Fashionable footwear comes with long-term costs to feet

It might be time for fashion-conscious women to trade their pumps for a pair of wedges or 1-inch kitten heels.

Medical professionals agree that wearing shoes with heels that exceed that height — particularly those higher than 2 or 3 inches — may complement your image but are apt to send you teetering into foot and leg problems.

"It makes the leg and foot much more beautiful, but it's a wolf in sheep's clothing," said Dr. Ted Cohen, a podiatrist who practices at 2235 N. Rampart Blvd. "Anything over an inch is detrimental to the way the foot functions, so it's actually not very healthy to wear anything above a 1-inch heel, which I guess is unreasonable because most women like to wear 2 or 3 inches."

High heels often lead to problems such as shortening of the Achilles tendon, situated near the heel of the foot; bunions; hammer toe; callouses; and plantar fasciitis, which is inflammation of the connective tissue at the bottom of the foot that supports the arch, Cohen said.

The disparity in weight distribution on the foot triggers such problems, particularly with the plantar fascia, said Bruce Goldie, a certified arch support fitter at Good Feet, 2600 W. Sahara Ave., which sells arch supports.

"The pressure of the load is all on the front of the foot," Goldie said. "Anytime you put strain on the plantar fascia, you are actually putting strain on shin muscles, calf muscles, Achilles — all of that."

Other foot problems could include Haglund's deformity, often referred to as pump bump, said Dr. Noah Levine of Absolute Foot Care Specialists, 1321 S. Rainbow Blvd.

"You get a bone enlargement in the back of your heel where the Achilles tendon attaches," Levine said. "It's not only something that you can see physically, but it causes irritation. That's usually when people come in — when they're having pain in the back of their heel."

Frontal foot pain also is a result of wearing high heels, Levine said.

"The No. 1 thing I see in my practice with people who wear high heels is metatarsalgia," he said. "What that is is pain in the ball of your foot."

Some people may think flats or flip-flops are surefire antidotes to harmful heels, but that's a misconception, Levine said.

"Sometimes, flip-flops that people wear cause more problems than wearing a heel," he said. "The better structure the shoe, the better off you are."

Flats that lack proper structure can be harmful to most people, but they can be worn with less risk of foot or leg damage if they are suited with orthotic support, which helps prevent the abnormal motion of the foot, Cohen said. The same goes for wearing high heels, he said.

Wedges also might be a good alternative to consider, he said.

"A wedge heel is advantageous because a wedge heel supports the medial longitudinal arch, and many podiatrists recommend wedge heels over stilettos or high-heel shoes."

Levine said when he shops for footwear, he checks for three main features:

A sufficient heel counter, the plastic insert in the back of the shoe that reinforces the heel cup. Heel counters should be firm yet not stiff.
A good toe break, meaning the shoe should bend where your toes bend, as opposed to bending in the middle.
Good tarsal change, detectable by twisting the shoe. If it's too rigid or too pliable, chances are it's harmful.

Levine recommended visiting the American Podiatric Medical Association's website at apma.org for more information about foot health.

— To reach Henderson View reporter Cassandra Keenan, email ckeenan@viewnews.com or 702-383-0278. Find her on Twitter: @CassandraKNews.