The Problem with Barbie Feet…and High Heels

Now that the pinkest movie of the summer has landed in theaters, everyone everywhere is obsessed with Barbie feet. There’s even a viral TikTok challenge trying to get women to walk with their feet in high heel position. (But without the shoes.)

Of course, that’s a bad idea. While everyone has seen Barbie’s feet in their perfectly arched position, real women’s feet aren’t supposed to look like that. So, when you keep them stuck in Barbie foot mode, with or without high heels, bad things can happen. Let’s look at the problems with high-heel wearing, and then explore how we can fix them at our podiatry offices in Spring and Tomball TX.

Barbie Feet Problems: Why High Heels Hurt

Women who wear heels every day won’t find their feet looking like Barbie’s. But they will notice changes to their feet, calves and ankles. And those changes could spell big trouble, from chronic foot pain to more serious injuries.

The first problem? When you wear high heels, your calf muscles shorten up. In fact, wearing stilettos regularly can lead to a 13% shortening over your lifetime. When that happens, the trouble will spread, leaving you with heel pain, arch pain or even plantar fasciitis. On their own, these concerns are bad enough. But ignore these concerns, and the trouble will keep on coming.

High Heels and Foot Injuries

Over time, wearing high heels will change the structure of your body. But even if you limit your wearings, you could face serious injury. In fact, about 20% of women have sprained their ankles or torn a ligament while wearing heels. And just over 30% have fallen while wearing their best Barbie shoes. Now, the percentages are bad enough. But when you get to the actual numbers, the facts are truly shocking. In the 10 years between 2002 and 2012, 123,355 women visited the ER with injuries directly related to their high heels.

Even if you don’t end up with an injury, wearing high heels regularly could leave you with burning pain in the balls of your feet. Or, it could contribute to changes in your foot shape, including hammertoes or bunions.

So what’s the solution: do you have to spend your life in sneakers to avoid all these foot problems? Or is there a way to have your heels and walk with comfort too? Well, if you stick with our podiatrists in Tomball and Spring, TX, you can find a happy medium! Here’s how.

Help for High Heel Pain in Spring TX

Whether your feet have already changed because of high heels, or you just want to keep wearing your favorite shoes without pain, we’re here to help. First, we can help you find high heels that will cause less damage to your feet. (Heel heights between 1 and 3 inches will do the least damage. And wedge heels are a lot easier on your feet than stilettos.)

But even if you haven’t picked the best shoes, and your Barbie feet are starting to hurt a lot? Relief is available, and sooner than you think. Just reach out to our office and request an appointment. We’ll figure out how high heels are impacting your body, and help you get back to feeling your best!