Anyone had trouble standing or wearing 6 inch heels?

[shoemaniac]

I have quite a few pairs of high heels and some of them I can't even stand in let alone walk in. I have never been able to stand or wak in my 6 inch stilletoes until recently. Some months ago I aquired a knee injury at work and ever since i've been attending physiotherapy treatment and have discovered that I have tight hamstrings. When I have tried my 6 inch stilletoes before the physio I always had trouble straightening my legs and therefore could never stand or walk in them. Since I had the physio and done hamstring loosening exercises I have discovered I can now stand in them! So you guys and gals that have trouble standing in 6 inch heels need to do leg exercises that loosen your hamstrings.

[roniheels]

I don't wear 6" stiletto high heels that often. But when I do wear them for any length of time, I have noticed that my calves are a little sore after I've worn and walked around in them for a while. Most of the time I wear 5" stiletto high heels and you wouldn't think that extra inch would make a difference. At the end of the day after I have worn them, I do some stretching exercises for my calves and that does relieve some of the strain. But part of it is just getting used to wearing 6" high heels on a regular basis. But it sounds like your physical therapy is helping your situation. Good luck.

[jay jay]

Hi there I would love to try on and walk in a pair of 6" heels. What size do you wear I take a UK 8.

[roniheels]

Hi there I would love to try on and walk in a pair of 6" heels. What size do you wear I take a UK 8.

The pair of 6" stiletto high heels that fit me the best and I can walk in them without too much extra effort are US size 12 (ellies).

[jay jay]

The pair of 6" stiletto high heels that fit me the best and I can walk in them without too much extra effort are US size 12 (ellies).

I would love to try 6" heels, but the postage here to us is so high ans then we have to pay import tax as well so a pair that would have cost me say $40 there with postage and tax would come to $120. Too high.

[roniheels]

I would love to try 6" heels, but the postage here to us is so high ans then we have to pay import tax as well so a pair that would have cost me say $40 there with postage and tax would come to $120. Too high.

I don't blame you. That would be too much money just to try walking in 6" high heels.

[Heel-Lover]

Hi All, I flick this message out to clarify some points - I have a lot of knowledge and experience in this area and want to pass this on in the hope it may help others. I am going though some issues at present because I have been wearing very high heels for literally years now, and I am having troubles when walking in flat shoes. I can run in flat shoes but not walk as the muscles used and motion is different. What I have been advised by sports medicine specialists and physios is that shortening of the achilles tendon happens if you have been permanently wearing heels, the higher your heels the more the shortening. This shortening actually makes high heels easier to wear and flat shoes difficult. Similarly for the hamstring - and all connective tendons/ligaments in the area they can shorten from heel wearing, and they can tighten if you're very fit - and tightening obviously is a separate issue but has similar symptoms. Straightening your knees in heels is not to do with the tendons/ligaments/muscles on the back of your legs, its simply to do with your foot and ankle flexibility, nothing else. Shortened tendons do not affect you wearing higher heels than normal. The only way to increase the flex in your foot and ankle (and therefore wear higher heels) is by stretching, this happens over a very long period of time of deliberate stretching for flexibility - and it happens indirectly when you wear high heels, so the more you wear heels the more you get flexibility and strength to cope with wearing higher heels. Once you have the flexibility you now need to gain strength so that you don't get shaky ankles etc after a block or two, because thats exactly what happens if you're wearing heels that are too high... Probably explains why the more you wear high heels the higher they get, your neutral position sort of adjusts to the height - so to get the high heel feeling again you keep buying even higher heels. Or thats how I have found it anyway... Shoemaniac - I think you've benefited from general flexibility work at the Physio that has now meant you can stand in those heels, not sure how walking gos for you, but I would imagine if you haven't been wearing that heel height much then you'll tire from walking quite quickly, so if you practise getting around in them on short jaunts, or wear them whenever you have a lot of short walks to be done in a trip then your ability in them will grow quickly. Personally - I try and wear my highest heels at least once every two weeks, for varying times, sometimes all day, or maybe just for the evening so that I keep pushing my flexibility. My highest heels are always too high for me to able to walk more than 2-3 blocks in but aren't too high for me to able stand easily in... If you're going to wear heels you have to move well in them, you have to look at ease with them. (esp. if you're a guy!) regards Heel-Lover

[Walkonit]

Hi All,

What I have been advised by sports medicine specialists and physios is that shortening of the achilles tendon happens if you have been permanently wearing heels, the higher your heels the more the shortening. This shortening actually makes high heels easier to wear and flat shoes difficult.

Straightening your knees in heels is not to do with the tendons/ligaments/muscles on the back of your legs, its simply to do with your foot and ankle flexibility, nothing else. ....

Heel-Lover

Interesting information that agrees with my own experience. Unlike Heel-lover I do not wear heels for long periods of time. Usually my trips don't exceed an hour (a trip to a mall, a walk around town). I do quite a bit of sport so am reasonably flexible and have so far not experienced shortening of the achilles. I have however noticed a dramatic improvement in foot and ankle flexibility which is actually beneficial to my sport (a positve advantage of wearing heels). I've also noticed that after about 1 hour I actually start to ache in my achilles in a short section at the back of my ankles. I think this is because it is still long and gets compressed when wearing heels.

[roniheels]

I have however noticed a dramatic improvement in foot and ankle flexibility which is actually beneficial to my sport (a positve advantage of wearing heels).

I have noticed this for all of the years that I have worn high heels. When I wear "sports shoes" if I am working out or trying to do many tasks in a short period of time, I do notice that flexibility.

[Mike Hinch]

Well I guess that I do need to do some leg exercises because I am having difficulty walking in my six inch heels and even more so because the owner of the shop where I hang out hates high heels and skirts. At the moment my six inch heels are the only heels that I only wear in the house and that is going to get fixed soon. Part of my problem is when I have them on I feel like I am going to fall on my face. But am getting better with practice.

[love heels]

I have no problem wearing 6 inch heels let alone standing. It takes time for your feet and ankles to adjust to the new height. They are very comfortable.

[deeg20]

Like ugg says keep on trying. eventually it will be like your 5 inch heels. Wear them as much as possible.

[Mike Hinch]

Today at the Mall of Orange I acquired a pair of 5.5 inch heels. Black patten classic pump for about $18. While I was not really dressed for them as I had black leggings over the suntan pantihose but I wore them out of the store. The nice feature about these shoes is the curve at the front so I can rock forward rather than to step out of them. But still my six inch heels are a challenge. Also wanted to say that I still do not have Internet at the house so I will be slow to respond.

[Himark]

It all depends on what you mean when you talk about wearing 6 inch heels. I've worn up to 5 inch heels out and about, but I never ever wore my 6 inch heels out of the house because I knew that my walk was quite altered and not in a good way. I greatly admire women who walk gracefully and effortlessly in their high heels. My wife and I both agree that it is just painful to watch someone struggling along in heels that are too high for them. For me that's a total turnoff. The old Jenny's High Heel web site had an excellent rule to determine if your heels are too high. If you rise up on tip toes, you should be able to raise your heels at least a half inch off the ground. If you can't, you won't be able to take a normal step forward and place your foot on the ground without bending your knee, and if you have to walk with bent knees, you will look awkward. The fact is very, very few people can walk gracefully in 6 inch heels. It's all about flexibility in the ankle. Exercise can increase the flexibility and mobility to some extent, but we are all built differently. There is no need to feel badly if you can't walk in 6 inch heels. Some people can't even handle 5 inch heels, let alone 6. In my case, now that I am past 70 years of age, I find that my flexibility is decreasing, and even 5 inch heels are becoming more of a challenge. Now I won't go out in anything higher than 4 inches, and I am quite happy with that.

[mick18]

I have the same problem def gonna try the stretching exercises..

[Shafted]

It all depends on what you mean when you talk about wearing 6 inch heels. I've worn up to 5 inch heels out and about, but I never ever wore my 6 inch heels out of the house because I knew that my walk was quite altered and not in a good way.

Same here. I can kind of walk in 6 inch heels and as you say not in a good way. Anything from 3 to 5 inches out and about.

[Impala]

I've been wearing heels for 4 months now, but I think my ankles flexibility wouldn't allow me to wear even 5 inch heels. The shoes in my avatar are around 4 inches, and the highest heels I've ever worn. When wearing them, I can hardly lift my heels up an inch when wearing them, so if I'd ever try to wear a pair of 5 inch heels, I probably won't be able to stand or walk in them without bending my knees.

I am wondering how much I could possibly increase my ankle flexibility with exercise. This video shows an exercise that seems to work, see 2:30 in the video

If I'd do this every day, how much progress could I make? Would I once be able to bend my ankles in such a way that I'd be able to wear 5 inch heels? I really love the look of 5 and 6 inch heels, but I just know that I couldn't wear them if I tried them.

[pebblesf]

The one thing I have learned, which many have preached as well, is that boot/shoe fit and construction makes all the difference. Different brands/styles are NOT created equal. In other words, I might struggle to stand/walk in a particular brand or style of 5-6" heel, but can walk almost effortlessly in 5-6" heels from a different boot manufacturer....

I spend too much time wondering about these topics, and came up with an interesting "theory". It seems to me, that having large feet would actually make walking in higher heels "easier". Having longer feet would decrease the horizontal angle putting less stress/stretch on your feet, perhaps I am just "stating the obvious"!

[hhboots]

Yes, once you go beyond 5 inch heel non-platform, every 1/4 inch higher increases the angle significantly, so a 6 inch or higher gets very close to 90 degree incline. I only own a couple of pairs of 6" non-platforms and would say I can walk in them for about 5 minute intervals, but couldn't go a significant distance that I would even think of wearing them out of the house. I have noticed it is a little bit easier to do with boots, for me anyway, perhaps the extra support from boots helps out, and I think as pebblesf mentioned the quality of the shoe construction/design can make a difference as well.

[TIMMY]

Yes, once you go beyond 5 inch heel non-platform, every 1/4 inch higher increases the angle significantly, so a 6 inch or higher gets very close to 90 degree incline.

I only own a couple of pairs of 6" non-platforms and would say I can walk in them for about 5 minute intervals, but couldn't go a significant distance that I would even think of wearing them out of the house.

I have noticed it is a little bit easier to do with boots, for me anyway, perhaps the extra support from boots helps out, and I think as pebblesf mentioned the quality of the shoe construction/design can make a difference as well.

Yes hhboots you are so right about the 1/4 inch making the difference when the heel gets over 5" with out a platform, im speeking for my wife Pauline who wears a 5 inch heel but when she wears a 6inch heel her ability to walk and stand normaly in them is a lot harder but she can cope in that hight faily well.

[kashaze]

I've been wearing heels for 4 months now, but I think my ankles flexibility wouldn't allow me to wear even 5 inch heels. The shoes in my avatar are around 4 inches, and the highest heels I've ever worn. When wearing them, I can hardly lift my heels up an inch when wearing them, so if I'd ever try to wear a pair of 5 inch heels, I probably won't be able to stand or walk in them without bending my knees. I am wondering how much I could possibly increase my ankle flexibility with exercise. This video shows an exercise that seems to work, see 2:30 in the video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMjimVZFGN0 If I'd do this every day, how much progress could I make? Would I once be able to bend my ankles in such a way that I'd be able to wear 5 inch heels? I really love the look of 5 and 6 inch heels, but I just know that I couldn't wear them if I tried them.

 The stretch she shows at 2:30 is great. Instead of lifting up a knee I put a foam roller under my knees to provide extra lengthening. Then you can switch and put your knees on the ground and put the foam roller between your toes and the floor. The latter helps to increase ankle flexibility. 

[krazykev64]

I have walked 10 miles in a pair of 6'' platform stiletto's.  the elevation was around 4.25''.  muscle pains were not a problem.  the problem was blisters.  as already exercise is the answer.