How to Manage Pain from Wearing High Heels

If you’re experiencing pain when you wear high heels, here are 4 tips to help you choose and wear heels that are more comfortable.

1) Opt for a lower heel in order to:

• Reduce the stress on the ball of your foot.
• Lessen the pressure on your toes and toenails.
• Improve stability and alignment.
• Reduce the angle between the ball of your foot and your heel for better weight distribution

2) Choose a shoe with a wider toe box, such as a round or square toe, in order to:

• Avoid toe compression.
• Prevent your toenails from rubbing against your shoe.

3) Reduce the amount of time you wear heels in order to:

• Prevent your calf muscles from becoming overly tight and sore.
• Reduce the risk of injury to your toes and toenails.
• Lessen pressure on your back, hips and knees.

4) Choose shoes with a thicker heel in order to improve stability.

Below are some helpful treatment and prevention tips for specific issues caused or accentuated by wearing high heels:

• Daily pain in the ball of foot area:
  • To ease pressure on the balls of your feet, use cushioning pads, such as Dr. Scholl’s Ball of Foot Cushions for High Heels.
  • Choose shoes with a lower heel so that less weight is shifted to the balls of your feet.
• Heel pain:
  • Try a shoe insert that absorbs shock and provides extra cushioning, such as Dr. Scholl’s Invisible Cushioning Insoles for High Heels (heels 2” and over).
  • Massage and stretch feet and calves to ease tightness and discomfort.
• Ingrown toenails:
  • Wear open toe shoes with plenty of room in the toe box while ingrown toenails have a chance to heal.
  • Use a treatment that includes a pain reliever plus a protective cushion, such as Dr. Scholl’s Ingrown Toenail Pain Reliever.
• Bunions:
  • Avoid wearing high heels that are too narrow or tight.
  • Try Dr. Scholl’s Bunion Cushions with Duragel® Technology to ease pressure on painful bunions and help prevent shoe friction.