Walk in High Heels: 4 Tips To Get Started
Learning to walk in high heels not only gives you confidence, but also helps you prevent falls, blisters, and pain. With practice, you can glide into a meeting, classroom, or party with grace and poise. Use this guide to step out confidently in high heels.
Find the Right Fit
Purchasing heels for women that fit correctly is not an easy task. We recommend bringing toe pads and heel liners for sizing. Your foot should slide into the shoe without too much wiggling. Stand up in the shoes, keeping your weight centered. If you are comfortable walking in heels, walk around the store for several minutes. Walk in a straight line and make turns, mimicking your normal routine. If you are new to high heels, rather than walking, shift your weight from foot to foot. Hold onto something for support and try to take a few steps. You may feel uncomfortable, but right now the focus is on checking the comfort of the shoe as you move around slowly.
Your toes should fit in the toe box without curling or pinching. Check your heels to make sure they fit snugly into the back of the shoe, without digging into your foot uncomfortably. The heel should not extend over the back of an open-back shoe. The sides and top of your feet need to be comfortable and not overlap the shoe.
Boost the Shoe
There are many ways to help your high heels fit better and extend the time you can spend in them. A good shoe repair specialist can stretch your heels if they are snug. Specially designed shoe pads help customize the fit of your high heels. Ball of foot pads tighten the toe box and absorb pressure on the ball of your foot. Heel liners keep your heels from sliding out of your shoes as you walk. You can invest in quality shoes and insoles – available at specialist shoe stores like Browns Shoes – to cushion your walk if you spend all day on your feet. If you know you’ll be wearing them for a long period of time, always carry a good emergency kit containing bandages, moleskin strips, and spare shoe pads.
Improve Your Posture
Good posture makes walking in heels easier. Engage your core, walk with your chest elevated, and lift your head. Try yoga or other anaerobic exercises to improve your posture. Check out your posture in 6 steps.
- Stand with your buttocks, shoulder blades, and head touching a wall.
- Keep your heels a couple of inches away from the wall.
- Place your palm against the wall and slide it behind the curve of your back.
- If your back is so close to the wall that you cannot slide your hand, arch your back slightly.
- If there is more than a hand’s width space between your back and the wall, engage your abdominal muscles.
- Focus on this posture and step away. Try to maintain this form throughout your day.
Lead With Your Heel
Now, it’s time to practice walking at home. Start by building confidence in your gait, before you leave your gate – easy does it when you are taking your first steps. Unlike walking in flats, walking in high heels starts by placing your heel on the ground, rolling to the sole of your foot, and pushing off with your toes. If you feel yourself losing balance, engage your core and grip the inside of the shoe with your arch. This helps your foot stabilize, allowing you to regain your balance.
High heels demand that you shorten your stride. You may feel like you are starting with baby steps, but as your confidence grows, you will be able to take longer steps. Shifting your body weight back helps shorten your stride and keeps your posture intact.
Mastering the art of wearing high heels is the same as any other new skill – with the correct tools and a little practice, you will get better every day.