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I know most of us wear heels because we like the way they look on our feet, or we like the added height, or whatever other reason we choose to wear them. I fall into most of those categories myself. But the other day I found a practical use for them, too. I am a musician who plays a variety of instruments. I Have an electric drum kit that I have begun playing and learning on. I am getting better. But I find that after using the kick drum pedal for a while, my right foot and ankle becomes tired and tight. It is probably because the ball of your foot starts in an slightly upward postion. And it is above your ankle when it is resting on the pedal.And your foot is going through a full up and down motion for minutes at a time. And your ankle is basically acting as a pivot point. But the other day, I happened to be wearing a pair of heels, and I suddenly got the urge to jump on the kit. And since I was still wearing the heels, I figured why the hell not?! So I began playing with the heels on. I noticed as I got started that my foot already felt better. And after a few songs my foot still felt great! It felt just like it did when I started. I was able to play that much more in the heels, as apposed to not wearing them. And my foot and ankle did not get tight or tired one bit! It was definitely because of the heels. I noticed that when I had my heels on, my right foot was in a level, or slightly downward position when it was resting on the pedal. And the ball of my foot was starting level with, or below the ankle with heels on. So the range of motion of my foot was essentially cut in half. Who knew?! And the same can also be said for your opposite foot when you use the hi-hat pedal with heels on.

Karma would strike me back quickly if I ever laughed (even internally) at someone struggling in heels!

OK - I can not resist responding to this topic because, I, too, was a drummer and played a drumset in heel and, thus, can and do deeply relate appreciate this topic. I do apologize if I am giving you tips and/or advice on techniques of which you may have already learned. In sum, abandoned the "heel-toe" method of working the bass drum and hi-hat pedals. I was taught to use that and found it to be good only for limiting my speed and agility. If you keep the heel of your foot planted on the bass pedal, for example, it limits your ability to use that for 16th note pick-ups before the first beat of the next measure. Without wearing heels, keep the heel of your right foot on the ground and hit two 16th notes before coming in your snare or toms on the one. Then, trying the same with your foot in an elevated position as if you are wearing heels. You will notice that the elevated position allows you to hit those pick-up notes much faster than with your heel resting on the pedal. Also, as you have/will learn(ed), using the heel-toe method causes the muscles in your foot and ankle to grow tired rather quickly. Thus, the primary movement really comes from the hip while the knee remains stationary (for the most part) and the second note is a quick follow-up with the ankle. If you are wearing heels while playing and resting the heel on the pedal, the primary movement is still coming from the ankle, which is not what you want to do - movement of the leg from the hip is the best technique. Resting your foot on the pedal, heel or not, limits you ability to use your hip and ankle in combination as all movement then comes from your ankle. You will find that you can move your legs from the hip much for quickly that you can move your ankle on the pedal. Go to Youtube and search: Neil Peart - Cotton Tail with drum solo and watch the movement of his legs and feet - there are plenty of close up shots that will clearly show how he places his feet on the pedals. You will notice that only the ball of his foot is on the pedal and the movement of such originates from his hip. FWIW, this solo is undoubtedly one of the finest on a four-piece drum kit you will ever see. That which I do not like about it is his use of traditional grip - don't EVEN get me started on that!

Never ever mess with Karma or her brother Murphy, their laws will get you every time.

Mine was at a job where the President of the Company was a jerk. It really was as close to a sweat shop as you can get. Some days it approached 140 degrees (F) with the 400 welding robots we had going. I understand production, but this guy thought seats on the production floor made the company look like lazy people so there was none. For 10 hours a day, 5 days a week workers had to stand in boots, on concrete, with metatarsal protection, meaning the foot cannot flex as it walks. We all hobbled in pain. It destroyed my feet for the few years I worked there. No amount of insoles or good boots overcame any of it. The funny thing was, when I started my next job after quitting, 1 minute into my first work day they said, "now the most importantly thing is finding you a chair". It was work in a powerhouse and not even an office job. My feet have since recovered, but those years of working in that sweat shop did a number on my feet.

Even in the extremely rural location I live in, I see a lot of high heeled boots this time of year. I was at the Drs the other day for a late appointment and as half the staff left at 5 PM, many were impeccably dressed and wearing high heeled boots or botties.

That’s an interesting result! Who would have guessed. I find wearing 3-4” heels can ease back problems - muscle spasms etc so I knew they had their practical uses, but that’s a new one

I think the worst scenario I see is weddings. So many people are not used to wearing high heels, then for pictures they go on challenging ground like cobblestone, grass, or other wet areas and it's really a struggle for the people wearing them. I never laugh at people that struggle because its just all-new for them and it saddens me that they equate high heels to pain and embarrassment.

In central London yesterday evening. Saw lots of heels, from the usual 2.5" boots to 4" stilettos. All on women, mostly being worn well, walking confidently.