A young girl's first pair of high heeled shoes are one of the landmark events in progressing to womanhood.
Most girls are excited when they get a chance to try them, and are willing to put up with the pain that often follows.
Is this a good idea? Not really.
Tight, improperly fitting shoes can cause serious damage to the bones and soft tissue of the foot.
Add a heel to it, and you have a recipe for a lot of pain.
Here are a few of the problems these shoes can cause.
Blisters: Constant chafing can cause blisters to form, making wearing any shoe painful.
If it's ignored, an infection could set it.
Never pop a blister, let nature take care of it.
If you absolutely must wear a pair of shoes that cause blisters, you may want to put some mole skin (an adhesive backed material used by hikers and backpackers) in the area.
Calluses and Corns: Another problem caused by shoes that are too tight are calluses and corns.
These are areas of thickened dead skin developed to protect the foot from the irritant.
They can be painful, but if you are a diabetic it can be worse; they can become ulcers.
These need to be removed carefully.
While most people can use a pumice stone to file away the build up of skin, diabetics should not attempt it.
Diabetic neuropathy can reduce the ability to feel when you've rubbed enough, leading to skin damage and possible infections.
Let the folks at the doctor's office handle that problem.
Car Accidents: Some studies indicate that attempting to drive while wearing high heels increase the chances that you will be in an accident.
At least one fatal accident may be attributed to this factor.
Hammertoes: High heels place a great deal of weight on the toes, which were not designed to carry it.
The feet can become misshapen, and the toes will actually bend, taking on the look of hammers.
There is only one way to treat this condition, surgery.
Sprains: It is very easy to turn your ankle when wearing heels.
The likelihood goes up when the heel is very high and very narrow.
Sprains are a common result, especially on young ladies just learning how to walk in them.
Being cautious while walking may help avoid the problem.
Stress Fractures: The bones in your feet are fairly small.
A combination of the crush factor from tight fits and the weight of the whole body can cause them to break.
There are several things to consider if you still wish to wear heels.
The most important is to have them fitted properly, and be conservative in the height of the shoe as much as possible.
Don't attempt to drive in heels, instead carry them in the car and change into them when you reach your destination.
Should you have an injury, apply ice, rest and elevate the foot and use some form of compression, such as an ace bandage.
It might be wise to have your foot examined by a doctor, because a stress fracture can cause serious pain.
Most girls are excited when they get a chance to try them, and are willing to put up with the pain that often follows.
Is this a good idea? Not really.
Tight, improperly fitting shoes can cause serious damage to the bones and soft tissue of the foot.
Add a heel to it, and you have a recipe for a lot of pain.
Here are a few of the problems these shoes can cause.
Blisters: Constant chafing can cause blisters to form, making wearing any shoe painful.
If it's ignored, an infection could set it.
Never pop a blister, let nature take care of it.
If you absolutely must wear a pair of shoes that cause blisters, you may want to put some mole skin (an adhesive backed material used by hikers and backpackers) in the area.
Calluses and Corns: Another problem caused by shoes that are too tight are calluses and corns.
These are areas of thickened dead skin developed to protect the foot from the irritant.
They can be painful, but if you are a diabetic it can be worse; they can become ulcers.
These need to be removed carefully.
While most people can use a pumice stone to file away the build up of skin, diabetics should not attempt it.
Diabetic neuropathy can reduce the ability to feel when you've rubbed enough, leading to skin damage and possible infections.
Let the folks at the doctor's office handle that problem.
Car Accidents: Some studies indicate that attempting to drive while wearing high heels increase the chances that you will be in an accident.
At least one fatal accident may be attributed to this factor.
Hammertoes: High heels place a great deal of weight on the toes, which were not designed to carry it.
The feet can become misshapen, and the toes will actually bend, taking on the look of hammers.
There is only one way to treat this condition, surgery.
Sprains: It is very easy to turn your ankle when wearing heels.
The likelihood goes up when the heel is very high and very narrow.
Sprains are a common result, especially on young ladies just learning how to walk in them.
Being cautious while walking may help avoid the problem.
Stress Fractures: The bones in your feet are fairly small.
A combination of the crush factor from tight fits and the weight of the whole body can cause them to break.
There are several things to consider if you still wish to wear heels.
The most important is to have them fitted properly, and be conservative in the height of the shoe as much as possible.
Don't attempt to drive in heels, instead carry them in the car and change into them when you reach your destination.
Should you have an injury, apply ice, rest and elevate the foot and use some form of compression, such as an ace bandage.
It might be wise to have your foot examined by a doctor, because a stress fracture can cause serious pain.