High Heel Hints

I love high heels! For those of you who know me well, that is probably an understatement. They allow me to walk about this world as a taller, even more fabulous me : ) It is said that the origins of the high heel can be traced back to “horse-riding warriors in the Middle East who used high heels for functionality, because they help hold the rider’s foot in stirrups.” Just so you know, I have no plans to wear high heels as I ride a horse anytime soon – unless, of course, there is a photo shoot involved.

There are several different types of high heels. There are kitten heel, stiletto, spool heel, wedge and platform. All have their place and all are important, with stiletto and platform being my personal and preferred favorites.

Recently, there was a successful Kickstarter Campaign accomplished by Day2Night Convertible High Heels; literally a pair of shoes that come with 5 different heels of varying heights and styles. Nowadays you can design your own pair of heels at Shoes of Prey, Milk and Honey, Shoe Design Studio and Hourglass Footware.  I met the Hourglass Footware ladies during a trip to New York and fell in love with their shoes. Find hand painted lovelies at GlamFoxx, Punk  Your Chunks, or Studio Jellyfish.

If you are going to dedicate your gams to heels, there are some tricks you must heed:

• Buy your size, do not try to buy a pair that is too small for you or you will suffer . . . greatly.

• Tailor your width; too tight hurts and too wide will require a strange form of walking that will cancel out all efforts to look stylish.

• Use cushions, these are a must have item for heel wearers everywhere!

• Switch it up; do not wear the same pair of heels two days in a row. Different pairs create their own pressure points and may cause pain if worn more than one day at a time. If at least two pairs are good, then more pairs are even better, so buy more pairs of high heels. This is my sincere and helpful advice for you.

• Spritz hair spray on the soles of the heels to help you avoid slips and falls.

• Heel Wearer Warrior Workout; Workout 1: pick up a pencil using your toes. Workout 2: roll the pencil back and forth under the ball of your foot. Workout 3: also a good idea to roll a tennis ball back and forth under your feet to relieve tension and loosen up those foot muscles. Healthy high heel wearing requires a bit of a workout to keep those toes-ies in good working order! High heels are not for sissies.

Now I need pictures. Take a picture of your most favorite, cherished pair of shoes and either post them to my Facebook page or send them to me at jstone@helmsbriscoe.com. I cannot wait to see your own special pair of hallowed heels! Perhaps I will need them one day when I open my own Shoe-seum : )