Podiatrist Questions Foot health

Are high heels safe for my feet?

I'm 22, and I love to wear high heels. I wear them almost every day. But, is this safe for my feet? Are there any issues that can be caused from wearing high heels so often?

18 Answers

Many many issues unless you have great feet Eventual knee and low back issues are common.
Yes, it is safe. there are orthotics or insoles can be used. I recommend you to seek the consult of a local podiatrist to discuss your needs further and hope you can continue to have quality of life with your shoe gear.
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High heels are not the best thing for our feet because it does cause all of our body weight to be placed on the ball of the foot. The heels could cause stress fractures of the bones in the foot or even bunions to form as well. Sometimes even hammertoes can form. They are always cute to wear but do recommend a sensible shoe for most of the day if possible.
Yes, lots of issues. Heels keep podiatrists in business.
Hello,

Yes, you can put a lot of strain on your joints by continuing to wear high heels. The ball if your foot in particular will get an excessive loading that would cause arthritis over time. Wearing high heels in moderation is not a problem or if you put a custom insole inside that supports your arch that would also work.

Dr. Patel
High heels can cause multiple problems. Those we see most often are neuromas (nerve tumors in the ball of the foot) and ruptured Achilles’ tendons caused by tightening and shortening of the tendon. You can help to prevent these by making sure the front part of the shoe is not too tight and doing Achilles’ tendon stretches several times every day.

Kathleen Neuhoff, DPM

IF YOU USE IT PERMANENTLY, BE PREPARED TO GET BUNIONS, IT IS NOT FUN TO NEED A SURGERY!!
No. High heels are not safe for your feet. They are not meant to be worn for long periods and definitely not everyday. Wearing heels very often as you do can result in a shortening of your Achilles tendon, increased pressure on the balls of your feet, and muscle imbalances which can lead to hammer toes
Hello,

You can develop bunions and hammer toes as a result of wearing high heels every day. You can also end up with tight calves which can lead to plantar fasciitis. I would recommend daily calf stretches if you continue to wear high heels

Dr. Lui
Yes they are.
There will always be a long-term cost of wearing "high heels" full time, from bunions and hammertoe, pinched nerves, heel pain, Achilles tendinitis. The key thing is moderation!!
Yes high heels can damage joints and also may permanently damage toenails. Your “pinky” toes may already be permanently damaged.
Hello and thank you for your question. There are things to look out for when wearing high heels regularly. Mostly, if they cause you pain should be the first indicator something is wrong. If you have a family history of bunions or hammertoes then I would consider cutting back. There is a misconception that high heels cause bunions which is not true. High heels can speed up the progression of a bunion, especially with a family history. Also, I have found high heels to cause other forefoot conditions, to many to list in this forum. I would take a common sense approach to your high heel usage. Finding out if you have a family history of foot conditions would be my first suggestion. I wish you well, good luck to you.
Wearing high heels on a daily basis is certainly not good for your feet or ankles. Imagine walking on the tip of her toes all day every day and this is similar to what high heels do to your feet. This places too much pressure on the ball of the feet and allows your Achilles tendon to shorten, leading to several future foot problems. Although high heels can be attractive, trying to wearing various types of shoes
High heels are not good for your feet. The more you wear them, the more problems you will have in the future with your feet. When you wear even a low heel, gravity pushes your toes into the toe box of the shoe, which, in turn, smashes your toes together both with medial to lateral pressure as well as with posterior to anterior pressure (what this means is your toes are being not only mashed together from side-to-side, but also pushed into the front of the shoe). These things contribute to Neuromas, hammer toes, bunions, Hallux rigidus, tendonitis, neuritis, and other problems. If you are going to wear heels, do so infrequently and look for shoes that are not too high in the heel and look for shoes that have a more round or squared off toe box.
High heels can cause a problem, especially if you wear them everyday. Wearing heels all the time will cause the Achilles tendon to shorten and increase strain on foot musculature. I recommend you be evaluated by a foot and ankle surgeon (podiatrist) to determine the most appropriate treatment and alternatives
High heels in general are not good for your feet, as they put your foot in an un-natural position, increasing pressure under the balls of your feet, making the ankle unstable, and not allowing proper weightbearing distribution of forces. It would be better for you to limit your wear of high heels.
Yes, wearing high heels daily can cause many issues to the feet. There are generally better, podiatrist-approved high heels with more of a platform. These tend to be better than without.