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.