Why choose womens designer shoes, I sometimes wonder. Those women wobble around, they take longer to get from here to there, they often trip on small sidewalk imperfections, and they regularly fall and get hurt.
I will confess: my gut reaction is that a woman’s IQ relates inversely to whether that woman tends to wear accident-inducing high heeled shoes. I think of women who flock to such shoes as women who aspire to become Barbies or Princesses. Before you write a comment to protest, I realize that my gut feeling is a gross over-simplification. I also have an analogous gut feeling with regard to men who aspire to higher forms of masculinity by rushing to engage in dangerous activities such as motocross or hang-gliding . . .
Contrary to conventional wisdom, I don’t think that women who wear high heels are “hotter” than those who don’t. To the contrary, I’m annoyed by high heels. Most woman who wear them look uncomfortable, so uncomfortable that they become objects of pity than sexiness. But many other men (and women) disagree with me. For proof, take a look at almost any advertising !!
Anyway, let me start with the facts – It has been proven beyond a reasonable doubt that wearing high heel shoes contribute to numerous serious injuries.
- Corns and calluses. Thick, hardened layers of skin develop in areas of friction between your shoe and your foot.
- Toenail problems. Constant pressure on your toes and nail beds from being forced against the front of your shoe by a high heel can lead to nail fungus and ingrown toenails.
- Hammertoe. When your toes are forced against the front of your shoe, an unnatural bending of your toes results. This can lead to hammertoe .
- Bunions. Tight fitting shoes may worsen bunions — bony bumps that form on the joint at the base of your big toe.
- Tight heel cords. If you wear high heels all the time, you risk tightening and shortening your Achilles tendon.
- Pump bump. Also known as Haglund’s deformity, this bony enlargement on the back of your heel can become aggravated by the rigid backs or straps of high heels.
- Neuromas. A growth of nerve tissue. A neuroma causes sharp, burning pain in the ball of your foot accompanied by stinging or numbness in your toes.
- Joint pain in the ball of the foot – This causes increased pressure, strain and pain in your forefoot. Shoes with tightfitting toe boxes can lead to similar discomfort.
- Stress fractures. Tiny cracks in one of the bones of your foot.
- High heels have also been linked to overworked or injured leg muscles, osteoarthritis of the knee and low back pain. You also risk ankle injuries if you lose your balance and fall off your high heels
Rupert Evans, an accident and emergency doctor at University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff said injuries could lead to long-term problems. Women should stick to shoes with heels less than 4cm (1.5in) if they wanted to avoid a trip to hospital, he advised. Dr Evans said he has seen an increase in the number of women being admitted to hospital with injuries caused by the fashionable footwear. Injuries ranged from sprained ankles to broken bones and dislocations – and in some cases caused permanent damage.
What kind of permanent damage? chronic knee pain, sprained ankles and back problems.
So why do women wear high heels?
