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There are few things as confidence-boosting as a pair of heels — especially during party season — but the reality of wearing them is much less glamorous.
Hours of dancing, cold pavement, champagne and questionable flooring choices (cobblestones outside the pub) add up to one thing: pain.
While most of us accept this as the toll it takes to look good, podiatrists say it really doesn’t have to be. Here are the tips you need to know for the festive season.
Why are festival heels more painful than everyday heels?
The issue isn’t just the height of the heel – it’s everything that happens around it. The dresses are fancier, the venues are slippery, the nights are longer and most of us are already a little dehydrated thanks to the winter heat and Prosecco.
“Stilettos can look really cute and make you feel good, but they will shift your weight forward onto the ball of your foot and can cause lower back pain,” says podiatrist Margaret Dabbs OBE, founder of Stilettos. Margaret Dubs London,
When the weight moves forward, the toes take the strain. “They can also put extra pressure on the first joint, causing the skin to tighten and increase bunions.”
Pointed shoes can cause more harm than we realize. Dabbs says that “pointy-toed shoes can contribute to corns, ingrown toenails, and bunions,” recommending that if you wear them, you should “choose a fabric that is soft to the touch” to allow movement rather than compression.
That is, choose genuine leather instead of plastic for breathability and space convenience.
Meanwhile, falls and twisted ankles during the festivities are more common than you might think.
Consultant Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Surgeon Mr Ali Abbasian HCA Healthcare UKSays: “A narrow heel gives very little stability. After a few drinks, balance and coordination fall off, and a simple mistake can easily lead to back injury.”
Vivaiya Pointed-Toe Bow Kitten Heels, £145
Steve Madden Zeena Pumps Black Cherry Lacquer, £91 (was £130)
Choose Hassle-Free Styles
This season, mercifully, fashion is leaning in your favor. The trend cycle has moved away from needle-thin stilettos and toward structured kitten heels.
“Flats, kitten heels and block heels are particularly on-trend,” says Dabbs, adding that heavier styles “distribute body weight more evenly, improving balance when walking and providing better support.”
Podiatrist Gabrielle Conroy pure sports therapy Agree. She points to “heels that are wider and more rounded in the toe box” and “shoes made from natural materials like leather,” which allow the foot to expand during the evening rather than being squeezed tightly.
Abbassian goes a step further, saying that “a moderate heel height of three to five centimeters is usually safe” and “round or square toe boxes allow the toes to move naturally.”
So the trendiest shoes this year are – almost unbelievably – the healthiest shoes.
Sam Edelman Cami Slingback Pump, £89.99 (was £150)
Penelope Chilvers Gamine Bow Suede Shoe, £259
prepare your feet before the party
We warm up for the gym, we cleanse our skin before applying makeup, but when it comes to heels, most of us stick our feet in the shoes and hope for the best.
Dabbs says this is where everything starts to go wrong.
“Hard and dry skin on the feet is painful,” she explains. She suggests booking a pedicure before you shower or using a foot file on dry, rough skin, then using a foot scrub to “revitalize tired feet and dull, dry skin,” and use a nail and cuticle serum to keep the nail bed flexible and strong.
“Wear heels at home first,” advises Conroy. [and] Try them on to make sure they feel comfortable [to] Make sure the shoes are broken in.”
She suggests doing light calf and plantar fascia stretches before wearing heels, as well as reminds us to “carry some flat shoes to change into for the trip home.”
LK Bennett Tyla Bordeaux Nappa Leather Folded Ballerina Flats, £79 (was £159)
Viral “hacks” that are more publicized
The Internet loves a shortcut — put tape on these toes, stick this here, freeze that — but podiatrists are realistic about what really helps.
“Gel insoles can soften the foot and provide more comfort,” says Conroy, and “heel grip can help reduce rubbing.” But she also notes that adding anything to a shoe takes up space, which means the fit has to be right in the first place.
Abbassian says that “gel or silicone insoles are really useful”, but he warns that the popular toe-taping hack “can actually make things worse by increasing the pressure”.
Instead he prefers “a soft spacer if there is room in the toe box” to relieve nerve compression.
Skoal GelActiv Formal Insole Small, £14.05, Amazon
Next Day Recovery Really Works
The morning after matters as much as the night before.
No matter how sturdy the shoes are, feet swell after dancing all night. The goal is to reduce inflammation—not to punish already overworked tissues.
“When your feet are tired, you should give them a bath,” says Dabbs. She recommends using an intensive foot cream daily in the evening to “wake up with refreshed, hydrated feet.”
Conroy also recommends “elevating your feet to reduce any edema or swelling”, trying “warm foot soaks”, avoiding popping blisters – no matter how tempting – and “wearing comfortable and large shoes the next day”.
Abbassian agrees, saying that improvements aren’t optional—it’s the difference between enjoying heels again next weekend and abandoning them forever.