Fashions' dictates are often incompatible with the body’s needs. Undue stress on the foot, leg, hip, back, and neck can be the result of following footwear trends too closely. The higher the heel, the greater the risk for injury or ongoing problems.

Below are some tips to follow if wearing high heels provides you with a soulful experience:

• Avoid wearing them for long periods of time, and stretch the muscles in the back of the leg before and after putting them on.
• Try to set a limit of two-inch heels.
• Pelvic tilts and calf stretches will assist in lessening muscle cramping and shortening.
• Buy shoes in the afternoon or evening. Feet swell during the day.
• Change into lower heels whenever possible.
• Try to eliminate pointed toes. A good rule to follow is the higher the heel, the wider the toe box should be.
• Select shoes with leather insoles to keep feet from slipping.
• Buy and wear a variety of shoes including sneakers, oxfords, and sandals.

The following is a list of the top 10 most common foot ailments, their causes and/or their remedies:

1. Calluses – wear shoes with more room in the part of the shoe of the same region.
2. Bunions – long-term use of too pointed or too narrow shoes.
3. Neuroma – pinching of the 3rd and 4th metatarsal bones may cause sharp pain. Wear wider shoes.
4. Arch pain – caused by the excessive wear on flat shoes lacking arch support. Wear shoes of varying heel heights.
5. Numbness – from tight shoes, usually on sides, toes, and/or top of foot. Wear shoes with gored elastic at the tongue or with a wider toe box. Purchase shoes late in the day, when the foot is most worked.
6. Blisters – caused by poor-fitting shoes or shoes of poor construction.
7. Tinea – fungus caused by excessive sweating in shoes, or shoes or socks that don’t breathe. Wear clean sock and shoes. Select shoes that breathe. Air out shoes after each wearing.
8. Sprains – risked from shoes with heels that are over 2 ¼” high.
9. Achilles pain – tightness of the Achilles tendon cause by the prolonged wearing of high heels. Stretching exercises and varying heels heights will ease or assist in the avoidance of this pain.
10. Retrocalcaneal bump (pump bump) – inflammation caused by excessive friction at the heel of the foot.

Beautiful shoes don’t have to be a pain to wear. Just follow our hints and tips and you, too, will thoroughly enjoy never having too many shoes.