36 sites, 11,638 entries and counting...     Get a free blog; Join a Weblog Network!

Don’t Buy Those Wedges Just Yet

Monday April 10, 2006 

Wedges are back and many are tossing out their stilettos in favorite of the chunkier and what they assume to be sturdier high heel shoes. However it is now revealed that wedges and thick platform heels are actually less sturdy than what we thought. Add to that, they also cause more injuries than the thinner heeled shoes.

36253_ORG.jpgAccording to podiatrists and orthopedic surgeons the chunky heels keep the foot from moving naturally which doesn’t happen with stilettos. This causes us to put more weight on the ball of our feet.

Some high wedges also have curved soles, which can make it easy to lose your balance. “You’re already on a pretty high pedestal … walking on your tiptoes, and then you put a rocker underneath it — I don’t think that’s a very stable construct,” says Dr. Judith Baumhauer, chief of foot and ankle surgery at the University of Rochester.

Wearing high wedges — some measure as much as 5 inches at the heel — can cause joint inflammation under the big toe, a condition known as sesamoiditis, and damage to the fat under the ball of the foot, doctors say.

Stilettos can cause these ailments, too. But some doctors say high wedges are more likely to trigger them because the clunky heels interfere with the foot’s natural movement.

While conventional heels absorb some of the weight of walking, says Dr. Les Glubo, a New York podiatrist, “with these wedges, the heel is so high … it’s throwing all the stress of the weight to the front of the foot.”

Knee, back or ankle strain is also possible because wedges often weigh more than traditional heels, says Dr. Howard Glickman, president of the American Podiatric Medical Association.

Source: The Charlotte Observer

Filed Under High Heels

Comments

3 Responses to “Don’t Buy Those Wedges Just Yet”

  1. lach on April 10th, 2006 7:00 am

    meh….I still think wedges are better than stilleto’s and Im going to keep on wearing them :p
    good article though.

  2. kitkat on April 11th, 2006 10:15 am

    I just bought a pair - and am wearing them today! And, I agree with you…they are not as stable or comfortable as my regular heels or stilletos. I can just invision myself turning my ankle.

    But, they were cute. And neutral. And, I absolutely needed them. (Plus, it was buy one get one 1/2 off - *and* I had a coupon…must I go on? LOL)

  3. lolla pope on April 14th, 2006 1:08 am

    As we know, women make many sacrifices to be sexy and attractive. Injuries caused by high heels are some of them. But there are many women that are very confortable in heels, even they are 5″ heel height. So I think every women can accomodate with high heels after few hours of training.
    According to “Creating a Highheeled Woman” :”Proper foot training can adapt ordinary flat-soled feet into high-arched feet which can comfortably wear high heels.”
    What do you think?
    Lolla

Got something to say?