Beauty is pain – anyone that’s walked more than five minutes in a pair of heels is definitive proof of that. We never want to sacrifice our comfort for the look of elegance, and for that reason, we’ve compiled some immensely useful hacks to help you survive the night in your stilettos, chunkies, and wedges.
1. Rub sandpaper on the bottom of your heels to prevent slippage and create more friction, so you won’t fall when you bust a move at the bar.
2. The easiest, least DIY hack on this list: Insert Dr. Scholls inserts or other silicone gel inserts which relieves pressure and makes shoes way more comfortable, heels or not!
3. Break in heels with a hair dryer. The heat will soften the material, but don’t overheat! This will melt the material. So the key is even distribution and getting the heat to the point where it’s pliable enough to be bent in, without going overboard.
4. If applying heat to your heels makes you nervous, you can always freeze ‘em! No, seriously. Stick a bag of water in the front of your shoes and put them in the freezer over night. Don’t overstuff the shoes, and don’t let them melt inside, whatever you do!
5. Or if you not up for any temperature related methods, hot or cold, here’s an easy fix: stretch them out by walking around wearing thick socks. House cleaning is the perfect opportunity to take advantage of this.
6. Solve chafing due to the straps on high heels with strips of moleskin that are the same size as the straps, slipped underneath. This will act as a cushiony padding between the straps and your skin lowering chances of blisters and rashes.
7. Deodorant also helps! Deodorant (the transparent kind of course) helps prevent areas of chafing and instead of rubbing, it will glide in a more gentle manner. It’ll also make your little piggies less stinky after a long day of walking.
8. Shoe shop at night or the beginning of the day, instead of a long day of shopping, because after a lot of walking your feet get swollen and you end up buying the wrong size of shoes which guarantees pain every time you slip them on after!
9. Tape your 3rd and 4th toes together (this prevents activating a painful nerve that high heel usage applies pressure to), or stick some cotton balls underneath them to relieve the pressure.
10. Go for chunky heels instead of stilettos – they might not have the exact femme fatale look you’re going for, but they’re still super chic and add height. A chunky heel will damage your feet less and distribute weight more evenly.
