cutting down heels

High-Heel Help

November 11, 2009 at 12:52 pm , by Julia Kagan

Sometimes you learn the best stuff by accident. A few weeks ago I was racing across town to meet friends for dinner when my high heel got stuck in a crack in the pavement. When I yanked it out, the rubber bottom of the heel came off. I was late so I kept running on the heel stub. And I discovered something wonderful—the foot in the broken shoe felt amazingly better because the heel was ¼ inch shorter.

Yes, I do know that stilettos aren’t what the doctor ordered. Heels over 2 inches can cause foot and back problems; over 3 inches and they put seven times the pressure on the ball of your foot that flats do.

The shoes had always been a bit too high to wear every day so, when I had them fixed, I asked the shoemaker if he could make the heels slightly shorter. He could! They’re now 2 inches instead of nearly 2 ½ and so comfortable I wear them all the time. It worked so well I had him cut down some brown ankle boots that had been getting dusty in my closet for the same reason.

As the Shoe Service Institute of America points out, there’s a limit to how much you can cut off and which kinds of heels can be shortened. But it’s worth a try! And if even lower heels don’t make your feet feel better, here’s more advice on what to try.

Photo by geishaboy500.