Beauty with a price to pay (are your shoes killing your feet? Save them before it is too late!)
In today’s society, many women wear high-heeled shoes. High heels are fashion statement meant to make women look taller, stylish or more beautiful
Are you aware of the danger of high heeled shoes? Problems: what damage can they do to your feet? - Knee and back pain; people with low back pain can be affected by high heel usage due to the reduction in normal lumbar lordosis
Shortening or tightening of calf muscles
Increase incidence of fall
Achilles tendonitis
Metatarsalgia: joint pain in the ball of your foot
Corn & calluses: thick hardened layers of skin due to friction from narrow toe box
Ingrown toenails: constant pressure on toes from being forced against the front of shoes by a high heel
Neuromas: growth of nerve tissue can cause sharp, burning pain in the foot
Bunions: bony bumps that form at the base of your big toe
Hammertoe: unnatural bending of your toes; toes curls at the middle joint
Ankle can be unstable due to narrow heel width, resulting in ankle sprains
pictures!!
source: www.epodiatry.com/hammer-toe.htm
hammertoes
source: www.fittedshoe.com/SHOE_ARTICLES/planus.htm
bunions
source: www.aafp.org/afp/20020601/2277.html
corn and calluses
source: www.drdanielbank.com
ingrown toenail
But i still like to wear them... sob..sob...what should i do? :'(
Tips: 
Wear heels in moderation; save wearing them only for glamour, special functions, and limit wearing to around 3 – 8 hours
Walk slowly when you are wearing heels to minimize damage to your feet; glide elegantly
Alternating between heels and flats to give feet a break
Vary your heel heights from day to day
For everyday use, good to keep height </= 4cm
Stretch and massage calf muscles; help them relax (do not abuse them)
Choose slightly lower heel height and a style with a wider toe box to distribute weight evenly
Compare width of the shoe with the width of your foot: avoid shoes that are too narrow
Check on the shoe materials: select those that breathe and allow flexibility such as leather or nylon mesh
References:High heels- General information, The Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists, http://www.feetforlife.org/cgi-bin/item.cgi?id=634
Killer Heels: A survival guide, The Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists http://www.feetforlife.org/cgi-bin/item.cgi?id=752
Franklin ME, Chenier TC, Brauninger L, Effect of positive heel inclination on posture, J Orthop Sports Phys Ther. 1995 Feb; 21(2):94-9
Foot problems in women: high heels and your health; http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/foot-problems/WO00114
