Fredericks Catalogue - 5In Heels 1960's

[higherheels]

Interesting, maybe your calves were almost too strong, but not flexible enough. I'm hiking a lot and feel like the required strength and flexibility from wearing heels also helps there and vice versa.

[Shyheels]

I’ve done lots of running, cycling and fencing in my time - so my calves are strong and flexible. I think the difference is that wearing heels is an isometric exercise instead of an isotonic one like, say, doing toe raises at the gym. My calves were not used to being flexed and then held in this one tippy-toe position for extended periods of time.  And when they were asked to do so they cramped up after a few minutes until I gradually got used to it.

i know what you mean though about how wearing heels can help with strength and flexibility for hiking, and vice versa. I sometimes think that if more guys knew how good a workout you can get from an hour in stilettos, there would be a rack of them at the gym!

[higherheels]

Ah, that makes sense. I probably didn't have this issue because I first started wearing heels and then hiking.

They're definitely a good workout.

I saw many times while hiking that others bent or almost bent their ankle, that never happened to me. I blame it on my ankles being strong enough from stilettos 🙂

[Shyheels]

There are definitely benefits to wearing stilettos - balance, muscle tone, posture, strong ankles 

It ought to be better known!

[mlroseplant]

It's interesting how everybody has a different experience doing more or less the same thing. I really don't ever remember having trouble with my calves over the years. I can feel it even today if I take a rather long walk in 100 mm or better, but it is not really something I would call pain. They just feel tired, same as you would after doing anything physical. What still gets me if I overdo it, such as wearing 110+ mm for 6 hours, is arch cramping. It doesn't necessarily happen when I am wearing the shoes, but rather an hour or two after I take them off.

[Shyheels]

I wonder if it was because my calves were unusually strong as @higherheels originally suggested - I’ve always done a lot of sports that require strong calves, to the point where if I was going to the gym I would have a hard time finding an exercise that would really work my calves - until I tried wearing 12cm stilettos! The 10cm would do it a bit but the 12cm heels were the killers. I suspect it was the combination of strong calf muscles and the unaccustomed isometric exercise of wearing lofty stiletto heels that was the cause.

i seldom wear my 12cm heels much as i like the appearance. I’ve never developed the skill to wear them gracefully and so I always opt for other boots. I should make a concerted effort - although I expect at the start I’d experience those savage cramps again

Edited 2 hours ago by Shyheels