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High heels make a woman's legs look longer, sleeker, and
elegant.
However, women
weren't the first to wear high heels. During the Middle
Ages, it was men who started
wearing high heels to look taller. Women soon realized that
they too could wear heels to appear taller, and more
slender.
Over the years high heels shoes have taken on several forms,
ranging from smart and sexy styles with 2?, or 4?. Then
there are the heels that are 5", 6", and even 7" platforms,
non-platform heels and stilettos. For the extreme individual
there are even 8" platform heels.
Are High Heels Safe to Wear?
Feet are designed to bear weight evenly across the width and
length of the foot. This is true for men and women alike.
When you wear high heels that are over 2 inches tall, you
risk the chance of permanently damaging the foot. This is
stated by the American Podiatry Association. In addition,
prolong wearing of high heels can actually cause the
Achilles tendon to shorten. When this occurs, it can become
painful and inflamed. Other risk of wearing high heels
include the fact that your center of gravity has been
shifted thus increasing the risk of falling more than when a
person wears flat shoes.
There are however ways to minimize the risk of damaging ones
feet when wearing high
heels. The first thing you can do is to try to wear high
heels that have a wide heel and heels that are not more than
3/4" tall. If possible, don't wear heels all day long.
Instead, consider wearing flats for part of the day, such as
sneakers so that you will be as comfortable as possible.
Older women need to especially reduce wearing high heels
over 3/4" high and the duration as to how long they wear
them. By following these simple steps, you can reduce risk
of injury and get the most out of wearing high heels.
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