A question about heels...
 

Hi all

I always look in awe at women who wear high heels, because even the mere thought of wearing heels makes the soles and balls of my feet throb! Despite being only 5'1" I always wear flat shoes with cushioning insoles (e.g. Doc Martens) because if I walk any distance in shoes with a non-cushioned insole the soles of my feet start to throb and ache...

So my question is....will this improve when I'm no longer carrying around 100 surplus pounds? Can anyone testify to this from personal experience? Because I keep on seeing cute shoes that I'd love to wear one day, and it would be nice to think that when I get to goal that may be possible...

Yes and no. What I mean to say is that SOME heels will be tolerable and others, no matter how much or how little weight you are carrying around, will be intolerable, it just totally depends on the shoe. But in general it will get more comfortable for you to wear. I didn't ever wear heels at my highest weight either but it's been getting better as I go down.

I am one of the cheapest people around when it comes to buying clothes/shoes :o But I fully believe that good heels are worth spending money on and there is no such thing as cheap heels that are truly comfortable, just my opinion though.

Well sometimes when I go out I wear 6 inch heels...they take a lot of getting used to!

I don't think weight makes a difference to me personally, I've worn them at 190lbs and at 140lbs and I'm not going to lie...they can hurt!

The best thing is to buy some you like and practice. I heard the best practice is going to the supermarket using a shopping trolley-you can balance holding the cart and the ground is flat so I try out some of my more conservative heels when I am food shopping. It might look a bit crazy wearing my 5 or 6 inch heels out to Asda!!

Also make sure you get some gel cushions, they make SO much difference. Once you get a bit of confidence in wearing heels they become so much fun to go out in :)

Losing weight didn't make heel wearable for me. Still painful :shrug:

I LOVE wearing heels, and could not wear them at my high weight, but can wear them now....

It's SO FUN being 5'11!

Definitely depends on the shoe, but not as much as I thought. I was stunned went I went to the shoe store after losing 75 lbs and found all kinds of shoes feeling terrific and comfy. I didn't really have "fat" on my feet, but I think all the weight made them spread out more.

I can wear heels now, and I do. Like some have already mentioned, get a good pair, not cheap ones. I was wearing the comfort brands at my high weight. When I got down to 200 lbs I was able to start wearing heels again. I started out with 3" and now wear 4"-5". I love them!

I don't know. Dippy.
I never wore high heels much but I started to like them more and more in the last two years. But then I probably ran myself plantar fasciitis from wearing high heels. Those were leather winter boots, very dressy, and I was exctatic that after I lost weight, I could FINALLY find a boot into which my Slavic calf would fit. But my joy was short-lived. They felt super comfortable but my joy was short-lived. In 2 months, I had plantar fasciitis and had to wear sneakers with orthotics (still wearing). During that time, I ogled the said boots lovingly, anxious to wear them again. I had them on twice or three times when we went to visit friends or family so basically I wore them to the car, and then took them off at the place of destination. Then, on the way home from one party we went to a store and I whined the entire time how painful it was to walk in them. I could not wait to take them off. Seems like the year without high heels made it almost impossible to wear them again.

The discomfort of heels is not all about the feet. They force you to lead with your hips to maintain balance thereby altering the alignment of your spine. I personally couldn't do it and also I revel in my petite stature. Nope not worth it all to me to conform to some arbitrary standard of beauty.

I used to wear heels around 8th grade ALL the time! I weighed about 200 lbs then, and was perfectly comfortable in them (I could RUN in heels back then). These days, I can only wear them if I know I'm going to be off my feet (i.e.- drive to the restaurant, walk in, sit and eat, walk out, drvie home, take them off). I'm really hoping that when I get back down below 200 I will be as comfortable in heels as I used to be!

I used to wear 6" heels when I was young...I got a really painful bunion in return. Now I have osteoporosis and can only wear flats with laces, buckles or velcro. Enjoy while you can!

On Friday night I wore heels for the first time since my weight loss, and I can absolutely say that being 75 lbs lighter made them MUCH more manageable. Sure they still hurt a little bit but I could actually walk in them whereas before I had to sit in heels, regardless of the size!

I think it has to get better. The extra weight means there is more pressure on your feet, and the pressure is what makes heels hurt. Less weight, less pressure, less pain! It's science!

Also, I totally agree about quality. It is sooo worth it to spend money on good quality heels, and the dr. scholls for her comfy insoles are a MUST.

i've definitely noticed that some of the more expensive heels are more comfortable than the cheaper brands ..

I've gone up and down enough to say that heels usually do hurt much worse the more you carry, but I've also met women of all sizes, even always-thin and teeny-tiny women who can't wear heels.

All you can do is hope and experiment.

Thanks for all the replies...it will be intriguing to discover for myself whether it makes a difference or not!

It's not so much high heels per se that I'm curious about, it's whether carrying less weight will make being on my feet for long periods of time more comfortable, period. We go to Rome two or three times each year, and my husband can walk and walk and walk all day on the cobbled streets without feeling a twinge of discomfort in the soles of his feet, whereas mine literally throb with pain and keep me awake at night if I've done more than say 3 or 4 hours of walking. It's nothing to do with lack of fitness as such, more an issue of just pressure bearing down on my feet and almost bruising the soles.

If, after losing 100lb, I can walk all day in flats without any discomfort I"ll be thrilled...if I can branch out and wear heels for an occasional night out that will be a bonus...but first I'll have to learn to walk in them, so that I don't look like I've p**ped myself :lol:!

Even though I've lost only about 1/3 of the weight I need to, and have done it very sloooooowly, I can walk longer and further and can spend more time on my feet than when I started. The difference is remarkable, incredibly so. I avoided all but the most necessary shopping, because it was never a pleasant experience, and often my feet would hurt for days - just from a trip to Walmart or Sam's Club.

I think you'll find a huge difference, because I started noticing a difference after only 30 lbs.

I personally can't wear heels anymore, regardless of my size. I also have an old stress fracture which makes things more complicated.

I'd like to suggest that it's possible to wear espadrilles (sp?) or platform shoes which give you the height but is easier on the feet and the back. Just a thought. ;)

I would personally say, yes, it makes a difference.

However, as to heels, they are still uncomfortable to me, but I think it's the shoe itself. The very thought of traditional heels sadly gives me major panic so I usually avoid them, but I can wear 3-inch platform wedges and they are totally comfortable and easy to walk in. So it must be something about the support that wedge underneath the arch is giving me. Here's a pic of them.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...oL._AA280_.jpg

~CGH~

It's funny, I teeter more in wedges than in regular heels.

I saw it explained once. They said with a heel and then the forefoot of the shoe (and empty space between) it's easier to balance on an uneven surface, because each part can settle somewhat independently. But with most wedges, there's a long skinny flat surface from heel to toe, which makes uneven surfaces actually harder to balance on.

I love my heels, it's not uncommon for me to be wearing 4 inch heels. My expensive pairs of 4 inch heels are more comfortable than my cheaper pairs of 2 inch heels. I My ffet do hurt after a day of wearing heel, but it's gotten to the point wear I don't really notice anymore. I actually notice the pain most when I take off the heels! While I have some cute flats, I'll never ever give up my heels. I love how sexy they make me feel. Plus at barely 5'2" I can use the height.

I can already feel a difference with just 20 pounds lost.

One thing I've found, though, is that I like the platform style heel better, it's less pressure on the ball of your foot. I especially like the ones that are platform, yet a bit of a disguised platform. I don't wear over a 3 inch heel though.

Oooh, I know what you mean. When I lived in Oz, I didn't have a car and walked everywhere. My muscles got used to it fast enough, but my feet always had the worst stinging sensation in the mornings. Likewise, on my trip to Quebec the other summer, my feet were killing me at the end of each day, despite comfy shoes, because of all the walking.

Count me in on the platform fan club. I much prefer wedges and platforms over pumps. And yes, I do find it easier to wear heels of any kind after wt loss.

Yes, I noticed a big difference in comfort after I got under 200lbs in wearing heels. They key is not just weight though, it's practice. The tendons on the back of your heel need to get used to different heel heights and that's what helps with your comfort level. Start off by getting used to a comfortable heel like a 1-2 inch wedge boot. Always alternate between flats and heels so your tendons stay limber.

There are tons of videos on how to walk in heels on youtube, check them out. Also don't be afraid to alter your heels for comfort. Add gel cushions for the ball of the foot, and rubber grips on the bottom. If you take your shoes to your local cobbler they can make rubber soles for you.

I thought I'd **ahem** weigh in on the subject! I'm still pretty big but 100+ pounds gone makes it WAYYYY easier to wear heels, and just nicer shoes in general! When the muffin top on my foot disappeared at about 40 lbs. gone, I didn't feel like I had Fred Flintstone feet anymore and took more care in my shoe options,so now even flats are a thrill, because they're cute now! yay! I'm a fan of the wedge as well -- and be sure, if you have thicker legs/ankles to NOT get anything with an ankle strap etc., as it 'cuts' your leg line if you wear a skirt - you want a long and lean uninterrupted line!