June 4, 2013
Warning: This Will Bring Pain
Any woman who wears high heels will be surprised it takes so long…
After one hour, six minutes and 48 seconds heels start to hurt, a survey found.
But for a delicate 20 per cent, dancing shoes start to pinch after just ten minutes.
Medical experts have said that wearing high heels forces a woman’s foot into an unnatural shape which can cause intense pain and long-term, irreparable damage such as arthritis
More than a third of respondents said their feet had been so sore on a night out that they danced shoeless and walked home barefoot.
The statistics come from the College of Podiatry, which surveyed 2,000 British men and women and 60 podiatrists and chiropodists.
Consultant podiatrist Mike O’Neill, from the College of Podiatry, warned that squeezing feet into smaller shoes can cause long-term damage including arthritis, stress fractures, and trapped nerves, which may even require surgery or steroid injections.
Mr O’Neill said: ‘There’s absolutely no doubt women who wear high heels are putting themselves at risk of permanent injury in the name of fashion. Given a choice between a stylish pair of shoes or nice feet, many will go for the stylish shoes.
Victoria Beckham suffers with bunions because of her addiction to super-high heels
‘However, the higher the heel, the more they tilt your body forward and the more you have to lean back to compensate. This can put your pelvis out of alignment and cause compression of the spine.
‘High heels ram your foot forward, which squishes your toes together and can cause ingrown toe nails, rough areas of skin, blemishes, and calluses.
‘And because your toes are squashed, the moisture gets trapped, causing soggy toes, which is a breeding ground for athlete’s foot.’
According to the study, one in four have danced bare foot in a club or bar when they could not put up with the pain any longer and a third have been forced to remove their shoes and walk home barefoot because of the discomfort.
Mr O’Neill added: ‘Shoes make you walk on the balls of your feet can cause aches and pains, and ultimately, stress fractures.
‘They also cause increased wear and tear in the joints and soft tissue, which can cause arthritis.
‘Some women also suffer from trapped nerves, which may require surgery or steroid injections to combat the pain.