Dangerous high heels: Women's shoes reach hazardous heights during the recession

Shine from Yahoo!—April 12, 2010   

If you’ve browsed a shoe department lately, you may have noticed that high heels are growing—and not just in popularity. Towering platforms, extreme wedges, and treacherous stilettos have flooded the marketplace in recent months, and most every designer and celebrity seems to be doing their part to participate in the trend. Runways, red carpets, and glossy magazine spreads have all been inundated with the look.

However, this isn't without its hazards: Popular Manhattan podiatrist Dr. Rock Positano, director of the Non-Surgical Foot and Ankle Center at Hospital for Special Surgery, agrees, "We are seeing a dramatic increase in problems of this nature that are directly related to abnormal or altered foot and ankle mechanics."

As for those of us who love to wear a pair of sexy high heels out dancing, Positano strongly advises against it: “I have termed an injury known as the 'Gloria Gaynor fracture,' which is best described as an injury sustained during fast dancing while wearing high heels. The combination of fast dancing, a very high heel, and maybe a libation or two can lead to a potentially dangerous situation."

Obviously no one expects that women will stop dressing up in heels altogether, but if you limit the amount of wear time and the heel's height you’re taking a step in the right direction. The doctors we spoke with also recommend: Massaging your feet and rolling them over a golf ball or ice when you take off your shoes at night and gripping a towel and holding your foot up for 15 seconds, three times a day, can also help strengthen the intrinsic muscles of the feet.
 
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