Avoid wearing high-heeled shoes daily

Feet are composed of bones, muscles and tissues whose health depends on a good range of motion. However, high-heeled shoes can damage the structure of the foot, change the way you walk and affect the health of different parts of the body and organs.

The sole of the foot supports the weight of the body, distributed on the heel and the metatarsals, the part at the base of the toes. Ideally, the weight of the body should be distributed between the front and back of the foot. When walking barefoot, the front part of the sole of the foot (the metatarsals so) supports at each step, 43% of the weight of the body and the remaining 57% is absorbed by the heel.

Wear high-heeled shoes: did you know?

High-heeled shoes tilt the body forward and move the feet to an unnatural position, with greater weight on the toes. "The higher the heel, the greater the torsion strength in the joints," says Rob Burke, kinesiology researcher at Aurora (Ontario / Canada).

Thus a heel of a height of 6 cm, will exert the greatest pressure on the toes, 75% more precisely, and if the heel rises to more than 10 cm, the metatarsals then support 90% of the weight of the body . This posture alters the normal gait and adds tremendous pressure to the hips, lower back, and knees. It can cause foot pain and dysfunctional changes that will resonate to the head, neck and jaw.

"If your feet hurt, our body tends to compensate for pain. It is positioned differently and distorts the original supports of the foot. In the long run, it's the joints, tendons and muscles that will suffer, "says Béatrice Nouhet (Paris), a podiatrist.

High heels and blood circulation

High-heeled shoes can also cause swollen feet. This indicates that the blood pressure is not sufficient to ensure proper venous return that slows down, because the foot support surface has decreased. For a good circulation of the blood in the feet, it is important to have a stable support of the soles of the feet, which acts as a pump to push the blood towards the heart and the lungs.

Thus, by reducing the wearing time of high heels, you ensure better circulation of blood in your feet, and can better prevent foot pain or back pain caused by shoes.

If you wear high-heeled shoes regularly

Here is the list of reflex zones to activate to reduce the risk of injury.