Once a connoisseur female beauty the great Pushkin lamented that in Russia it is difficult to find “three pairs of slender female legs...».
Perhaps it was because women’s legs in those days were hidden by wide crinolines, or perhaps there were no such amazing thin-heeled shoes with exquisite toes :) What do you think about these lines by Pushkin from “Eugene Onegin”:?
I love mad youth
And tightness, and shine, and joy,
And I’ll give you a thoughtful outfit;
I love their legs; but it's unlikely
You will find in Russia a whole
Three pairs of slender female legs.
Oh! I couldn't forget for a long time
Two legs...
History of the heel
Much has changed since those long ago days, and if a poet appeared now, he would be amazed by the unique beauty of both women’s legs and shoes!
The history of the invention of high heels is quite confusing. There is an assumption that Leonardo da Vinci first depicted a heel in his drawings, but then this project did not find its application in life.
Then the French - Roger Vivier and Raimone Massaro, and the Italian - Salvatore Ferragamo introduced the heel, and the American orthopedist T. Rose made his own improvements in fastening the heel.
The advent of high-heeled shoes changed everything women's fashion: from now on, shoes are no longer just an item of footwear, but have become a means of demonstrating beauty female legs. Throughout its history, the height of the heel, its shape, and its various transformations into platforms and wedges have changed, but the love for “heeled” shoes does not go away and is unlikely to ever go away.
A heel is beauty and grace, flight and aspiration, grace and sexuality!
But let's look at how this seemingly harmless attribute women's wardrobe affects our health.
The benefits of high heels
The advantages of shoes with heels Perhaps the following facts can be attributed:
- Walking in heels strengthens the calf muscles. And only if you walk in such shoes for no more than 2-3 hours a day. Although the exact harmless time of wearing high heels specialists - orthopedists and phlebologists have not yet named. Yes, and here they are important individual characteristics every organism.
- They also save from flat feet, most likely this disease led to the introduction of heels into shoes. But of course, the prevention of flat feet is facilitated by a low, no more than 5 cm, and wide enough heel, comfortable for walking, so that the woman in the shoes does not experience discomfort.
- Well, perhaps we can also add that heels give lightness, elegance, and swiftness to the gait. A certain romanticism of tapping on the asphalt complements the image with uniqueness and elegance. A woman’s self-esteem increases, her mood rises, all her vital functions are optimized, and so on :-).
It is important to say here that complete absence of heels, that is, shoes like Czech shoes, ballet shoes, slates cannot be used in a sock always, wearing them constantly promotes the development of flat feet. This fact is especially important for children's and teenage shoes.
Recently they have become popular slip-ons: sneakers without laces with thick rubber soles.
Like sneakers They are light, comfortable, and almost never cause any strain on the feet, which encourages even grandmothers to wear such shoes. Of course that's true, but rubber sole These shoes do not have a heel, which is fraught with the development of flat feet and the legs do not breathe in them, there is practically no ventilation, which leads to the feet sweating excessively and fungus may develop.
High heels are harmful to health
There are many more disadvantages of high-heeled shoes:
- Women who abuse high heels have varicose veins in their legs.
- Legs in high shoes they swell faster, go numb especially in the ankle, tension is created on the forefoot, it turns out that the woman walks as if on her “toes.”
- Due to prolonged walking in high heels, the tendons of the legs “shrink”, becoming less pliable and flexible. When changing shoes, pain occurs as if from a sprain.
- Shoes where the heel is perpendicular and does not have a bevel towards the middle of the sole are considered incorrect.
- The toes, especially in the case of narrow and even tight shoes, are under tension, which slows down blood flow and leads to valgus deformation of the joints thumb, to the appearance of a growth, the so-called “bone”. It is very difficult to get rid of such a gift on your toe. By the way, the advertised so-called silicone corrector - an insert between the fingers from the bone - is effective only in combination with other methods of healing.
- When walking in heels, a woman, while maintaining balance, is forced to tilt the back of her body back, strongly arching in the lower back. This can lead to bending of the uterus and sticking of the ovaries to the walls of the pelvis.
- When walking for a long time in stiletto heels, the intestines shift downwards and blood circulation is impaired.
The harm of high heels for young people
Heels with a height of more than 8 cm are especially harmful. And especially for young girls, every centimeter of its height increases the load on the spine by 8-10 kg.
It is known that the skeleton is formed in at a young age up to 20 years, so it’s very easy to spoil it, but it won’t be possible to straighten it quickly. Because the shoes are like Louboutins - high shoes with red soles and an incredible arch of the foot , (the designer of the model is French Christian Louboutin), despite the super-popularity and sophistication of the form, no matter how beautiful and tempting they are - this is the path to deformation and curvature of the foot.
Who are contraindicated in high heels?
- Dear ladies suffering from arthritis and having hallux valgus, that is, a large bunion.
- To those suffering varicose veins legs, vascular diseases, you should stop wearing high-heeled shoes.
- Pregnant women should temporarily avoid this.
When you can wear high heels
Of course, no one is urging women to completely abandon high-heeled shoes, but it is important to observe the duration of walking in such shoes. It is clear that it is difficult to do without heels during special occasions. But you should not wear such shoes constantly, throughout the day, and at the first opportunity, it is important to change them to light ones with or without a small heel.
It is believed that high heels first appeared on women's riding boots to prevent the foot from falling into the stirrup. And in the early 50s, Italian fashion designer Salvatore Ferragamo invented something that still causes trembling and desire to possess in both men and women: he proposed a long steel stiletto rod as a support for the heel. Women wish to have beautiful shoes in stiletto heels, and men - to possess a woman in stiletto heels.
It’s hard to imagine a modern woman without high-heeled shoes. Heels are the same attribute of a woman as stylish makeup, a bag or an office suit. A woman in high heels attracts everyone's attention, men curl their necks, following the woman in high heels with their eyes. What is so attractive about these shoes?
The main advantage is a visual increase in height due to the “increase” in the length of the legs. Even the smallest woman looks taller in heels, her legs appear longer and slimmer and attract male attention. A high heel “takes off” several kilograms - a woman looks slimmer.
Wearing high-heeled shoes changes your gait. It is impossible to look like a fat woman, tortured by life, if you are wearing luxurious high-heeled shoes. The back straightens by itself, the neck stretches upward, the head position becomes proud, royal! And the gait... Secretary Verochka spoke about this from the famous film “ Love affair at work": "Gait is free, from the hip."
But this is not all the advantages of high-heeled shoes! Recent studies by Italian scientists have revealed the ability of high heels to give women a feeling of happiness - in a woman wearing heels, the amount of “happiness hormones” - endorphins - increases sharply in the blood.
In enlightened Europe, “heel” therapy has long been used as a remedy for stress. At special training courses for women of different ages They teach you how to walk in heels correctly, correct your posture, and make you feel like real temptresses. The courses are considered a successful means of combating depression: how could a queen with divine legs become depressed!
Paying for beauty
High heels visually lengthen the legs, optically increase height, and make female figure slimmer, sexier and visually reduces the size of the foot. But for such chic advantages of high-heeled shoes, their owners have to pay. There are no miracles: you have to pay for everything, including walking in high heels. Constantly wearing high-heeled shoes is unsafe for women's health.
It is estimated that every two centimeters of heel increases the pressure on the toes by about a quarter, which may result in the development of various diseases legs vascular, bone, muscle.
When walking barefoot, the body weight is evenly distributed over the entire foot, providing the most physiological “use” of the foot. When walking in high heels, the body weight shifts to the forefoot - this can cause the development of transverse flatfoot. Against the background of transverse flatfoot, the big toe may become bent and so-called “bumps” may appear. And with such a “foot design”, any shoes other than orthopedic ones are contraindicated. And - goodbye, sexy stud! By the way, flat feet are ten times more common in women than in men. There is no doubt that these statistics are the price to pay for the love of high heels.
In addition, due to walking in high heels, the center of gravity of the body shifts forward, and the back, according to all the laws of maintaining balance, goes back. This does not go unnoticed by the spine: the vertebrae and pelvic bones are displaced, the physiological curve of the back is disrupted, and they react to this internal organs displacement. But this already threatens serious health problems, primarily with the pelvic and digestive organs. Curvature of the spine and osteochondrosis may occur.
Walking in high heels is dangerous. A shift in the center of gravity and increased load on the front arch of the foot makes walking a risky activity. Falls of women wearing high heels are not uncommon, especially in winter when there is ice. And this is not only unsightly bruises on the legs, but a serious risk of fractures. It has been noticed that women who prefer high-heeled shoes are more likely to suffer from cramps in the calf muscles - constant tension makes itself felt.
Recently, a medical theory has been put forward that wearing high-heeled shoes can cause frigidity. The theory is not unfounded - high-heeled shoes reduce the free access of blood to the pelvic area, and this disrupts natural processes, including female ones.
Safety pin
Everything described above is a serious request to completely abandon wearing stilettos in favor of comfortable, physiological shoes. The most dangerous shoes are those with high thin stiletto heels. The thinner and taller, the higher the health risk. And “healthy” and safe for feet are shoes with medium heels - 4 cm.
But how many women are ready to give up beauty for the sake of medical indications? Surely we can say that the majority are ready to risk their health just to stay at the height of the stiletto. Meanwhile, you can avoid putting your health at risk and minimize the harm from high heels if you follow simple rules.
Purchase rules
Plan your shoe shopping for the afternoon. After lunch, towards evening, the legs swell and increase in size. Shoes bought in the morning may turn out to be too small by evening. Be sure to walk around the store a little in new shoes - when we sit, the length of the foot decreases by about 1 cm. Shoes that have not been tested by walking can present an unpleasant surprise later.
Fitting rules
Shoes with heels should be comfortable from the first try on. When purchasing, you cannot count on the fact that the shoes will “break apart” or “feel on your feet” over time. If it doesn’t “go to bed” right away, then you need to refuse the purchase. There are a lot of beautiful high-heeled shoes, but only two feet for a lifetime.
When trying on, you need to pay attention to the tight fit of the entire surface of the foot, including the arch, to the insole. The gap between the arch support and the arch of the foot is unacceptable, otherwise the load on the arch of the foot will increase. You need to try on shoes while standing on a hard surface - store-bought fleecy rugs will not allow you to objectively evaluate the comfort of the shoes and will muffle the sensations.
You need to try on shoes the way you intend to wear them - with or without tights. The undercarriage of the shoe is of great importance for safety: now it is successful to use rubber and thermopolyurethane in the leather sole to reduce slipping on the surface. Such shoes usually indicate the use of special anti-stress materials.
Recess Rules
It is advisable to change shoes several times a day, if possible. Alternate high-heeled shoes with flats. If you wear heels in the office, it's easy to have a couple of shoes with different heel heights. Your legs will thank you for the “workout” you received and will not get tired.
Rules of care
Take care of your legs, which are in serious danger for the sake of your ideas of beauty. Give your feet a relaxing and soothing treatment in the evening. Make a foot bath in warm water and massage. This will improve blood circulation and relieve fatigue. You can buy a special foot massager or hydromassage. The last device is a basin with a motor that creates different modes of water vibration due to vibration. If added to water various oils, then the effect will be more pronounced and the pleasure will be maximum. Ten minutes in such a “basin” will give your overworked legs pampering and rest.
Common sense rules
Beauty, of course, requires sacrifice. However, not fatal. If you have a predisposition to arthritis, varicose veins and other leg diseases, especially if you already have problems with the health of your legs, then you should completely avoid high heels. It's better to be the owner not luxurious long legs, and luxuriously healthy for many years!
Berestova Svetlana
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Maybe we should blame the heroines of Sex in big city"or Hollywood, which tirelessly promotes wearing stiletto heels. But no matter how harmful high heels are, they still remain popular.
It is generally accepted that a heel is high if it exceeds a normal heel by about five centimeters. However, recently extreme heel heights have been in fashion, which appeared, for example, in the Alexander McQueen catwalk. Having proclaimed the fashion for 15 cm high heels, in the UK after some time they recorded a 35% increase in sales of high-heeled shoes.
Benefits of heels
Listening to the advice of experts who talk about the dangers of high heels for health, women believe that they are being persuaded to completely abandon such shoes. But that's not true.
Of course, no other shoes can make an image as seductive and feminine as heels. In Italy, a study was conducted among women under 50 years of age, in which 66 representatives of the fair sex participated, wearing heels of 7 centimeters. Experts from the University of Verona found that wearing heels allowed them to strengthen their pelvic muscles.
Disadvantages of high heels
Unfortunately, legs are almost always the victims of this fashion. Over time, walking in heels limits the foot's ability to flex and properly absorb the shock of a step. At the same time, the load on the knees and hip joint increases, and the risk of arthritis arises.
Over time, the situation, if not changed, will only get worse. And soft tissue injuries, calluses, corns - this is just the tip of this iceberg, not the most serious and dangerous. Wearing high-heeled shoes can cause pain in the knees, hips, and back, leading to osteoarthritis. If women wore such shoes for a long time, then when switching to more comfortable models with low heels 
or flat soles, they still feel pain.
Australian response
Three researchers from an Australian university's musculoskeletal research program were just drinking coffee one day when they noticed a woman walking past in high heels. They subsequently wrote in their research paper that she did not look very well, clearly feeling uncomfortable.
But their sympathy for this particular woman was short-lived and it quickly gave way to serious work, which began for scientific reasons. And this is not surprising, because experts examined the biomechanics of walking in detail. According to them, from that very moment they began to think about the consequences of walking in high heels for muscles and tendons. Because despite the fact that millions of women around the world wear heels every day, this topic has previously received very little attention from researchers.
The Australian team approached nineteen young women, including teenagers and those in their early thirties. Nine of them wore high heels about forty hours a week for at least two years, while ten others (the control group) did so very rarely, some not wearing this type of shoe at all.
Heel wearers had to bring their favorite pairs to the laboratory, where scientists used instruments to measure the muscle activity of their feet. Each member of the control group walked barefoot ten times, about eight meters long, and at each step the indicators were taken with measuring instruments. Women who wore heels regularly walked ten times barefoot and the same number of times in the shoes they brought with them.
Result: even barefoot women who are used to walking in heels 
, go wrong, as do those who wear them rarely. The scientists' findings, published in the Journal of Applied Physiology, claim that those who wear high heels not only take fewer steps than the control group, but also expend more effort per step.
In addition, the load is always on the forefoot, even when walking barefoot, and the scientists found that the muscle fibers in their calves were somewhat shortened. Members of the control group used tendons, including the Achilles tendon, to walk, while heel adherents relied more on muscles. However, the role of tendons in walking is very important because they provide energy.
Those who wear heels regularly get tired much faster and have a higher risk of injury, especially when suddenly switching from stiletto heels to sports shoes or other flat-soled models.
For a person who wears mostly heels, the position of the foot adapts to this type of shoe and is set this way “by default” for joints and other structures. And any change in this parameter increases the risk of injury. In the Australian study, the women were relatively young, suggesting that adaptation occurs quite quickly.
If there are aesthetic considerations in our minds related to this topic, for example, beauty, sexuality, then experts advise women in any case to observe moderation in wearing heels, limiting it to one or two times a week. If this is too difficult for most women who are addicted to heels, they are advised to remove the shoes whenever possible for a while, taking breaks from wearing them. This can be done, for example, while sitting in the office.
Each heel height has its own advantages and disadvantages that women should be aware of.
Up to 2.5 centimeters
Benefits: These heels are very comfortable and less likely to hurt your foot than higher heels.
Disadvantages: they usually do not support the elevation of the leg and in order not to lose such shoes when walking, you have to strain and stretch it, especially if the sole is flat.
4-5 centimeters
Benefits: They develop the calf muscles, stretch the leg and make walking very comfortable.
Disadvantages: They can cause various problems such as calluses, back pain 
. These shoes do not look as luxurious as those with high heels.
6-10 centimeters
Benefits: develop the calf muscles and retract the leg, making it and the silhouette slimmer.
Disadvantages: they are less uncomfortable than the previous ones, it becomes difficult to walk, and you may have problems with your legs. Among them: a protrusion of the “bone” on the side of the foot, back pain.
More than 10 centimeters – extreme height
Advantages: they develop the calf muscles, perfectly stretch the leg, transform the body shape, improve posture, tighten the stomach and buttocks.
Disadvantages: very strong pressure is exerted both on the legs themselves, in particular the feet, and on the spine. The load becomes equivalent to seven times the body weight. Naturally, this can lead to multiple abnormalities in the body, including pain in the legs and back, and worsening problems with the musculoskeletal system. These types of heels cannot be worn regularly.
It is believed that the heel first appeared on riding boots to prevent the foot from falling into the stirrup. In 1950, Italian fashion designer Salvatore Ferragamo invented the famous stiletto heel: he proposed a long steel stiletto rod as a support for the heel.
High heels give the legs a femininity, the legs visually appear longer, the figure is slimmer, sexier and the foot visually looks smaller and more graceful. Men are more likely to pay attention to our legs if we are wearing heels. But at what price do we get all this?
To find out whether high heels are harmful to health, you need to try for a while to discard all the additional meanings of such shoes, all subjective sensations, and look at them from a purely functional point of view.
The effect of high-heeled shoes on the feet
Transverse flatfoot. Please note that every 2 cm of height of your heel increases the pressure on your toes by approximately 25%, as a result of which various foot diseases develop. When we walk barefoot, our weight is distributed evenly across our feet. When we put on high-heeled shoes, the heel rises and the weight shifts to the forefoot, “thanks to” which creates ideal conditions for the development of transverse flatfoot. By the way, flat feet are ten times more common in women than in men. It is extremely difficult to treat flat feet even in children, and almost impossible in adults. And all because of our addiction to high heels.
Bunion– bone growths that appear around the base of the big toe and cause it to bend towards the other fingers, which can cause pain.
Calluses is a thickening of an area of skin that usually appears after prolonged rubbing. Over time, calluses can cause pain and often appear along with bunions.
Hammer finger– this condition occurs when the end of the toe, often the second, bends downwards due to wearing tight and uncomfortable shoes, which leads to deformation. This condition can only be corrected with medical devices or surgery.
Morton's neuroma- This is damage to the nerves in the metatarsal area, which leads to tissue thickening, and then to pain and numbness. Often, to relieve symptoms, it is necessary to resort to surgery and remove part of the tissue.
Cone: The technical name for this condition is Haglund's deformity. This is a bony growth on the heel that occurs as a result of constant friction and pressure from the hard heel and straps of high-heeled shoes. The only way to cure this condition is through surgery, which removes excess bone tissue.
Metatarsalgia is a painful inflammation of the metatarsal heads of the foot as a result of constant pressure on the metatarsal bones, which are located between the toes and the instep of the foot.
Wearing high-heeled shoes increases the risk of ankle injuries because it affects balance: the higher the platform or heel, the higher the risk.
Short women with short legs and small feet find it much more difficult to walk. When they walk in high heels, their gait changes greatly, unlike when they wear flat heels, because thanks to the heels, their height increases significantly, and therefore they have to balance, which often leads to the risk of falls , and consequently to deformation, sprains and ankle fractures.
The effect of high-heeled shoes on feet and knees
Wearing high-heeled shoes affects your feet and knees. Of course, high-heeled shoes visually lengthen your legs and improve their shape, but they can also provoke the appearance of some serious problems that make it difficult to walk, even if you wear flat-heeled shoes.
Achilles tendon: wearing high-heeled shoes causes a significant contraction of the Achilles tendon, which after a relatively short period of time can cause serious problems with walking, since this tendon is responsible for shock absorption of the foot; This function is taken over by the lower leg muscles, which can lead to injury.
Calf muscles: As with the Achilles tendon, wearing high-heeled shoes causes the soleus and gastrocnemius muscles to contract. Over time, this can lead to stiffness in the calf muscles, causing pain when wearing high-heeled shoes.
Knees: High heels significantly increase pressure on the knees, especially on the inside of them, which is where osteoarthritis most often develops in women. One study found that the pressure on the knee joint increased by 26%, which is significant considering the forces the knee joint is already subject to.
The effect of high-heeled shoes on the hips and spine
Wearing high-heeled shoes changes the mechanics of the entire body, resulting in more of the body needing to be balanced somehow in order to avoid falling. Although you may look good, this state of altered body mechanics can cause deformities in the hips and spine.
High heels cause the pelvis to protrude forward, increasing the lumbar curve and causing the buttocks to protrude. This can create significant pressure on the lumbar region, which can lead to spinal problems in the future. The hips also suffer, because the calf muscles do not work as efficiently when wearing high-heeled shoes as without them, and therefore the thigh muscles take on some of the load. Over time, this can cause damage to the small muscles around the hip joints that control normal gait.
“Heel addiction” is not a fiction
Many women, accustomed to high heels, complain that they can no longer live without them. And this is not a whim. When walking, the heel tendon should stretch. And on heels it is constantly raised and fixed. Over time, the heel tendon becomes stiff, loses elasticity, and the foot cannot fully move. Therefore, it becomes difficult for a woman to walk on flat soles.
How to help our feet
I understand perfectly well that convincing fashionistas and heel lovers to give up their favorite shoes is a hopeless task, so I won’t even try to do it. I'll just try to make their plight easier and give them a few useful tips that will help our feet stay healthy and beautiful.
Doctors do not recommend removing your heels completely. Our feet are not adapted to completely flat soles, so a small heel 1.5–3 centimeters high will save you from fatigue and will be beneficial for your health, and simply necessary for people with flat feet. And the ideal physiological heel height for yourself can be calculated by dividing the length of the foot (in centimeters) by seven.
- Doctors advise wearing medium and high heels no more than 3-4 hours a day and no more than 3 days a week. Ideally, every two hours you should take off your shoes and massage your feet or do mini-gymnastics: at least wiggle your toes and bend and straighten your foot for a few minutes.
- If possible, change your shoes several times a day. Alternate high- and low-heeled shoes with flats. Then the harm to your feet will be minimized.
- When you sit, try to bend and straighten your legs more often, this will help your calf muscles stay toned.
- Choose wedges over stiletto heels as wedges provide better support for your feet.
- If you have a day in heels, be sure to use inter-toe correctors (sold in many pharmacies, price about 500 rubles). They are soft, silicone, transparent or flesh-colored. No one will know about them except you, but this will help prevent deviation and rotation of the thumb and the formation of a lump, which, alas, can no longer be corrected in the future. And, in addition to painful sensations, you can forget about pointed-toe shoes and open sandals forever.
- Also use correctors for all 5 toes (they will help prevent deformation of the toes and the formation of corns).
- Silicone correctors that are installed directly under the foot next to the toes can help. They are transverse and drop-shaped, designed to prevent transverse flat feet when walking in heels. There is also a combined T-shaped version that provides prevention of flat feet and the inward collapse of the forefoot.
- A woman's weight also affects foot deformation. Therefore, if you are not one of the “girls swayed by the wind,” be doubly vigilant. If your weight exceeds the optimal weight by more than 12 kilograms, doctors advise completely avoiding heels, and especially stilettos.
- Don’t get hung up on a certain type of shoe, wear different styles that are appropriate for your in this case. Moccasins with a slight rise are suitable for walking, sneakers for fitness, high-quality leather shoes or boots with low heels for going to work, and comfortable leather or suede shoes with a comfortable slightly higher heel for going out.
- Reset excess weight: It puts pressure on the legs and feet, worsening any disorder, any deformity, and increases the likelihood of developing varicose veins.
- Every evening, stretch the tendons and muscles of the lower leg, and also massage your feet; if this procedure causes certain difficulties, you can purchase a special massager to make it easier.
When planning to buy shoes or other footwear, go shopping in the afternoon, towards evening. At this time, the legs swell and become somewhat bigger size. If you buy shoes in the morning, by evening they may seem tight to you. Put on your shoes while sitting, and then be sure to stand up and walk across the floor, otherwise you will not be able to determine whether the shoes fit you properly. Choose shoes that are exactly the right size so that they fit snugly, but do not pinch. Tight shoes or, conversely, loose shoes can cause illness even without high heels.
The toe box shouldn't be too tight (test: wiggle your toes while you're wearing the shoe; if possible, as long as your toes aren't pinched, it's fine), and the shoe itself shouldn't be too tight. Distance between thumb and the toe should be at least 3-6 mm. Do not buy shoes that are close-fitting, as your toes will poke into the toe when you walk.
When buying shoes without heels, choose those models that are more closed in the front: they are safer and more comfortable, and they hold the foot better. The best option– shoes with grooved soles: they do not slip on steps, tiles, etc.
When choosing sandals, take those in which the heel stands firmly and does not move out. You should not buy shoes that are obviously too big for you, otherwise your feet will dangle in them.
Buying high heels, need to do a mini test. With both shoes on, stand straight and rise up on your toes. The distance between the heels and the floor should be more than 2 cm. If less, the heel is too high.
Please note that as we age, our feet lengthen slightly and become wider, so the size that suited you a few years ago may be small. It is important to try on shoes before purchasing and walk around the store in them. It is also interesting to draw the imprint of your foot on paper, and then see how the width of your foot matches the width of the shoes you are purchasing. If the difference is striking, then the feet will experience severe overload, and it is better to refuse the purchase. Try to buy only those shoes in which you immediately feel comfortable. Hoping that the shoes will spread out and “sit” on our feet does not bring any good to our feet.
You don't need high heels to be beautiful
Every girl and woman always wants to look attractive. And for this they use the entire “arsenal of technology,” which includes everything from cosmetics to shoes. And many representatives of the fair sex do not understand or do not want to understand that their beauty is, first of all, their naturalness.
The best and reliable way always looking amazing means taking care of your body, constantly improving it, giving it freedom of movement. You also need to take care of strengthening your health, protective mechanisms (immunity), and proper nutrition.
All this will allow the body to literally glow with health and beauty. And the most important thing is that this attractiveness will not depend on lipstick, makeup, or high heels.
A woman is beautiful only when she does not sacrifice her health and well-being, does not mutilate her body for the sake of beauty standards invented by someone.
A girl who prefers to wear elegant shoes usually attracts the attention of others. Stiletto heels have long been considered elegant. Men think that heels give a woman a special charm. However, doctors around the world are sounding the alarm, proving to fashionistas that high heels are harmful to health.
What is the appeal of high heels?
The gait of a girl in high heels is unstable; the owner of such shoes seems fragile and vulnerable to men, requiring support and support, showing her femininity and weakness. In addition, the woman's figure takes on a more seductive appearance, since the center of gravity moves to the lower back. A woman immediately straightens her shoulders, this improves her posture and gives her a regal and majestic look. In addition, your legs look slimmer and longer.
And don’t forget that heels instantly visually increase your height. And the gait also becomes attractive, since when walking the hips sway, the gait acquires a seductive charm and weightlessness. And men certainly like this. The created image will be stunning!
Reasons why women love high heels
Let's highlight the main reasons:
- Making the appearance attractive;
- Increased attention from men;
- Increase in height;
- Gait transformation.
Attractive women wear tall and beautiful heels to appear for a moment in a created beautiful image, to charm others, and then suffer from unpleasant consequences. But who thinks about the consequences when it comes to attracting the attention of men and the admiring glances of others? Of course, there is no time to think about it.
History of heels
And who created this embodiment of beauty and grace? There is an opinion that heels appeared in France, the modern capital of style and fashion in the 16th century. At first, heels were used by men during the Middle Ages for safe riding and riding. Later women took this item of luxury and beauty into their arsenal.
However, in ancient Egypt, heels had a completely different function. In the field, it was much more convenient to move around the fresh arable land with stable heels. This heel can be considered the great-grandfather of heels. In Ancient Greece historical information There are also the first mentions of the existence of a heel. Therefore, Greece can also compete for this championship.
Harm or benefit?
Most women love beautiful shoes. And fashion trends are transforming shoes, making the heel larger and more unstable. Women are happy, but experts are increasingly warning about the undoubted harm of heels. When it comes to children's shoes, this is certainly true. At this age, the bones of the skeleton are not fully formed, and high-heeled shoes cause serious stress on the spine. Deformation of the feet and curvature of the spine occurs. And in a mature woman, when wearing such shoes, the lower back is subjected to stress, less blood flows, and this threatens gynecological diseases. In addition, wearing high-heeled shoes is harmful for spinal diseases. An intervertebral hernia may develop.
There is a prejudice that uncomfortable shoes can cause flat feet. But flat feet have other causes - illness, obesity, hereditary factors. It is from tight high-heeled shoes that a bunion begins to appear on the foot, and this results in its deformation. In addition, pressure appears on the veins, and this leads to thrombophlebitis and varicose veins veins High heels are considered to be uncomfortable. But the comfort of the shoe also depends on the last. An incorrectly made block will cause a lot of inconvenience. In addition, there is an opinion that high heels make your legs very tired. But if you spend the whole day on your feet, you can get tired even in the most familiar and comfortable shoes.
Pregnant women should also avoid wearing high heels. A serious load is added to the back, blood circulation is disrupted, and swelling may appear. But not everyone knows that heels have benefits. If there is underdevelopment of the curves of the spine, the height of which is discussed with the doctor.
Why are doctors against it?
It has been proven that high heels cause a lot of pressure on the foot. If the heel is more than 8 cm, then the load on the foot is 85%, with a heel 13-14 centimeters long - 100% load.
The most comfortable heel is about three centimeters; for everyday life such a load is not too great. Therefore, shoes with a slight instep are recommended.
Heels really do harm your health. Even if you don’t feel any discomfort, constantly wearing high-heeled shoes will not go away without consequences.
Diseases that can be caused by wearing high-heeled shoes:
1. Tendon atrophy;
2. Corns on the foot;
3. Poor circulation;
4. Swelling of the legs;
5. Arthritis and arthrosis;
6. Varicose veins;
7. Thrombophlebitis;
8. Scoliosis;
9. Osteochondrosis.
Such a list of diseases should cause horror in women who forget the statements of doctors that high heels are harmful to health.
How to reduce the damage of heels?
If you cannot do without high heels, you should use such shoes only as a weekend option. important occasions. For everyday life, the heel should be about five centimeters.
Use favorite fashionable shoes You can do this no more than three days a week, and you should try to take off your shoes more often and massage your feet. In addition, shoes with insoles will help, which will protect the knee joints.
We can only hope for the prudence of the fair half of humanity and note that everything is good in moderation. We must appreciate not only beauty, but also take care of health.
Video about the effect of shoes on the body
In this video you will learn about the dangers of high heels for women:
