Love how heels lengthen your legs? Dress up your look? Give you calf muscles you didn’t know you had? Maybe. But wearing heels could be detrimental to your health.

If you think you’ll be the only gal in town sporting flats, think again. Victoria Beckham announced she will be hanging up her heels.

Yep, the former Spice Girl and fashion guru has declared she can no longer “do heels”, and will opt for flat shoes more often. Don’t believe it? Check out the footwear she chose for her NYFW show in February.

Sure, white sneakers are hot for spring. But VB in them at the Fall shows means this is serious.

So, are high heels really all that bad? A recent study shows that, over time, wearing heels can negatively affect muscles in the legs. Because the ankle is bent forward, calf muscles shorten in the back of the leg and lengthen in the front of the leg, which could weaken the muscles.

As we can see, sore feet aren’t the only detriment of wearing heels. Other possible problems? Knee and back pain, and spider veins.

Those die-hard high heel wearers can strengthen foot and leg muscles with exercises recommended in the study above. If you’d like to kick your stilettos to the back of the closet, here are some flat but still stylish options.

Sneakers are cuter than ever right now. ModCloth has a wide, and super cute, selection. And yes, you can wear tennis shoes with skirts.

It’s almost time for sandals. Yay! Take a look at these stunners by Aldo. Perfect with shorts, skirts, dresses, or pants.

A great gladiator screams summer music festivals. Grab this vegan pair at Free People.

Espadrilles are a summer classic. Try them in white or black vegan leather by Soludos.

No need to kill your feet or back for fashion. If Victoria Beckham is ditching her heels, so can we.

*Disclaimer: Help support EcoSalon! Our site is dedicated to helping people live a conscious lifestyle. We’ve provided some affiliate links above in case you wish to purchase any of these products.

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Image of woman with high heels via Shutterstock

The post What Wearing Heels Really Does to Your Body (and Flat Options You’ll Love!) appeared first on EcoSalon.

We are anti-comfort shoe here at EcoSalon. Okay, so maybe we’re a wee bit sensitive about the Birkenstock-crunchy-hippie-girl stereotype that is burned into our corneas, often tainting our dreams with wide-splayed toes and collapsed arches. (You think?) But really, it’s because there are some killer eco-options out there for elegant footwear. Olsen Haus or Cri de Couer?

And so, we’ve often wedged our paws into higher heels, only to collapse the next day with numb toes and angry arches. High heels can hurt, and here’s the science as to why. I spent one day last weekend in a pair of three-inch heels. Almost seven days later, the feeling is just coming back in my left toes. (Well played, irony.) Yep, I do admit to spending a large chunk of my time traipsing around in sneakers. But sometimes you just need a dress shoe.

So how best to take care of your toots when embarking on high heels?

Wear a thicker heel.

Yes, stilettos are awesomely chic, and hats off to the girl and inspiring drag queen who can rock them. But the more pressure shoved onto the balls of your feet, the more your balls will rebel. Consider a thicker heel. I’m not saying early 1990s chunky Mary Jane Doc Martin’s thick (yes, I had these and yes, I am old). But maybe not weapon-y thin.

Look at the angle of your foot bed.

A more gradual slope will relieve the pressure on the balls of your feet. Yes, the 4-inch drop will make you look fashionable, but it’s not going to give you a lot of longevity on your feet.

Go open-toe.

A rumor milling about the universe for decades is that Marilyn Monroe got her pinky toes shaved down because she wanted to be more comfortable in her heels. While it is probably not true, (RIP curvy goddess,) it does rank highly in “Oh MAN that skeevs.” The rest of us could just consider open toe heels. They help relieve some of the pressure on your squished toes.

Purchase foot bed cushions.

Thinks about picking up some foot petals. These shoe cushions claim to be made from a breathable eco-friendly material.

Bring flats.

Anyone else ever walk barefoot on New York City streets because you couldn’t bear to take another step in your hells – I mean heels? There are cute portable flats you can carry in your handbag.

Take them to a pedorthist for a custom fit.

A pedorthist (yes, I had to Google this) “is a medical professional who specializes in the use of footwear and supportive devices to address conditions which affect the feet and lower limbs.”  They can also custom fit your heels to your feet, making walking in them much easier.

Foot massage, foot massage, foot massage.

Enlist a significant other or take to your own feet. (We won’t judge. Okay, Christine O’Donnell might.) Add a little eco-friendly oil and you’re good to go. Sometimes the only thing that can restore feet is rubbing the blood back into them.

Buy comfortable brands.

A lot of the traditional “grandma-shoe” brands – Naturalizer, Uggs, and so on – actually make really cool kicks. Want a guide to awesomely eco high heels? Check out our look at some of our favorite brands.

Image: thepresidentwearsprada

The post 8 Ways to Survive High Heel Hell appeared first on EcoSalon.

Can you walk in high heels? I can’t. Okay, sure, I have been known to use them to get from Point A to Point B (usually at a wedding), but do I enjoy the experience? Do any of us? These are the questions that plague womanity – or at least the ones who get to include “surviving high heels” in their lives instead of “surviving starvation and catastrophe.” Although when the Big One hits Los Angeles, it is possible I may be using my high heels as weapons in a properly recycled manner.

Why am I ranting about the high heel? Mostly because I have a closet full of them that look absolutely adorable in the store, but five steps out I’m falling off them for flats. Some of us are total wimps when it comes to foot pain. But it turns out, there’s reason for it. NPR reports on a new study showing that women who wear high heels dramatically alter their leg muscles. And they do so to the point that they can no longer stand barefoot without pain. Everyone say it with me – ouch!

According to this British study, women who wear high heels daily eventually develop shorter calf muscles and thicker Achilles tendons. In fact, calf muscles are shortened by as much as 13 percent. Marco Narici is the study’s lead author. As NPR writes, Narici “compares the effect to muscle atrophy that strikes people confined to their beds for a long time. Bed rest keeps muscles in a fixed position, causing some muscle fibers to become shorter.” Yes, we are atrophying our legs by wearing high heels. Stay with me, people – ew!

So what’s the solution? Obviously, it would be not to wear high heels. But are we really going to hang up our sassy kicks? Obviously not. On a recent Bridesmaid Adventure (because that’s the only way they can be described) I asked the bride if she would mind if wore flats to her reception. She did. So I did not.

Also, I like fashion. I can’t help it. High heels do make our legs look longer and leaner. They are ingrained in our culture as sexy shoes, and you’re going to be hard-pressed to find someone under the age of 80 who is going to completely give them up. Our NPR doctors urge that you wear high heels in shorter increments, take them off when they hurt, and to keep the heels no taller than two inches.

Or you can just complain a lot, like me.

For further reading: Why High Heels Hurt Even After You Take Them Off

Image: FaceMePLS

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