Dear ladies: is practice all she can do?

[WobbleFan]

Dear ladies, I'm trying to find some first-hand advice here. Some time ago I bought my wife these shoes (please click the thumbnail). They're 11cm (almost 4.5"). She really likes them and yesterday she wore them for the second time. She looks absolutely amazing in them and she doesn't mind wearing them in public what so ever. Yesterday she wore them with a pair of low, hip hugging jeans. Just imagine this really tall (1m 83cm, 6 foot) lady with a great bosom, narrow waist, full hips and legs in these jeans with the heels. It's a good thing I married her! :-) I don't get to see this in the part of Holland very often. But there's something else too. She regularly wears 10cm (4") heels with a heel that's just a little chunkier. She walks in them just fine and is able to wear them for a full, but single day, without any problems. But with the new shoes, she has some real touble walking in them. She has to take really short steps, has to make an effort to keep her legs straight, wobbles occasionally and scrapes the heels across the sidewalk. And they hurt. We were visiting friends down the street yesterday and she had to walk about 200m to get there and about half way I could tell she was suffering. During the meal we had, she took her leasure and only walked to and from the kitchen a few times. She danced with the children for about 10 minuted and that's it. On the way back, she hardly made it home. She was abolutely unable to keep up with our four-year old who was really tired. She was tottering seriously and and had to really concentrate on her walking. She did have three glasses of wine that evening, but that should'nt make the big difference. I asked her about this and she said the shoes fit really well and the soft inlays are OK too, but here feet simply hurt from the height of the heel. I'm surprised that 1cm difference in height has such an effect. Now although my forum nickname indicated I don't have problems with my wife tottering a little, this obviously is not a good thing. Does any of the genuine ladies in this forum has some practical adivice that will help my wife enjoy her new shoes a little more? Because right now she can't even think about wearing the 5" heels she really adores. But they're in the box... Thank you, WobbleFan

[Shoeiee]

OK...Not a lady but have a wife who didn't know what a 'high heel' was when we met. Her idea of 'high' was 2". Now she does quite well in 5.5". And she doesn't practice all that much either!! (unfortunately...) First and foremost, practice is a key element to enable endurance in those shoes (or any rather high heel for that matter!!) Be it housework, short shopping trips, an evening stroll around the block or through the mall, the only true way to become 'comfortable' with the heel height is to walk in them. Not just wear them from couch to couch, but walk in them. You mentioned you bought them awhile ago and this is only the second wearing?? Secondly, there are exercises which can be done to strengthen the ankle and calf muscles which will help tremendously. One is the ankle body lift. Standing flat-footed, raise the heels of one's feet to their maximum extension, so standing only on the balls of the feet, and controllably return to the flat heel on floor position. Most trainers recommend several 'sets' of approx 10 'reps' per session, preceeded and followed by stretching. This will significantly strengthen her leg and ankle muscles to enable good muscle control. I would say do this for a couple of weeks, every other day or so (careful to listen to the body and not overdo it...) and then venture for a moderate walk. Another key factor is the fit of the shoes. How well do they fit her feet?? Too wide, too narrow maybe? It's not uncommon to compensate for width by buying longer or shorter shoes than what's really needed. This is so very important!! The shoes must fit the entire foot, not just one part. Also consider the material used for construction. Those appear to be leather and that's good. Leather will 'mold' to the shape of the foot rather than forcing the foot to mold to the shoe. Even the best 'vegan' leathers will not be as compliant. Also make sure she tries the shoes on with whatever instert she intends to wear them with. Inserts can be a tremendous help but can also decrease the space in the shoes causing pain in other locations. If your wife truly wants to move to higher heels please encourage her to try some of these techniques. Again, let me stress the fitting - All the exercise in the world can't compensate for ill fitting shoes!! And there's no point in trying to force her into exercising for this...If she wants this then she should have the drive to work on it. Your pushing, no matter how gentle, may actually discourage her...So be wary of this! Good luck!!

[WobbleFan]

Hi All,,

For those interested: just now, my wife left the house and put on her highest heels spontaneously, without me even hinting at them. She looked marvelous! I complimented her on her look and she actually seemed pleased.

Last week I bought her these: http://www.schuh-wetsch.de/shop/product/2376,Replay,Ivy-Elegante-Pumps-Schwarz-(Black)-mit-Fluegelkappe-comma--Leder.html

She wore them to work the next day.

So, things are going well. My wife is enjoying it and obviously, so am I.

WobbleFan

[CassieJ]

I would wear these myself. Nice.

[Stilettoscot]

The shoes are nice. I think the reasoning for the more difficulty in her walking in these, even at just 1cm more height, would be that they look like the lift starts further back of the shoe than most shoes at 4.5". This means more toe-box room, but steeper lift. Now, picture the toe-box being shorter (meaning the lift of the shoe starts closer to the toe-box), the angle of the lift would be less steep, even at the same heel height. Steeper lift = more difficulty in walking in them.

[WobbleFan]

Aha! That might be it. Please see the attached photo. I've put the Ivy shoe in front of the higher shoe and it seems you are right. If you look closely, you can see the toe box extending just a little further on the shoe in the background. I've aligned the back of the heel to take the picture. But, Isn't this due to the height difference? Then this means that these shoes feel even higher then the 11cm to her? Thanks! WobbleFan

[Stilettoscot]

Different shoe designs can change the lift angle. The ones with a shorter toe-box always means easier walking. There is a noticable difference in angle between those 2 shoes at only 1cm difference in heel height. I'm guessing the higher heels has a similiar lift angle as a roughly 5" heel, or maybe a touch more. It is steep.

[WobbleFan]

I guess you're right. I compared them to her 5" stilettos (they're SO beautiful!, see attachment) and the incline is almost the same. They just go up a little more. So my brave wife is walking in seriously good looking, but difficult shoes. Thanks! WobbleFan

[Stilettoscot]

Those pumps are GORGEOUS!!! Plus, they're my size!! So, if you ever find she just can't walk in them (the 5"er's), you know who will buy them!!

[WobbleFan]

She too thinks the're very nice. I've posted this before, but when she opened the box, she said: Wow! If I can walk in them, I'll wear them.

Even though she'd said before not to like stilettos. Unfortunately, untill now, she still has trouble walking the length of the living room in them. But, I'm still positive. If she manages to walk confidently in the 11cm heels, she'll learn to master the 5" as well. At least it seems she's getting the fun of it. Obviously, my reactions should be encouraging too. So hopefully, she won't give up on them.

Sorry But if you want to buy them, go to: http://www.fuss-schuhe.de/high-heels-shop.html and look for product number: Pumps - 1919-2386 - nero-A. They're 94.99 Euro.

Cheers,

WobbleFan

[roniheels]

If she really likes the high heels, I would encourage her by telling her how pretty and sexy she looks in them and encourage her to keep practicing in them. Maybe even by her a matchigh outfit to go with the high heels. Good luck.

[WobbleFan]

Thanks for the suggestion, but with my wife, this would have the opposite effect. Lots of attention and sublet remarks when she wears them is better.

[Amanda]

I would suggest buying her some expensive well made leather shoes and have them properly fitted. It's no use practicing in ill fitting shoes. I too would leave 5 inch heels in the box if they were at all uncomfortable. If any practice is needed with new shoes then she could try wearing socks with them, medium thickness and just wear them around the house for a few days, that's what I do.

[Stilettoscot]

I too would leave 5 inch heels in the box if they were at all uncomfortable.

OR, they could sell them to me...

[Amanda]

OR, they could sell them to me...

Lol, or even just posting them to Scot would be fine I'm sure!.

[WobbleFan]

Don't know what gave the impression the shoes don't fit. My wife insists they fit just fine. She's just not used to walking in heels this high. And like was said before, the 11cm heels seem to be quite steep. Thanks anyway, WobbleFan

[Amanda]

Sorry, I was under the impression that they were ill fitting because they were hurt when she walks in them.

Don't know what gave the impression the shoes don't fit. My wife insists they fit just fine. She's just not used to walking in heels this high. And like was said before, the 11cm heels seem to be quite steep.

Thanks anyway,

WobbleFan

[WobbleFan]

Sorry, I was under the impression that they were ill fitting because they were hurt when she walks in them.

I'm sorry if I've a bit blunt. I'm not a native English speaker. I *do* appreciate your help!

Anyway, my wife says the shoes fit very well, but her feet hurt from the height and the steepness of the arches. That's for both the 4" and the 5" choes. Both pairs are made of fine leather as well. They've both got leather insoles too. The 4"-ers have man-made outer soles. The 5"-ers appear to have leather soles.

WobbleFan

[WobbleFan]

Hi All,

Just a quick message to let you know my wife went to work with these today. Her feet were tired when she came home, but not much else.

WobbleFan

[Dawn HH]

Wobblefan:-) That last pic shows a very nice pair of shoes. I'll bet your wife looks fantastic wearing them with an appropriate outfit. Cheers--- Dawn HH

[WobbleFan]

Well it's been quite for a while on this subject, but tonight we'll go out for dinner and my wife announced she'll be wearing a very nice summer dress. I think I'll ask her to wear the 5inches tonight. The last time we went out, I suggested it as well, but she didn't want to wear them as we planned on doing some bar-hopping after dinner, wich would involve quite a bit of walking on old Dutch uneven pavement. She opted for the 4,5 inchers instead as they have a wider heel base. Tonight however, she won't have to walk much, so chances are she'll wear the 5 inch stilettos for the fist time. I'm just about going mad with anticipation here. I'll keep you posted. I'm sure she'll look absolutely stunning. WobbleFan

[pussyinboots]

I hope that she looks lovely, and I hope that the heels do not hurt her too much.

If the problem - as she says - is the steepness of the arch, then there is nothing that will help other than practice. However, plenty of women know their limits when it comes to high heels, and if her limit is 4" to be comfortable, then 4" it is.

She may wear higher heels to please you, or just for a change - but don't expect them to stay on for long....and don't hassle her either.

[WobbleFan]

I hope that she looks lovely,

Oh yes, she did. She looked absolutely amazing. She didn't wear the 5 inchers though. It's very hot at the moment here in Holland and she was afraid her feet would swell to the point she wouldn't be able to walk at all in the pumps. She promised me she would at the next opportunity if the temperature allows. So she chose to wear 4 inch stiletto sandals instead. I'll she if I can post a picture some time soon. They're great. Simple, narrow strap over the front of the foot and at the ankle.

My brave, lovely wife wore stilettos outside the house for the first time and 4 inchers at that. She had some difficulty walking in them as they were very unstable but she did her best and looked so incredibly hot!

and I hope that the heels do not hurt her too much.

Well, as a result of the heat, her feet did swell, so the short walk after dinner wasn't exactly painless, but I kept telling her how great she looked and with a sense of accomplishment, she did reach her destination, although it took some time.

If the problem - as she says - is the steepness of the arch, then there is nothing that will help other than practice. However, plenty of women know their limits when it comes to high heels, and if her limit is 4" to be comfortable, then 4" it is.

She may wear higher heels to please you, or just for a change - but don't expect them to stay on for long....and don't hassle her either.

I understand. And I will never hassle her, just love her too much. Besides, she's a strong willed lady that won't let me hassle her. I will keep asking her, because she has a fantastic body and some great legs that draw a lot of positive attention when she wears really high heels.

[WobbleFan]

Attached are the pictures of the sandals my wife wore last Friday. I've added one with the 5 inch pumps I've mentioned earlier for comparison. Cheers, WobbleFan

[pussyinboots]

The sandals are absolutely delightful.

[WobbleFan]

Thank you, pussyinboots. I picked them myself. My wife thinks they're pretty, but difficult to walk in, although she said her biggest problem was the front strap cutting into her feet as they were swollen from the heat. But they can be very supportive. Besides the straps being narrow, the ankle strap is fitted with an elastic band behind the closure. It'll prevent the strap from breaking, but it offers no support at all. But she sure looks fine in them. WobbleFan

[Bubba136]

Thank you, pussyinboots. I picked them myself. My wife thinks they're pretty, but difficult to walk in, although she said her biggest problem was the front strap cutting into her feet as they were swollen from the heat.

But they can be very supportive. Besides the straps being narrow, the ankle strap is fitted with an elastic band behind the closure. It'll prevent the strap from breaking, but it offers no support at all.

But she sure looks fine in them.

WobbleFan

I have a similar pair of sandals. The only difference, beside the color (mine are white patent) is that the toe strap is slightly wider. And, when I wear them, after a short time the strap cuts into the top of my foot and they become uncomfortable to wear. Looking at the pair you posted, the thin strap appears that it might do the same as her feet slide into the strap.