Remember that familiar, pre-pandemic feeling of toe cramp after a long night out? “That's when you get such things as corns and hard skin (especially under metatarsal heads or the ball of the foot). When your toes are squished and especially with pointy shoes, you can develop hammertoes and, of course, you can damage your toenails, which can have long-term effects.”
Women are also more likely to get Morton's neuroma (a type of pinched nerve in the ball of the foot) than men. “It often affects thinner feet and can be exacerbated by wearing mules for longer distances. It can be really painful when you get up in the morning.”
So should we ditch our heels for good?
The short answer is no, but picking the right kind of heel and putting a time cap in place is key. “An inch-and-a-half heel is better than not wearing a heel at all,” Dabbs explains. “When you're wearing a heel, the Achilles tendon is shortened, but without any kind of heel at all it will be lengthened. Ideally, you want to avoid both extremes.”
Look for designs with lower and wider heels, which exert less pressure on the foot and offer more stability. Dabbs’ hack for easing back into your post-lockdown heels? “Always ensure that there's a comfort pad under the ball of your foot.”
As for the time limit? “I would say don’t exceed four hours. If you’re going somewhere great and want to wear high heels—which we all can't wait to do—put them on at the last minute and don't keep them on for longer than you have to.”
There’s also good news for anyone who has something of a shoe-buying obsession. Having a variety of shoes on rotation will help ensure we’re not always exposing our feet to the same friction or pressure.
Which shoes offer the best foot wellness?
Regardless of the style of footwear, the expert advice is the same: “Everything in moderation.” A rule that applies equally to our Birkenstocks and the recent homespun clogs revival, as much as those Y2K mules and vertiginous Vivienne Westwood platforms.
“The great thing about clogs is they come quite far up your foot, offering support. They’re also naturally roomy around the toes, which means you've got less risk of friction and compression, lowering the chance of hard skin and corns.” Birkenstocks also ‘hold’ your feet well, giving stability. But you might want to reconsider wearing them relentlessly with bare feet as they can be dehydrating.
