Your Heels Are Putting Your Entire Life At Risk

Imagine cramming yourself into a tiny, little box. Comfortable? Yeah, we didn’t think so.  But as it turns out, that’s exactly what you’re doing when you slip on your high heels for a night out. Indeed, cramming your feet into a narrow shoe box can cause a slew of health problems, including nerve damage, injured leg muscles, bunions, and lower back pain. The price of beauty, right? Here, we highlight all the ways high heels negatively impact your body, from your toes and your hips, to your ankles and calves.

Feet. As Women’s Health points out, your feet typically act like “spring-loaded, weight-distributing shock absorbers.” This means that they generally cushion your bones from the immense amount of pressure and pounding they experience on a daily basis. But once you slip your feet into high heels, well, that’s a whole ‘nother story. Why? Because you’ve displaced a ton of your mass onto the (delicate) balls of your feet and your (delicate) toes.

Feet. But not all high heels are created equal. When it comes to how high heels impact your body, it seems that the higher the heel, the bigger the impact. In other words, kitten heels won’t mess with your feet the same way stilettos will. In fact, one study discovered that four-inch towers can increase the amount of pressure on the front of the foot by a whopping 30 percent — or more. Sorry, strippers.

Feet. Nonetheless, when you jam your feet into high heels “your heel-to-toe transition becomes abrupt,” Women’s Health explains. As a result, this forces you to shift your natural way of walking for a shorter, crisper stride. (Take note: Shorter and crisper does not always mean prettier, ladies.) And walking like this all the time can cause a slew of health issues, including bone and nerve damage. Uh, yikes.

Weight. “Heels can cause problems because they force your foot forward, altering the angle of your body so your weight isn’t evenly distributed over the foot and therefore the spine, which can trigger pain from your knees all the way up to your back,” explains sports chiropractor Mel Davis from Back-2-Balance chiropractic clinic. In short, it all comes down to uneven weight distribution.

Ankles. Rockin’ heels also wreaks havoc on your ankles. Why? Because heels force your ankles to bend forward, which causes the circulation in your lower limbs to impede. In other words, high heels can actually restrict blood flow, and sometimes even lead to painful spider veins. Scary, indeed.

Ankles. High heels can also cause sprained ankles. Here’s why: The world is by no means an even place. On nearly every street, there are pot holes, air vents, drainage gates, and so on. And what do all these things have in common? They’re all just waiting to suck you in, of course.

Calves. Turns out, your heels are seriously messing with your calves. Walking in four-inchers can stiffen your Achilles tendons, which, as you may know, is a tough band of tissue that connects the calf muscles to the heel bone. And stiffened Achilles tendons can cause your calves to bunch up — and yes, even cramp. *Shudders*

Calves. A stiffened Achilles tendons is also the reason behind why you might have trouble walking when you first kick off your heels. You know what we’re talking about: That wobbly, walking-on-the-moon feeling you get once your kicks are laid to rest. The good news? You can offset this feeling by simply flexing your feet throughout the day — without shoes, of course.

Ankles and calves. Consistently wearing heels can cause long-term damage to both your ankles and calves. Women’s Health notes: "Over time, stiletto devotees can develop chronically taut (and shortened!) ankle and calf tendons, making walking—even in flats—painful.” Ouch.

Knees. As the largest joint in your body, your knee, much like your feet, works as a shock absorber. While it’s essentially built to take a pounding, habitual use of high heels can put extra stress on the area. And after frequent wear and tear, the knee can break down, eventually leading to osteoarthritis.

Hips. The hip joint’s primary function is to support both the weight of the body in status and dynamic postures. In laymen’s terms, your hips prevent you from falling over when you’re standing and walking. But your cute stilettos? Well, they give the outer hip muscles and tendons a brutal beat down, Women’s Health notes. Not good.

Blood vessels. A lot of high heels are shaped to make your feet appear long and thin. The result: Squeezed-in feet with bulging blood vessels. Hot. Indeed, the unnatural shape of heels causes the feet to be in a, well, unnatural position, resulting in the constriction of blood flow. On top of not being sightly, this can also lead to blood vessels breaking. Yes, breaking.

Back. If you want to walk around in heels, your spine needs to put in some serious work. Why? Because the heels are causing it to sway unnaturally, which in turn stresses your lumbar erector spinae muscle. This results in an uncomfortably sore back. Eek.

Back. Similar to other parts of your body, your back also needs a break from time to time. So, if you sashay around in stilettos one day, slip on flats or sneakers the next. Alternately, you can also save your pumps for only special occasions. Oh, and pro tip: If you love your feet — and body — never walk around in heels for more than a couple of hours at a time.

Alternatives. And if you’re thinking about swapping your pumps for flip-flops, don’t. “But popular styles of shoe – such as ballet pumps and flip-flops – aren’t a great deal better as they allow your foot to slide around,” Back 2 Balance’s Davis explains. "Again, the lack of stability that this causes puts pressure on your spine." In other words, stick to flats or sneakers, ladies.