| We all know that high heels are bad for our feet, | | | | height you can take off a heel without distorting |
| ankles, knees, posture… The list goes on! But | | | | the shoe’s fit. Place your high heeled shoe or |
| that doesn’t seem to stop us from wearing | | | | boot on the end of a table so that the heel hangs |
| them. Pain may equal beauty in the short term, | | | | off. Be sure to keep the shoe level. Slowly lower |
| but at what price? | | | | the heel until the back end of the ball of the foot |
| Unfortunately many of the most elegant dress | | | | rests on the table. Whatever part of the heel |
| shoe designs are 3-inch heeled monstrosities. For | | | | hangs below table-level is expendable. |
| some reason, shoe designers seem to think that | | | | It is rarely possible to shorten a heel by more |
| the only people interested in 1 to 2-inch heels are | | | | than an inch (and even this amount of reduction is |
| octogenarians. At least when I go shoe shopping, | | | | too much in some cases). Luckily, lowering a heel |
| most low-heeled shoes look like something from | | | | even by as subtle an amount as a ¼-inch can |
| my grandmother’s closet and not a pair of | | | | take a lot pressure of your forefoot. |
| shoes that a young 20-something would be | | | | I recommend performing the table test at home |
| excited to wear out on the town. | | | | before you even consider taking your heels to a |
| The good news is that heels can be shortened, | | | | cobbler. If it seems like the shoes can be lowered, |
| but the modification must be done carefully. | | | | make sure to bring them to a reputable place. |
| Changing heel height alters the balance of the | | | | The cobbler’s estimate of how much the |
| shoe and can make a shoe un-wearable. If you | | | | shoes can be lowered should roughly match the |
| lower the heel too much, the toe of the shoe will | | | | results of the table test. |
| point upward. Imagine a shoe with a toe that | | | | When looking for a beautiful dress shoe, there is |
| points several inches up into the air. Now imagine | | | | no reason to choose between high heels and flats. |
| putting weight on that shoe. At best, the shoe | | | | A moderate heel (anything from one to one and |
| would be extremely uncomfortable. At worst, the | | | | half inches) can actually be beneficial to the |
| shank would snap in two. | | | | long-term health of your feet and knees. |
| Here’s an easy way of judging how much | | | | |