Dream vs reality

[Pierre1961]

Today I decided to wear my Oxford 5" Cuban heels. 

My aim was to spend a shopping day in Paris in these shoes. They were partially hidden with a long boot cut jean,but still slightly noticeable and a little bit noisy.Thats was ok. Feeling good. No one cares. Or I didn't pay attention. But after one hour walking in the streets I felt exhausted. No ball pain. Only muscles. 

So i had to head back to the parking lot and make a change for a pair of flat shoes. Disappointment ! 

I can spend the whole day at home with 6 " inches. 

I already traveled in 5,5" Oxford stilettos style heels. No real problem except a heel breaking  

My questions are : 

are thin heels easier than block or cuban heels? It seems it is. Surprisingly! 

Are home walking,airport,plane traveling and city walking to be ranked  such different levels ?

sharing all experiences are welcome 

thank you 

Pierre 

 

[Pumped]

I have worn heels around the house all day. A few hours of shopping is killer in the same heels. Not sure if it is all the walking and standing. At home you walk a bit, sit a bit, plus you don't walk any great distance.

[Jkrenzer]

I've said it many times before and will again, stilettos are far easier than block heels for higher heels. Single point of contact. My legs always tire faster in block heeled shoes over 4 inches, 100% of the time.

[Cali]

Some of my block heels (4+") are very easy to walk in and I commonly wear them for 16 hours, walk and standing most of the time, even jog in some. Can't do all that in my stilettos.

[CHRISPAP]

Walking outdoors with heels has always been more difficult than walking in your house, because the ground is not flat, there are up and down, sidewalks, and there is a lot of irregularity (or pavement in Paris ), this must be the explanation for your fast muscle fatigue.

Then the heel is thin or wide the height remains the same so for me no impact, except a less important stability with a thin heel

[HappyinHeels]

I have found wedge heel sandals to be the most comfortable and reliable when spending time out shopping or just walking around. Type of pavement, condition of sidewalk, sewer grates, and the like all can have an effect on your adventures in heels. I have said before I find it useful to carry an extra set of heels in a handbag if I wanted to change into a different pair once arriving at the venue or to allow for a change if my mood changes. While we all revel in any time spent in public in heels it does nevertheless take some effort to plan for the variable conditions. I personally feel it is always worth the time and effort to do it.  HappyinHeels

[nzfreestyler]

It is a common misconception that wearing heels around home = wearing heels in normal everyday situations.

Wearing high heels out and about is much much harder than at home.

If your feet/ankles get tired then your shoes are absolutely too high for you. Reduce your heel heights until it is comfortable.

It took me years of high heel wearing around town to get to a 4 inch heel all day level ! Honestly I persevered and still am pushing my heights up a little.

It was wearing heels to work that pushed my height ability up much more quickly and over the years I am now happy in 5 inch heels all day if I desire.

Try wearing high heels everyday - all day - everywhere  for a week - and you realise that although you want to wear them its going to take time. I realised that and no kidding it took a long time to get the enjoyment point but you do get there as long as you work at it - and you've got to do the hours in heels to build strength, coordination and flexibility!

 

Ability in heels is the ability to wear them and subconsciously your muscles etc make the little balancing adjustments for you to stabalise your ankles etc... There should be no thinking about where you are standing - how you are moving, no thinking about what you are walking on because you should have instinctively avoided it or changed sides of the road etc...It is a form of conditioning - repeatedly doing it until it becomes second nature like an involuntary response. For instance I often nearly fall over from sliding on marble/terazo/glass floors - especially in the wet - but I never fall over anymore. I might look really stupid for 5 seconds while I am totally losing my balance but I always recover and just keep going. I can run concrete staircases and brick stairs in plazas etc without any handrails or care - I don't trip - I put it down to wearing heels all the time.

If you get fatigued or get any shakes etc then your heels are beyond your current ability and you need to keep wearing lower heels more regularly and higher heels a little to built flexibility. You will slowly become more adept in heels and will become stronger in the sense that your body acclimatises to the wearing of heels at a set height.

 

 

It doesn't matter what shoe style you wear - they are similar. The height factor is what does most of the physical fatigue.  The stiletto will always get my vote because it is lighter and firmer and I can feel the heel exactly under me and walking on varied surfaces is actually easier.

Point to note - I would say only wear heels on hard surfaces no matter what the style - and be prepared to take the long route if a pavement is not good etc...

 

[Pierre1961]

Thank you @nzfreestyler for your long answer and advices. 

I have no doubt you are an expert and admire you and your style even if I am not a "free styler" as you are 

Stilettos heels are also my preferate because of the look but also( probably same as you) I can feel the ground better. Stilettos allow to touch the ground the way I wish and give more freedom to my ankles. Block heels force the feet to be on the ground as the shoes are built. Maybe one more raison to explain a faster tiredness except the height itself. 

Cuban heels could be a compromise for the ones  who don't want to draw too much attention (?) 

So far i am perfectly at ease at home with 16 cm ( size 12 US,43/44 EU) 

i can stand on 17 cm but not really walk. So not interesting at all

14/15 cm in hotels or airports because the surfaces generally are easy 

12/13 cm in the street on different surfaces,stairs.....

i keep on training......

 

 

[nzfreestyler]

Hi Pierre1961,

 

a simple test for ankle flexibility for wearing high heels is this:

slip them on and stand on a hard surface floor without holding anything - just stand there. Next arch your foot and stand on your tippy toes without any hand hold support. You should be able to lift your heel up above where it sits your shoes by an inch. If you cannot clear a full inch of air-gap between your foot heel and the inside of your shoe then you should not wear the shoe due to lack of flexibility in your ankle.

This test means your ankles have the flexibility to arch futher as you walk. Each stride when walking heel - toe means the reach forward will require more flex than just standing - otherwise you cannot walk well in high heels.

As an extreme example I can walk for ages in 7 inch heels and then I get tired but - there is no way I walk gracefully - at 7 inches my forefoot is beyond vertical when standing - I cannot flex anymore so I have to use my knees to walk... and then I won't have a classy walk - I'll be walking like a duck - which a lot of people do in high heels - all because they are wearing heels that are too high for them. If I apply my stand on toes test - well I can't pass this test in 7 inches - I can't pass the test in 6 inch heels either, 5 inches is fine but only just. I can walk around, I can stand in heel higher than I can pass the test in - but I should not wear them because I'm not flexible enough for them.

Also the flexibility you will have in your feet is a large part determined by genetics, and also by gender - women have much much more flexible feet than men do - so it is easier for women to wear heels in this sense.We can all increase flexibility with stretching and training.

 

 

[Cali]

You can do exercises to help improve that flexibility.

Stand barefooted on an incline (no more than 30 degrees).

1. Try standing on your toes fora minute at a time. Balance without holding on to anything.

Once you are able to do this, then

2. Go to one foot. Be able to stand on you toes and balance.

3. Finally, Do 1 or 2 sets of following twice a day.

right. foot 30 seconds, left. 30 seconds, repeat 5 times.

Walk around on your tippy toes for 5 minutes, increase this.

 

I have had many ankle reconstructions and was well verse in this exercise. When I was forced (by injury) into high heels I had no problems adjusting to a 4 inch heel. I had my balance within seconds.

 

NZ is correct, walking around in the house in your high heels is completely different than spending the day in heels.  I put my heels on in the morning and don't take them off until I get home at night. Some days I wake-up and need my heels just to walk do the hallway. some morning barefooted. Sometimes when I get home I switch to my 4 inch mules, sometimes I go barefoot.

[Pumped]

I know you can stretch your muscles and tendons with exercise, but I believe at some point the body just hits a stop. Joints flex only so far. When I started out a 3" heel was a killer. I can do a bit over 4", maybe 4-1/2", but no way can I do 5". I have been doing exercises to get more range of motion but I wonder if I have hit the end. I have been stuck at this point for a few years.

[Pierre1961]

Thank you all for such interesting advices 

After having testing ,following NZ advices ,I am ok with 13 cm heels.not higher for outside walking .

As Cali I sometimes start the day with 15 cm clogs.( Carpet floor)Some days I need some minutes and a hot shower before. 

Cali: thank you for your stretching advices  I also suffer from the lower back,not as intense as you,and feel I nice relief with 4" heels  

 

 

[Gudulitooo]

Pierre,

Personnally, I don't find any style improvement beyond 4 inches. ( Without platform).

So I say there is no reason to tire your ankles for nothing.

Platforms may add another style to your bow, but they require a different training I suppose.

Best

[nzfreestyler]

The biggest thing about high heels is they must be enjoyable.

They look great - if you chose the shoe because you like the look of it - then wearing it should be comfortable and you should be happy with how it looks (or you wouldn't have bought it)

So I reckon enjoy the heels you have and as Gudulitoo said - there isn't really style improvement beyond 4 inches. I'd agree just a bit more height but the look is the same.

Just roll with what you can wear - and let things evolve. I found the more I wore heels the higher I could go. That wasn't the ultimate plan but thats what happens.

Wear and enjoy !

[pebblesf]

Can't wait to try the tip toe test in my stiletto boots...