2 types of shoes that cause foot pain
May 31, 2008 by Marijke Durning, RN
Filed under Diseases & Conditions
We know that high heels aren’t good for your feet but that doesn’t stop a lot of women from wearing them.
Why? Because they make us feel sexy. They make our legs look longer and because – when we’re dressed up -they just look right. 
High heels range from just a couple of inches to stilettos. Obviously, the higher the heels, the harder the shoes are on your feet. On the other hand, flip flops aren’t much better, although flat sneakers are ok, according to data presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine.
While researchers know the usual issues with heels, these particular studies looked at the foot function as women go down stairs, an every day action that can have disastrous consequences if you twist your ankle or lose your balance while descending the stairs. You can read the research findings in this article: High Heels, Flip-Flops: Painful Choices.
One thing I don’t understand in the article though, is the writer says, “Normally, when walking down stairs, you put your heel down first and then flatten the foot. Then you use your toe to propel yourself forward.” Do you put your heel down first? Even when I’m walking barefoot, I put the ball of my foot down while going down. Can you put your heel down first when stepping down?
Images: Newscom
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Technorati Tags: chronic pain blog,pain blog,foot pain,high heels,flip flops
“Normally, when walking down stairs, you put your heel down first and then flatten the foot. Then you use your toe to propel yourself forward.”
No, I don’t put my heel down first (I had to actually just test this as I wasn’t sure!!!). I put the ball of my foot down first, my heel touches for a brief second then I used my toes to push off.
I then tried going UP the stairs. I use the ball of my foot there too, and for a brief second my heel goes down then I lift up with the ball/toes and onto the next step.
Hi Karen – thanks for saying that because I was beginning to think maybe it was me!
I think that might have been an error in the orirginal article, because there’s no way we put our heel down first on the stairs. On the floor while we’re walking, yes, but not on the stairs.