lean back. Of course, leaning back too far will have disastrous consequences too. You should try to imagine your weight settled into your hips and a smooth even stride leading from your hip and pelvic region which are more prominent than when walking in flats. Try not to exaggerate this movement and keep your bottom still - unless you particularly want to project a sexy image.

[baby_bear]

23. Those are excellent tips

I love wearing high heels. I never realized how I did it, but thinking about those tips, especially about how to bear one's weight toward the back, is right on. Walking down a steep hill is a real bitch though.

In any case, I think our five-foot-friend is going to need stilts, not heels, not be a match for her six-foot female colleagues in the wedding.

Good luck!

b_b

[Jean Louise Finch]

24. hee hee hee

I know -- I'm just trying to keep the gap from getting any bigger.

All the tips are super helpful. I'm feeling quite coordinated here in my apartment, so hopefully that will carry over to the aisle. Else, there will be funny, funny stories to tell.

Thanks! I'll report back!

[Sannum]

20. I truly don't know how I do it.

People talk about it like it is some epic challenge, but I have worn heels for almost every day for the past 5 years, and I find that I only have discomfort when I wear flats.

I like the pointy toes too.

I guess it is just a skill that comes naturally. I can't exactly describe it.

[Richard Steele]

22. Now that's just a DAMN personal question! What have you heard?

[fleabert]

26. first, pick good heels...

good heels should not be wobbly when standing on their own, even the most pointy stillettos should stand firm if they are made well.

second, forget you are wearing heels, pretend you are walking tippy toe, and PRACTICE! don't forget stairs, and walk firmly. tentative steps usually lead to stumbles.

go to a dept. store and walk towards mirrors to see how it goes, you might do better than you think.
-keep your head up but look down occasionally.
-don't walk on grass.
-watch out for gardens that have pavestones, the ones with grass or moss between the stones, the heels will sink like stones in a lake.
-don't take them off mid-reception, unless you want to commit to not wearing them the rest of the night, your feet will swell and they will hurt more to put them back on.
-scuff the bottom a bit with soft sandpaper to make sure you don't slip on your ass on the dance floor.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

30. i LOVE heels

sway your hips as you move in heels it will help you keep your balance and look graceful.

trust me...i wear my heels well

[In_The_Wind]

31. practice

lots of it! in private:blush::shrug: