High heel heck!?
I’ll be the first to admit that high heels look fantastic on everyone—but also the first to shout from the rooftops that they’re one of the worst things you can do to your feet (second only to flip-flops). The nice thing about flip-flops is that they’re only a seasonal curse, whereas high heels are torturing feet all year long.
There are so many reasons you should avoid high heels that it’s hard to know where to begin.
First, when standing, all the pressure from the sloping foot travels into the head of the metatarsals (where the toes attach to the foot). This means that all day, the weight of the body is pressing into those tiny little bones. Ouch. Wearing high heels frequently can even lead to Morton’s neuroma—a painful thickening of tissue around the nerves in the midfoot—over time.
Second, in heels, the ankle is always pointed, even when sitting. This keeps the gastrocnemius (the muscle in the back of the lower leg) in a shortened position, restricting dorsiflexion (the range of motion needed to pull the toes up towards your nose). If you enjoy running, this is a problem. When you step out of your high heels and try to run, that tight calf muscle is suddenly forced into a range it isn’t used to, increasing the risk of Achilles tendon irritation and muscle strain. And just like flip-flops, if the ankle can’t move properly, the knee compensates, leading to extra stress on the patellar tendon, the IT band, and other structures.
Some articles argue that high heels aren’t that bad, while others strongly disagree. One study from the University of Virginia found that women have twice the chance of developing knee osteoarthritis as men, and those who wore high heels experienced 23% more pressure passing through the kneecap compared to those in flat shoes… yikes.
So, if you’re training for a 5K or a marathon, maybe it’s time to dust off those old Birkenstocks. Just tell everyone it’s part of your peak performance strategy. 🙂
Dave Ellis, Manual Practitioner of Osteopathy, Oakville