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Ultra High Heel Walking Technique


Curt

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When wearing ultra high heels, or heels higher than you're used to: Is the walk more like a stomp with your whole leg, than a heel to toe with 2-3" heels. I just bought 4.5" pumps, and it is easier to walk with a stomp. I'm used to knee, and ankle boots with a lot more stable ankle support. Will it take a long time to walk in tall pumps easily?

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I watched a video on Youtube that showed how to walk in heels. After watching it walking in them became much easier. I don't look so stupid now. I have four 4" and one 5" pairs. The 5" can be challenging at times, especially going up or down steep driveways. All of mine are block heels, I would imagine stilettos are more difficult. I'm not going there, though (no experience with it).

Edited by blueparrot
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I'm sure that everyone would like to see a link to that video. Really though, stilettos are no more difficult. The difference is psychological really.

Shafted, the boots that is! View my gallery here http://www.hhplace.o...afteds-gallery/ or view my heeling thread here http://www.hhplace.org/topic/3850-new-pair-of-boots-starts-me-serious-street-heeling/ - Pm me if you want fashion advice or just need someone to talk to.

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I'm sure that everyone would like to see a link to that video. Really though, stilettos are no more difficult. The difference is psychological really.

I would agree with that with the exception of rough terrain and maybe gravel. Even a small shape block seems easier in these conditions. Small shape being about 3/4" to 1" heel print.

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I would agree with that with the exception of rough terrain and maybe gravel. Even a small shape block seems easier in these conditions. Small shape being about 3/4" to 1" heel print.

The thing is, it doesn't matter if it's a block heel or stiletto, the impact is still a point contact. And that by itself is the point of greatest instability. Once the sole is down a stiletto is very stable. If the surface is less that perfect the only real danger is the stiletto penetrating the walking surface. Learning to walk with the bulk of your weight on the balls of your feet can assist in walking on less that perfect surfaces.

Shafted, the boots that is! View my gallery here http://www.hhplace.o...afteds-gallery/ or view my heeling thread here http://www.hhplace.org/topic/3850-new-pair-of-boots-starts-me-serious-street-heeling/ - Pm me if you want fashion advice or just need someone to talk to.

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Short steps are a dead giveaway that the heels are to high for your current heeling level. Walking in heels should be as natural as walking in flats. Nothing says that you can't adapt to them with practice.

Shafted, the boots that is! View my gallery here http://www.hhplace.o...afteds-gallery/ or view my heeling thread here http://www.hhplace.org/topic/3850-new-pair-of-boots-starts-me-serious-street-heeling/ - Pm me if you want fashion advice or just need someone to talk to.

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When wearing ultra high heels, or heels higher than you're used to:

Is the walk more like a stomp with your whole leg, than a heel to toe with 2-3" heels.

I just bought 4.5" pumps, and it is easier to walk with a stomp. I'm used to knee, and ankle boots with a lot more stable ankle support.

Will it take a long time to walk in tall pumps easily?

If you are accustomed to walking in a moderate heel of say 3" and try to suddenly jump to a 4.5" you probably will look awkward and take time to get used to walking normally in them. Every half inch increment especially once you go past 4" makes a significant difference in the angle and proportionally increases pressure on the front of the foot. It might be easier to move up in height gradually or in stages, in other words try a height in between such as 4".

My heel limit for walking longer distance comfortably and taking natural strides is about 4 3/4" without a platform (and in a platform I can go higher if the incline remains the same). Recently, I've practiced quite a bit to be comfortable in a newer pair I have that is 6" heel with a 3/4" platform, so basically equal to a 5 1/4" non-platform heel. It is taking me a long time to get there, but I feel like I'm pretty close. I still get sore (ankles and feet) and my muscles strain after about 30 minutes in them and I don't know if I will ever get 100% comfortable in them, but I really love the shoes a lot, so I am willing to keep at it with the hope I can wear them out all day and look good in them.

I guess my advice is to be patient and keep at it.

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Short steps are a dead giveaway that the heels are to high for your current heeling level. Walking in heels should be as natural as walking in flats. Nothing says that you can't adapt to them with practice.

However don't forget that ultra high heels don't allow large steps as even the most flexible ankle joint cannot bend as far as you want to. Bending your ankles so that foot and leg is in one line is possible. For some ppl especially if they are ballet dancers even more is possible. maybe 10° more. but thats it. So when you wear 5"+ heels will be shorter than normally.
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However don't forget that ultra high heels don't allow large steps as even the most flexible ankle joint cannot bend as far as you want to. Bending your ankles so that foot and leg is in one line is possible. For some ppl especially if they are ballet dancers even more is possible. maybe 10° more. but thats it. So when you wear 5"+ heels will be shorter than normally.

Agreed, but in any case walking should still be natural but may be shortened. 4.5 inch should be quite easy to master with average feet without foreshortened steps.

Shafted, the boots that is! View my gallery here http://www.hhplace.o...afteds-gallery/ or view my heeling thread here http://www.hhplace.org/topic/3850-new-pair-of-boots-starts-me-serious-street-heeling/ - Pm me if you want fashion advice or just need someone to talk to.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Yes, A tall, at the limit heel is one where in a standing upright posture you can raise the heels a half inch or less.... with me that's about a 6-1/2 inch heel - with no platform. In these heels my "natural" stride is only about 20 inches - a good foot less than my stride in flats. Platform shoes are a little different in that your "Walk" change as you ca roll foward on the front of the platform.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Everyone has their own limits as to the equivalent heights they can naturally walk. Of course, practice and familiarity can make it possible to exceed ones ability to better understand their true limit. Sometime the design or construction of the high heeled shoes can assist or deter their foot and ankle action, which may seem to also change their height limit. I have some relatively lower heels that are harder to sustain a regular gait then when wearing some significantly higher heels, because of way they fit and what they support in the walking process. Platforms raise the over-all height of a person. However, platforms can't change the true maximum limit of the foot and ankle action angle a person can naturally walk in heels.

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  • 2 months later...

I can heel - toe walk very easily on 5,5 inch stiletto heels , no problem :pulsingheart: :pulsingheart: :pulsingheart: I find extremely high wedges are the easiest to learn on...Practice with them...They are lot more stable,but that's me.. Try the average trendy wedge on the market heel height 7 inch with a 2 inch platform seems to be the norm for our summer here...I should know ,just bought another 10 pairs of very high wedges :happy: :happy: :happy: :happy: :pulsingheart: :pulsingheart: :pulsingheart: :pulsingheart: ...

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 4 weeks later...

Shafted is right! Stilletos are no more difficult than chunkys. Just harder on cobblestones. Must be hard for you guys in the uk! My rule is that I lower the heel a bit when I'm walking all day, like shopping downtown which is almost every weeekend.

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  • 2 months later...
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