11 ways to successfully and painlessly survive being in high heels for the entire day
Choosing the right pair of heels is like a game of cards, you tend to make some bad decisions to get to the perfect win. The perfect, pointy pair of 4-inch heels can do wonders for any outfit, but with this style comes much suffering. However, this has barely stopped women from wearing them. Women suffer from terrible discomfort especially when they have to wear their heels for the whole day. Of course, getting through a day successfully with no injuries does require some effort and it helps to know a few tricks.
These are 11 hacks to help you survive in high heels the whole day:
1) Wet your socks in hot water to help break the heels in
Wet your cotton socks with warm water and wear them before you attempt to break your heels in. The heels will possibly stretch out and won't cause you any discomfort.
2) Use of double-sided tape
Stick the bottom of your foot to the sole your heels using double sided tape and this will help you to keep shoes on your feet without moving forward. This method will help to prevent blisters or any sort of friction cuts.
3) The magic of using special high heel 'insoles'
These are specifically designed for insoles and are made of silicone and fabric. These tiny but effective socks will prevent your feet from moving forward or shuffling in the heels and will reduce pain and blisters. You can also go with a silicone option if you are wearing open-toes. Silicone pads are not seen under your feet but help to provide protection.
4) Put your high heels into the freezer
As strange as this sounds, place your heels in the freezer for around half an hour. When you put your cold pair of heels on, the material will take the shape of your warm feet and will make breaking into a new pair of heels easier. You can also place a bag of water inside your heels and then place them in the freezer. The frozen water will also help to stretch your shoes a bit.
5) Baby powder
This is a very effective method when it comes to preventing rubbing and blisters caused by new or tight heels. Rubbing some baby powder on your feet, will prevent sweating and hence reduce the possibility of the painful friction cuts.
6) Hydrating creams and lotions
This is one of the oldest tricks in the book and probably one of the easiest. Slather on some hydrating cream or lotion on your feet before you put on your heels. This will help prevent, blisters and rubbing, especially if your heels are new or tight.
7) Do not take them off mid-day
Once you are wearing your heels and you are already out, you should make it a point to not remove your heels at all. No matter how much pain you are in, keep them on! Taking the heels off mid-day is a bad idea as your feet will most likely swell up and then cause you more pain than before. So, even if that one-minute relief and break sounds tempting, don't do it.
8) Break in your heels at home and have a practice session
When you buy a new pair of heels, make sure that you wear them first for a few time inside your house. This will definitely help the shoe to open up and will help to break the new heels in. This way you will be able to get used to your new shoes and could help the shoe to loosen up and stretch a bit. At least a week before you put them on to go out, make sure to do your practice sessions.
9) Using deodorant
The first areas of your feet to get blisters or friction cuts are the heels of your feet. In order to avoid chafing and the discomfort, all you need to do is apply some roll-on deodorant on the areas of friction before you put the shoe on.
10) Choosing the right heel
This is very important and despite what your eyes want, make sure your feet are comfortable and the shoe fits. Some types of heels are better suited to certain kinds of feet shapes and sizes. If you are one of those who have not tried to wear these types of shoes before, do not rush into buying a pair of extreme heels. No matter what the shoe does for your outfit, your comfort and in this case balance comes first.
11) Make sure to carry an emergency medical kit
If you unsure about the fit of your heels but you have to wear them urgently, make sure to carry an emergency medical kit with some bandages as well as products to treat blisters and friction cuts. Even if you don't need think you need it, you will be grateful for it in case your heels give you any sort of discomfort. Sometimes, even good fitting heels can cause discomfort the first few times you wear it and in order to survive it, you will need your emergency medical kit.