When it comes to wearing high heels, most women have a love-hate relationship with them. It’s impossible not to miss them. And walking in them is a challenge. No matter, how hard we love the look of high heels on our figure, our feet feel punished.

Despite rating high on the glam quotient, at the end of the night you are left with blisters on top of blisters! And just when you are willing to give up on glamour in favor of ‘comfort’, you are reminded once again of the traditional mantra ‘beauty is pain’.

And you cave in to the pressure. Ready to take the pain for the gain! But does this mean beauty should always be a pain? And wearing high heels should always be a gain? Well, to answer these, lets’ look at this statement, ‘true beauty is being comfortable in your own skin’. So while, stilettos are sexy, wobbling in them like a newborn giraffe or letting your feet hurt and swell, isn’t.

To really look beautiful in high heels, you should feel comfortable and confident in them. Being a small petite girl, one of the biggest challenges I faced on getting married to a six feet tall guy was to match shoulders with my husband. I had no option but to gradually adjust to the ‘added height’ and feel comfortable with it!

Thankfully, after years of trials and errors, I have finally learned the secrets and tips for wearing high heels without looking clumsy or hurting my feet in the process. Here are a few high heel tips that can help you too in your effort to master the art of wearing high heels gracefully:

Pick the Right Shoe:

One of the most important tips for wearing high heels is always pick the right shoe. While, walking in pumps that fit well is already a challenge, imagine walking in heels that do not fit well! So when, buying stilettos, always look for the proper fit and heel placement of the shoe.

A heel placed too far is not efficient in supporting your weight properly. Try to ensure that the center line of the heel should be directly under the center of your own heel. Also, it is better to go with stilettos with a little sole padding for comfort.

Look for Platform Heels:

High heels don’t always mean pumps or stilettos. Today, high heels with platform or wedges look just as trendy and attractive as pencil heels. So, while your legs and gait will look as sexy and great, they will spare you of the balancing act.

Boots with a chunky heel are another alternative to stilettos that looks great with skinny jeans and skirts. Now, isn’t this a great high heel tip!

Start with Low Heels:

If flats are your only idea of poise and grace, you should probably start with low heels or kitten heels before you upgrade to 5 inch pumps. Once you are comfortable with low heels, you can start wearing mid-height heels, and finally move on to your desirable high heels.

Also, it is always a good idea to begin with a chunkier heel as opposed to pencil heels or stilettos.

Prep Up Your Legs and Feet:

Another surprising but effective high heel tip is exercise. Try stretching your toes and calves before slipping on your stilettos. A little stretching of your core muscles will adjust your sense of balance so that you can wear heels gracefully.

Practice! Practice! Practice!

Walking in high heels is an art. The best way to learn this art is to practice walking in your heels in front of a mirror in the privacy of your own home. Once you feel your body is comfortable to the idea of new height and sense of balance, you can take your steps outside to get adjusted to the feel of concrete, gravel and other rough surfaces.

Lastly, tips for wearing high heels successfully are not limited to just walking in them but also include climbing stairs and dancing in them. So for using the stairs gracefully in your pumps, try using only the sole/flat area of the shoe to climb up the stairs and use the entire shoe (heel, ball, and toe)landing on each step at once while climbing down the stairs.

All it needs is a little practice and patience and your steps will start coming to be smooth and natural. Keep tottering!!

Pics Credit: Google