The hazards of sky high heels

Below is an interesting article about the different ailments that can result from wearing high heels.

July 23rd, 2010
Sky High Heels Hazardous to Your Health
By Melissa Conte

Shoe trends seem to be moving in one direction this season—up. On a recent trip to Bloomingdales, I got vertigo just looking at some of this season’s hottest selling platform shoes. (Some of the styles also look like they were designed by the Marquis de Sade. But that’s another story). As designers unveil their latest creations, women will need to work on their balance skills to stay onboard these mile high heels.
And now medical experts tell us that those high heels may produce serious medical problems. If you wear two-inch heels (or higher) five or more days a week you may create problems for your legs and feet. Elevating the foot not only shrinks a your calf muscle fibers by an average of 13 percent, it also thickens your Achilles tendon, the tendon that attaches the calf muscle to the heel by 22 percent. The findings are from a study published in the Journal of Experimental Biology.
Celebrities seem not to have received the memo. Lady Gaga prances around in 12-inch Alexander McQueen creations. And the quartet from Sex and the City 2 have not yet given up their Manolos. During the 2009 spring fashion shows, several models—those professionals who are supposed to make walking in high heels look easy—tumbled on the runway. So if even a skilled catwalk model has trouble keeping her balance, why are designers foisting these killer-heels on normal women? Will this new study cause them to rethink that fashion strategy?
Are sky-high heels the new escapism from the sinking economy? It’s theorized that women buy and wear higher heels when the economy is not good. As the recession seems to worsen, the heel heights grow comparatively higher. According to the stiletto index, the last time sky-high heels were in vogue was during the Great Depression. As this season’s heels climb to an astonishing eight-inch height and beyond, one can’t help but wonder if we’ve seen the worst of the recession yet.
Christian Dior shoe specialist Jonah Bernaki says his clientele prefers the higher styled shoes. “Heels make a woman instantly feel taller, sexier, and more glamorous. It’s an instant emotional pick me up.” Platforms this season have a lift in the front, making them more stable and easier to navigate city streets. According to Bernaki: “They are more manageable and comfortable than a traditional stiletto heel.”
Teetering on top of these stilts may be great for self-esteem, but they can have crippling effects on the long-term health of your feet and spine. Wearing heels takes your spine out of its natural alignment. Hips jut forward, excessive pressure is placed on your forefoot, and your hips move unnaturally. All of this adjustment causes wear and tear on the vertebral discs of your back and postural muscles. Staying in this position for too long will lead to chronic problems with pain and discomfort.
Moving down the kinetic chain of the body, excessive pressure is placed on the knee joint, encouraging the onset of early osteoarthritis. Calf muscles and the Achilles tendon are forced into a short tight position, leading to inflammation of the plantar fascia and other ligaments of the foot. Ankle injuries such as sprains and fractures are not uncommon because you are walking on an unstable surface. Bunions, bony growths on the outside of the foot requiring surgical repair, develop as a result of your foot trying to fit into a narrow and tight toe box. (Think of the Asian practice of binding the feet, and you get the idea).
To go the distance, feet need sturdy and stable shoes. Remember the days when women used to wear running shoes to walk to work and then changed into heels once in the office? Perhaps it’s time to bring that practice back.
Although many of this sesons’s shoe styles are visually attractive, buyer beware. It’s okay to wear high heels occasionally, but long-term wear will result in hammertoes and other unattractive physical maladies. The excessive heel heights this season should come with the label “wear at your own risk.”