Almost everyone’s favourite pair of ‘killer’ high heels have been notorious for bad posture and foot aches amongst other issue. Now reports say that its simple cousin — the flats — aren’t really goody two shoes either. Even celebrities like Victoria Beckham, who swear by their stilettos, have on quite a few occasions traded them for a pair of flats, but doctors feel that this really might not be the best thing for our feet. From agonising pain, spinal damage and even disorders — flats, are responsible for a host of problems.
“Our foot consists of the toes, the arch and the heel, this mechanism works so well that when we walk our entire weight is distributed equally,” explains Dr Mithin Aachi, Senior rthopedician. “The arch is what helps with the equal distribution of weight and so when we wear flat footwear unequal distribution of weight takes place and undue stress is put on the heel. This leads to several problems including plantar fasciitis and an inflammation of the thick band of tissues that connects the heel and the toes,” he adds. In such cases, the pain is, several times, unbearable. Dr Praveen Rao, Orthopedic Surgeon, says, “When this happens, people find it difficult to walk after sitting for a long time.”
Apart from pain, the lack of a cushioning and an arch in these footwear can eventually lead to spine troubles. “Since the pressure is on the heel, the gait of the person changes over the years and that leads to spinal problems and causes severe pain,” explains Dr Rao. Doctors believe that we need to find a middle ground. “It’s okay to wear high heels once in a while and since flats are more convenient, you can wear them occasionally, but you will need to find a balance. It helps to take a ‘foot holiday’ once a week by giving flats and heels a break and opting for an arched and cushioned footwear,” explains Dr Aachi.
So, is there an ideal heel height that one needs to follow? “There isn’t a number as such, but heels above one inch should be avoided regularly. Also wearing cushioned footwear with a small block-heel sometimes is fine,” adds Dr. Rao.
