Limited Ankle And Toe Flexibility

[Impala]

Hi. I recently bought a higher pair of heels, 5 inches with a platform, so not yet in the "very high" heel category I suppose.

 

Apart from the issue that my ankles aren't really flexible enough to walk around comfortably, my toes also seem unable to bend enough to fit right in the shoes. When I stand or walk in the feet my toes immediately hurt, they are pushed more than they can handle.

 

I added a pic of the maximum I can bend my big toe and ankle, and I guess you will understand what I mean.

 

The big question: Can I increase the flexiblity of my toes in any way? I can't find much information about it on the internet.

 

I think in the 1 year that I've been wearing heels, my ankle flexibility has increased a very small bit, but it's still not sufficient to comfortably wear the heels I would love to wear  

 

I am now 18 and a half year old, I've pretty much stopped growing. Am I too late to really make a difference or can I still achieve a big difference through the right stretching?

 

Thanks.

[mlroseplant]

I had the same situation about 6 months ago. I bought a pair of 4 1/2 inch oxford heels, no platform. Yes, I see your toes are not bending far enough. Here is what I did. I wore my shoes about 15-30 minutes per day, every day, for a couple of weeks. I didn't really wear them outside, I just wore them around the house to do my normal activities. Can you believe that today, these shoes are very comfortable? I can walk 3 km in them very easily, with no pain. I am 46 years old. My advice is to just go little by little. Walk 0.5 km today, take a rest the next day. Walk 0.75 km the 3rd day, and so on. I bet you will master those heels before long!

[Rockpup]

From your other post you mentioned they are a bit tight, that can force your toes too far into the toe box, bending them more then they should. Also, 5" heels are not insignificant Might take a while before walking in that height of a heel is easy. Ask heel-lover.

[hhboots]

It looks like those shoes have about a 4" rise (discounting the ~1" platform).  Do you have any other heels with a slightly lower incline to practice with? Practicing with heels with a rise in the 3 - 3.5" range might be a good step to getting you up there. 

 

You can also try some exercises, where you try standing as long as you can on your tip-toes (barefoot), then repeat if you can. If you feel comfortable enough doing this, you can try taking a few steps around while in this position.  You can use a wall or something to help keep you from falling.  This would help build up strength, you can do this exercise a few times throughout the day.  Then to increase flexibility, you could do stretching exercises.  While sitting in a chair (again barefoot), put your feet to your sides so that your toes are only touching the floor, push your feet downward so that you are stretching the toes forward.  Sit in this position as long as possible, and try to push a little more each time and for longer periods, but don't overdo it.  Only do it to the point where it doesn't quite hurt, but you can feel it pushing your limits a little bit each time.  This could also be done while standing and putting one leg back behind you to achieve a similar stretch, but is far easier to do while sitting.

 

Just some suggestions    Good luck.

[trickrider1]

Flexibility is something that simply takes time to obtain.  Albeit some people or more naturally flexible then others.  About twenty years ago I became determined to be able to do full splits, both straddle and or with one leg in front and the other behind.  I worked at it for six months and attained that goal.  I can still do them with just the slightest amount of warming up.  I would suggest a bit at a time,  work both your plantarflexion which is when you point your foot out straight and dorsiflexion which is the opposite direction.  You can do a lot of this just sitting in a chair and pointing your feet as hard as you can stand it until your arches start to ache.  Dorsiflexion exercises can be done by placing your foot flat on the floor and leaning forward as far as possible while keeping the foot flat.  Taking your hand and rolling the foot all around is also valuable.  I've done a lot of gymnastics and have coached the sport with great emphasis on flexibility.  I'm also very familiar with what it takes to regain flexibility in helping my wife recovery from a severe ankle fracture.

[gibby]

my feet are about the same way the right foot my toes especially the big toe is capable of being at a good angle. My left foot my big toe especially only can come up about an inch on the bend. I reallize that years of favoring my right leg  when i have  been at work and squating down to get  food out of the refridgerators.  used all my right leg and pushing on the toes stretched out the flexibility of the toes So now I am favoring the left leg and toes to  get them to bend more.   I have some  (Bakers) heels that have an absurd angle and I cannot get my left foot in them comfortably because of the big toe try squats or push up on the feet as you walk and raise and lower the feet as you walk on the toes   (I am no doctor  just an opinion)   I am working on walking in 5 inch heels no platform puts pressure on the balls of my feet  but I think stretching is the answer Good Luck! My ankles are in good shape  (knock on wood)

[Eager2heel]

Not sure why that is but I have the same problem. What I have seen in the past is for some reason girls seem to have more flexability then guys do. I had a girl friend that never owned a pair of heels. But one day we stopped in a shoe store and I asked her to try on a pair heels. They were 4 inchs I think. I watched her slide them on and stand up with no problem at all. I can't even stand in the heel I have. They are also 4 inchs.

[Dr. Shoe]

It's in the tendons. men tend to have thicker tendons and so they are not so stretchy but tougher.

[Eager2heel]

After looking back over your first picture. Your able to point your foot much more then I can. When I see a women in high heels her foot is at the angle your foot is in on picture one that you posted. The line of the leg goes right along the foot with no curve. What part of your ancle is giving you the problem. My foot is not at a point like yours yet. I hope it will so I can at least stand in 4 inch heels.

[Shyheels]

There are quite a few stretches you can do for ankle and foot flexibility. One stretch for toes is to interlace your fingers between your toes and gently stretch them back. Another is to kneel with your toes on the floor and sit back on your heels. This stretches both your toes and the undersides if your feet.

I've probably not described either stretch adequately, but I am writing on an iPad and so not inclined to write much...