It’s fashion week here in New York City, which means scores of ladies dodging from show to show at top speed, all while wearing the highest of heels. Though I haven’t seen anyone get stuck in a grate or fall on their face quite yet, I am sure the scowls of models and fashion editors as they scurry down the sidewalk aren’t just a result of eating nothing but a piece of kale in the past week.
Yes, heels are uncomfortable, give you blisters, and feel better to take off than to put on, but what are the actual physical repercussions of continued heel-wear? According to the video below, the amount of pressure put on a foot in a pair of heels is four times greater than a foot in a pair of flats, or “sensible shoes” as the doctor calls them. Think about it this way: if you weigh 150 pounds, a pair of heels is making your body react as though you weighed 600 pounds. Uh, no thank you.
Over time, the possibility for injury increases and, for constant heel-wearers, is an almost-certain guarantee of surgery later in life. Though, like the girls in this video, most women aren’t going to completely forsake their stilettos for sexy orthopedic footwear, it’s important to remain conscious of how we are wont to let fashion impact our bodies for the worse. So, why not give yourself a foot rub and treat yourself to a new pair of tennis shoes?
