Foot Doctors, Associations and Others

Foot Doctors, Associations and Others

The information contained in all of these links do not necessarily represent my view on high heels. However, we should give the doctors the benefit of the doubt and consider their views. It is apparent to me that while some of the doctors are realistic and reasonable, others are very biased or one-sided.

Some doctors seem to base their opinions only on their patients or people who have suffered serious problems while wearing high heels. They seem to ignore all of the people who have worn high heels without ever developing any serious problem.

Think about actress/singer Dolly Parton (now 61, born January 19, 1946), who has worn 5-inch high heels all her adult life in the public eye (i.e., in her movies, concerts and other public appearances). Note that Dolly Parton said "I'm only like 5-1, 5-2 if I'm standing up straight on a good day. But I wear my five-inch heels, and I'm a tiny little person with tiny little bones and these big old boobs hanging on there." (on Larry King Live - July 3, 2003) Then, Dolly Parton said in an interview " I wear my high heels all the time because I'm short. Even my house shoes have heels because I can't reach my cabinets." (in Reader's Digest magazine - January 2006)

Also, think about singer Tina Turner (now 67, born November 26, 1939), who always performed and danced in high heels. Tina Turner sang "Open Arms" and danced in high heels on the Early Show (CBS) on February 8, 2005, when she was 65 years old.

What the foot doctors say about high heels is similar to what medical doctors say about drinking alcoholic beverages. Alcohol can cause cirrhosis or destroy the liver.

However, hundreds of millions of people drink wine, beer, whisky and other alcoholic beverages and do not end up with any significant liver damage. Also, some people can tolerate alcohol better than others.

The situation is similar with high heels. SOME PEOPLE CAN TOLERATE WEARING HIGH HEEL FOOTWEAR BETTER THAN OTHERS.

With that in mind, I want to (once again) CAUTION everyone to the fact that WEARING HIGH HEEL FOOTWEAR CAN BE DANGEROUS TO YOUR HEALTH. It is a fact that foot doctors treat many feet and feet-related problems due to wearing high heel shoes and boots. The average podiatrist would see a dramatic decline (up to 80% in some locations) in his/her business, if there was no high heel footwear.

However, I believe that people will continue to wear high heel footwear regardless of any advice given by doctors to not do so. History shows that to be the case over the past 50+ years.

Furthermore, it is a fact (or at least, a very clear observation) that most problems related to wearing high heel footwear can be avoided or minimized with greater knowledge and care in selecting and wearing such footwear. For example, high heel shoes and boots should always fit properly in terms of lenght, width and toe box. They should never be any tight spot nor any pain.

For another example, all high heel shoes are not the same. Most high heel wearers usually find one particular style of high heel footwear to be more comfortable than others. A person who has trouble walking in a pair of 3-inch high stiletto heels with pointed toe boxes for a short distance may be able to walk well in a pair of 4-inch high wedge heels with bigger toe boxes and even use them for her normal everyday shoes.

For one more example, the amount of time a particular pair of high heel shoes is worn can be important. Wearing them up to a certain period of time (like 3 hours) may be fine, but wearing them any longer can result in a serious problem.

Anyone who chooses to wear high heel shoes should always pay close attention to the sensations or feelings in the feet and legs. Any pain is a signal to take the high heel shoes off.

Organizations:

American Association of Women Podiatrists, Inc. - High Heels - High Fashion That Can Hurt Your Feet

American Chiropractic Association - Today's Fashion Can Be Tomorrow's Pain

American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) - Smart Tips for Wearing High Heels

American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons - Shoes

American Podiatric Medicine Association - Footwear

Society of Chiropodists & Podiatrists (England) - High Heels - General information

Society of Chiropodists & Podiatrists (England) - Feet trip over high fashion

Society of Chiropodists & Podiatrists (England) - Killer Heels: A Survival Guide

Other:

The Pitfalls of High Heels by Robert Rickover

Also, check my News web pages.

This page was added on June 20, 2007.
Comment? Send email to: jjleganeur@yahoo.com