People love to attend summer weddings and other social events during this beautiful season. These fun summer events call for light clothes and gorgeous high heels. Although high-heeled shoes elongate your legs and make them look more elegant, they can hardly be called your allies since most of the time they’re literally killing you — especially by the end of the night. Oftentimes your only wish is to make all the suffering stop as soon as possible.
We at Bright Side have collected some high heel survival tricks that might enable you to wear your favorite pumps whenever you want without worrying about the pain.
1. Put your high heels in the freezer.
Place your heels in the freezer for 30 minutes. When you put your cold shoes on, you’ll notice how the material adapts to the shape of your warm feet. You can also try placing a bag of water inside the shoes and putting them in the freezer. The frozen water will stretch your shoes out a little.
2. Socks and hot water
Use hot water to get your cotton socks wet and put them on before breaking in your shoes. Wear them for a little while before taking them outside. The shoes will stretch a little and probably won’t bother you as much.
3. Double-sided tape
Stick the bottom of your foot to the sole of your shoe using tape. This trick will keep your shoes on your feet, but most importantly, it will prevent blisters and pain in the toes.
4. Use special high heel insoles.
Specially designed for insoles, usually made of silicone or fabric, these little socks will prevent your feet from moving forward in your shoes, reducing pain and blisters. Go with a silicone option if you’re wearing a pair of open-toed heels. Silicone pads are invisible under your feet but provide the same protection.
5. Hydrating cream
Applying some hydrating cream to your feet before putting on your killer heels might save your feet from rubbing, pain, and blisters, especially if the shoes are new and tight.
6. Baby powder
If you have baby powder at home, try this trick on a pair of high heels. It will prevent excessive sweating and slipping, thus minimizing chafing and possible injuries.
7. Adhesive tape for your toes
All you have to do is to stick the third and fourth toes together with adhesive tape to reduce additional pressure to the nerve between those 2 toes that causes pain.
8. Don’t take off your heels.
Even if your heels are killing you, taking them off is a bad idea. You’ll be relieved for a moment, but your feet will most likely swell immediately, so putting them on again will cause you even more pain.
9. Put on your heels at home.
Break in your heels at home at least one week before putting them on to go out, especially if they are new and tight. This way you will get used to your shoes and they might stretch a little.
10. Deodorant
Before putting the shoes on, apply some roll-on or stick deodorant to the areas of friction to avoid chafing and discomfort.
11. Don’t stop!
Even if you’re in a lot of pain, try to walk from time to time. Standing still in high heels will cause you more pain. You can also sit down and rest for a while, but don’t take off your shoes.
12. Don’t forget about proper foot care.
If you have cracked heels, hard skin, and calluses, your high-heeled shoes will only worsen these problems and cause you much more pain. So taking good care of your feet is a must.
13. Choose the right heel.
If you’ve never tried these types of shoes before, don’t rush out to buy stiletto heels that are too high for you. Sure they look bold, but they will only make your feet suffer. Opt for a wider heel with fewer inches instead. You can also choose shoes with a small platform in the front or wedges.
14. Emergency kit
If you’re not sure about how comfortable your new heels will be, just keep a couple adhesive bandages and other blister treatment products in your purse. They will save your night if the shoes start hurting you.
Do you happen to know other effective tips to make women’s lives in heels more comfortable? If they’re not mentioned on our list, go ahead and share them in the comments.
Illustrated by Astkhik Rakimova for Bright Side
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