How to find the perfect pair of high heels that don't hurt your feet

Turns out it’s all down to the shape of your foot

Sarah Jones
Thursday 06 October 2016 11:42 BST
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There's a simple formula to work out whether you can wear high heels
There's a simple formula to work out whether you can wear high heels (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

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A top podiatrist has revealed a three-step formula to find a pair of heels that won't leave you in agony.

Choosing the perfect shoe that won't give you blisters all comes down to the shape of your feet.

Consultant podiatrist Emma Supple says that some women are built to wear them skyscraper-high, while others will suffer after mere moments in the lowest of heights.

To work out which category you fit into, Emma says there's a three-step formula to calculate your perfect heel height (PHH) in a matter of minutes.

According to Emma, the measurement is based on the flexibility of a curved bone that connects the foot and the leg.

She told the Daily Mail: “If the talus tilts downwards when you are holding your leg out straight and relaxing your foot, then you have a lot of mobility and can wear high heels with ease.”

The secret to your ability to wear high heels is in your talus bone
The secret to your ability to wear high heels is in your talus bone (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

While this is good news for those with a flexible talus, other women just aren’t cut out for wearing them and there’s nothing they can do about it.

So how do you measure your PHH?

1) Take off your shoes, sit down and hold one leg straight out in front of you keeping your foot relaxed. If your foot sits at a right angle to your leg without dangling then you have less mobility and will be more comfortable in a pair of flats. However, if the top of your foot follows the line of your leg then you are a natural heel wearer.

2) You’ll need a friend for this next part. To find your ideal heel height, get someone to place a tape measure from your heel in a straight line on the floor, then place a pencil at the ball of your foot at right angles to the tape.

3) Wherever the tape measure hits the pencil reveals your PHH.

Thanks to this simple formula you can now feel a whole lot smarter about your footwear purchases, and wave goodbye to a multitude of high heel horrors.

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