Setback Heels

[jetheelsfan]

As Payless was in its last days, I purchased a pair of Christian Sirano pointed toe black pumps.  The heel is 4" but is also set at the back of the shoe. I have not had this type of heel.  I always kind of thought I have had a handle on being able to walk in heels for the last 50 years.  I kind of expected them to be similar to a block heel that sets at the back of the shoe.  Seem I was wrong.  The placement back farther has made the "normal" heel strike with a roll to the toe almost impossible.  Seems the setback heel was made to frustrate the accomplished walker.
I am wondering what others have found with this style of stiletto heel.

[Shyheels]

This very thing was mentioned in another post as something to be wary of

[p1ng74]

I only starting wearing heels recently and have only experienced the latest styles set all the way back:

Guess I just learned to work with it!

[RonC]

I do not have a problem with it either

[hiddenheels]

While I obviously noticed that some of my heels have the heel directly under my own heel, while others have the heel at the back of the shoe, I don't have a preference either way, have really comfy shoes of both types. 

[mlroseplant]

I am frankly surprised at the response so far, because I know there are a lot of people who are dead set against setback heels. I am in harmony with most of the replies so far, in that I don't mind setback heels. In theory, I agree with the notion that the heel ought to be underneath one's actual heel of his foot. However, in actual practice, I have been unable to correlate anything definitively between heel position and walkability. I have plenty of setback heels that are just fine to walk in. I will say, however, that setback heels create a unique hazard when walking down stairs. It is much easier to catch your setback heel on the stair you've just stepped off of, leading to an increased chance of serious injury or death. Or at the very least, severe embarrassment.

[Cali]

49 minutes ago, mlroseplant said:

I will say, however, that setback heels create a unique hazard when walking down stairs. It is much easier to catch your setback heel on the stair you've just stepped off of, leading to an increased chance of serious injury or death. Or at the very least, severe embarrassment.

I walk up and down several flights of stairs at work every day. Just hold on to the rail real tight and you will be alright. I have caught myself many of times.

[p1ng74]

While I don’t have exact experience with the traditional heel position, I do also wear my underslung heels a lot, which are positioned much further up, even in front of the heel:

The feeling of waking in these 3.5” heels is a bit different than a set back heel of the same height.  On one hand, it feels less restrictive, and there are no concerns about stairs and what not.  On the other hand, walking on slippery surfaces require extra caution because if the angle of attack as you set the heel down is too extreme, you end up sliding instead of stepping!

[JeffB]

I had thought about trying heels like those while Payless was still in business, however, I never pulled the trigger on a purchase after reading comments about the difficulty about walking in such shoes. I have no regrets about not buying them.

[AZShoeNut]

I personally prefer the styling of a more classic pump's heel.  I like for the heels to curve smoothly forward to the tip of the heel.  See pic of my Baker's shoes below - to me this style makes for the perfect stiletto.

But, this backward slung style heel seems to be in style and hard to find much other so I do have a few pairs.  I haven't noticed any additional challenge walking in them though.

[hiddenheels]

I've been thinking about this... Mixed feelings when reviewing my own shoes:

Where the heel is in the middle, they are easier to walk in. However, i prefer the look of heels when they are at the back of the shoe. To me it just gives a cleaner, sharper look.

Having said that, I have heels of both styles, and like both styles and find both can be comfortable...