No one really knows why shoe infatuation is associated with the female gender. It's not like we make that much of a fuss over men and their Nike Jordans, so why pick on women and their shoes? For some, there is just something about slipping into a nice 4 inch strappy heel for a night on the town. Ironically, the shoes that women love so much are actually putting a toll on their feet, as well as the rest of their body.
What is the culprit? Foot doctors and surgeons have been alerting the public for years now about the harm that shoes with high heels can cause. The worst of the bunch are the ones that present narrow toes. These can lead to health problems without a woman even knowing the damage they have done to themselves. Some cases even result in deformities of the foot that just will not go away. There is even evidence that suggests that high heels also cause arthritis of the knee, as well as other joint disorders. Who would have ever thought that a shoe could bring down your health?
This has led to the efforts of numerous foot experts, who wish to bring better healthcare measures to women who simply cannot part with their shoes. Several orthopedic foot and ankle specialists have gotten together to approve a variety of products that will help in foot care. They will also assess which shoe selections are reasonable for the maintenance of knees, ankles and feet.
High heeled shoes have been the leading cause bringing women to visit orthopedic doctors, who seem to be seen by these type of doctors four times more than their male counterparts. The constant wearing of shoes with high heels or narrow toes have led to a high incidence in corrective foot operations. This is what happens when women choose fashionable footwear over health and many of them aren't even aware that they are doing it.
The results of repeated narrow or high heeled shoe wear of today's latest fashion trends have been compared to the Chinese practice of foot binding. Although women who endured this practice showed signs of joint problems, they never sustained any bone deformities. It is usually the front of the foot that reveals common foot problems. Years of wearing improper footwear lead to bunions or other infractions of the toe. These signs often surface in middle aged women. These problems are caused by increased foot compression and pressure when wearing narrow shoes or high heels.
To avoid these foot problems, women don't need to discard their love of shoes, but instead make wiser choices when it comes to footwear. That means settling for a shoe that is light and comfortable and doesn't have a tight area for the toes. Also, women must stray from tempting selections with a high heel. In the long run, your feet will thank you for your efforts.
Ah, the high heeled shoe. These are the ones that help keep podiatrists in business with a steady flow of patients. Medically speaking, these types of shoes are the absolute worst for the health of the foot due to the way that they put so much pressure on the front of the foot and put the toes in a totally unnatural position. Still, many women wear them because they make them feel sexy and they look very stylish. Like many other women's shoes these also come in a wide variety of styles, shapes, and colors. There are some made a little more stable that can be worn for work such as the block or wedge and then you have the high fashion ones for a night out like the stiletto or blades.
There is a long standing debate over how high a heel must be to be considered a high heeled shoe. The normal standard for the average high heeled shoe is two to three inches which gives some height but at the same time can still be worn somewhat comfortably. Heels over four inches are the extreme and are usually reserved for entertainers or professional dancers, if you know what I mean.
Before investing in a pair of high heeled shoes you should first figure out why you want them and in what environment you will be wearing them. For some women the reason is to project an illusion of being taller. Another reason may be just for the sexy look that the shoes give by having the calf muscle in a semi flexed position. They also create a more sexy walk by shifting the body in a way that accentuates your bottom and a bit of a sway in the hips. The tall stiletto heels are thought of by men and women alike to be a huge turn on sexually.
Many women today own several pairs of these types of shoes mixing some for business and some for pleasure. The popularity of the high heel shoe has gone up and down over the past few decades losing ground in the 60's and 70's but coming back strong for the next two decades. Recently the trend has been back towards lower heels or even flats. In the post war era of the late forties through the fifties stilettos were hot just as they are now. Just remember you have to be able to walk in them, buy a pair of lower heels for work and reserve the stilettos for that night on the town when you want to exude sexiness.
Gregg Hall has sinced written about articles on various topics from Lingerie, Desserts and Mortgage. Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Florida. Find more about this as well as at http://www.familyshoesplus.com. Gregg Hall's top article generates over 3350000 views. to your Favourites.