I like high heels. I have the worst posture and high heels force me to straighten up. But they’re quite hard on one’s feet so I follow some rules on buying and wearing them.
· Size. Size 5 is not always the same size 5, even when you’re buying from the same store or brand. It’s harder when you’re buying online so I usually check reviews on whether they tend to run on the small size or not. When you’re not sure, check the site’s size guide. I find the Easy Unit Converter’s shoe size converter helpful in this when the site doesn’t give a size guide. When I’m still confused in the end, I simply give up and check if there are any physical stores available in the area and fit from there. It’s still worth it for me to buy online, though. I hate carrying bulky shopping bags around and the shops I like to buy from has free delivery.
· Base. Check if the base is narrow or wide. I have wide feet so it’s important for me to check this. I’d hate to squeeze my toes in and get corns. A wider base also provides better balance.
· Material. I buy leather. PETA please don’t throw stuff at me. I eat meat. Why leather? Because leather stretches and conforms to my feet and eventually gives the best fit. This isn’t always the case with all types of leather. Also, leather shoes last longer on me, except for that one time rats chewed on my favourite flats. But I still subscribe to leather as they last a long time and don’t peel the way shoes nowadays tend to do.
· Cushion. If you’re going to be on your feet for any time at all, you’re going to have to make sure it’s comfortable. I always press on the foot bed for any foam to absorb the shock. I’m a sissy that way.
· Initial fit. I don’t believe in buying a pair that doesn’t feel comfortable the first time you fit them. When buying shoes, check that they’re comfortable the first time around. I once went back to the store 30 minutes after purchase to change to a bigger size because I couldn’t bear to walk in them by that time. Shoes will be broken in, yes, but what that means for me is that they will feel uncomfortable after about the first 2 hours of wearing them. There will be stretching and there will be some blisters and after a time, they will be as comfortable as when you first wear them. Of course, if you wear 5 inch heels for a whole day of walking/standing, prepare for a world of hurt. It’s not even your feet that will hurt by then. It’ll be your lower legs screaming.
· Rubber soles and heel tips. Sometimes, I think this is the hardest thing to find in the shoes I shop for nowadays in the malls which make me wonder how most shoe-wearers handle slippery areas. I’d hate to slip in my heels. It’s embarrassing for one and a lot of aches and pains if you slip in high ones for another. It’s actually easy and cheap enough to get heel tips replaced in the shoe repair shops littering the malls. This actually lengthens shoe life as it takes longer to wear them out than the plastic ones. Soles are not as cheap so when I find rubber-soled shoes that I like, it’s love. An alternative is to buy one of those stick-on rubber soles. They won’t last that long, though and you’ll have to replace them. I actually found a couple at the P88 Japan Home store.
