The question that most females ask me is how do I walk in high heels like a pro? Walking in high heels is so much easier than you think. The secret is practice…lots of it! But before you start practicing, getting the foundation right is so important. The first step is to get the right size shoe for your foot. I know that’s obvious…but is it? Sometimes we fall in love with a pair of shoes and squeeze our feet in even though they are obviously too small or they flap about because they are too big…either way you will never be able to walk in them properly, so don’t waste your money. So try them on. Do not buy wedding shoes over the internet unless you have been able to try on the exact same style in a shoe store beforehand. This is the not the time to scrimp and save on your shoes. Your feet will not thank you and as I'm sure you know, if your feet hurt it can effect the rest of your well-being!
You see, walking like a pro in high heels is all about balance…and practice! The shoe must fit perfectly. The arch of your foot must sit comfortably in the shank of the shoe, which is the part that curves between the toe and the heel. If the shoe doesn’t fit, your arch will not sit in the shank properly and your balance will be off and this could lead to disaster and a lot of pain in your feet.
Here is the big secret to walking like a pro in high heels…are you ready? Wear them everyday for about 15-30 minutes. That’s it. I said it was easier than you thought. Our muscles have something called muscle memory and we can change the memory of our muscles if we do something differently for about 30 days or more so if you practice walking in high heels everyday or as much as you can, the heels will begin to feel like they are just an extension of your foot. When you put them on, your muscles will begin to adapt to the shape of the shoe and ‘know’ what to do.
Do you remember when you were first learning to ride a bike? You probably fell off the bike several times and felt a bit clumsy and uncoordinated but you kept going until you got it right. No one was born knowing how to ride a bike or wear high heels so keep practicing and it will become second nature.
But before we go any further, I would like to show you various types of high heels and explain how easy or difficult they are to wear.
This silver 'court' or stiletto shoe with a pointed toe can be the most uncomfortable shoe to wear. It is very high and your foot will be shunted to the front of the shoe which is pointed. Therefore your 5 toes will be crammed into a small and unnaturally shaped space. I suggest that you buy a shoe like this a half size larger than your normal size so that your feet have somewhere to go in the shoe!
The shoe on the right is a similar shoe to the court shoe above but will be much more comfortable to wear as it has a 'peep toe' and therefore your toes will have room to breathe and expand. This is very important as you will be on your feet for a long time and your feet will swell. If your wedding is during your menstrual cycle, your feet will swell even more.
The shoes on the left may look comfortable but they are very difficult to wear as they have no support. It is a strappy sandal and looks very sexy on the feet but if you are not used to walking in high heels, your feet will slip from side to side. So practice wearing them...it will pay off!
Believe it or not, the shoe on the right can be an extremely comfortable high heel to wear as it has a platform and the platform actually lifts the front of the foot so the ratio between the front of the foot and the back of the foot is less than with the court shoe above. This can be a great shoe to wear if you want height but not the discomfort.
If you have fleshy or wide feet and want a beautiful shoe that may not come in a wide width, this is the shoe for you. It has all the elegance of a court shoe but gives you the openness on either side of the shoe for your feet to spill over a bit. And if you find a shoe like this with a peep toe, it will be even more comfortable for your expanding feet for the long day ahead.
And finally, the shoe on the right is what is sometimes called a 'mule', it looks like an elegant, pointed toe court shoe from the front but is completely open at the back so your feet can breathe and expand as much as they like! It is an especially good shoe under a long dress with a train because you will see the front of the shoe but not the back and no one will know that you have a mule on.
There are many more types of shoes and not enough space to include them so I have focussed on high heels as they are the most difficult shoes to master but as I said above...practice, practice, practice.
The last but most important tip is to NEVER wear a new pair of high heels for the first time on your wedding day. I know you want to keep them pristine in their box or shoe bag but you will regret it. If you don't want to practice in them for weeks beforehand then buy a cheaper, similar pair of shoes to practice in. Then the week before the wedding, wear your wedding shoes for a short period of time every day. Take an old pair of tights and cut them off so that they cover each shoe to protect them from dust and dirt and then get on with your chores, until you forget about them and they feel very comfortable. It is good to wear in the sole of the shoe so that when you wear them on your big day, you don't slip. Before any fashion show, designers scratch the sole of the high heels or tape over them to create a bit of traction so that the model does not slip or fall.
High heels are great and can make your legs look longer and make you look taller but only if they fit properly and you walk tall with good posture!
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