Are High Heels Causing You Foot Problems?

Survey finds most women are in pain after an hour of wearing the shoes

If you've ever suffered foot pain from wearing a gorgeous pair of high heels you aren't alone.

In fact most of us are left in pain just over an hour (one hour, six minutes and 48 seconds) after wearing the shoes, with 20 per cent of women saying their heels pinch their feet after only 10 minutes and over a third of women saying they've walked home barefoot from a night out due to the agony.

The survey of 2,000 Brits and 60 podiatrists and chiropodists by the College of Podiatry also found a staggering 90 per cent of us have had foot problems caused by ill-fitting shoes.

Consultant podiatrist Mike O'Neill, from the College of Podiatry, said squeezing feet into smaller shoes can cause long-term damage including stress fractures and trapped nerves, which could lead to surgery in severe cases. Wearing high heels can also cause arthritis as our feet are forcing into unnatural shapes.

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.

'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.'

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