Wearing Flat Shoes
For a lot of women, wearing heels is a part of how we dress, whether it’s smart shoes for work, cute heeled sandals for days out shopping, or skyscraper heels for those big nights out.
Heels can make you look taller, give the impression of a slimmer leg, and adjust how you stand to create a more feminine silhouette, and it can also be good for some of your leg muscles to wear heels some of the time.
Wearing Flat Shoes
However, there are some big health disadvantages to living in heels, and to add to that, they are also just less comfortable and practical than other types of shoes!
Wearing flat shoes some of the time – or even switching to wearing them most of the time and only using your heels when you are getting dressed up, can offer all kinds of health benefits to people who usually always wear heels, and believe it or not, it doesn’t have to mean compromising on style, either!
Here are some benefits to switching to flatter shoes, and how to do it in style!
Reduced Foot and Back Pain
One of the primary benefits you will get when you start wearing flat shoes more frequently is a reduction in foot and back pain. If you are used to heels, you may not even notice that you experience mild discomfort in your feet, legs and back, but the change in posture that you get when you wear heels is one that puts strain on different muscles to normal posture, causing some muscles to become shorter and tighter than they should be.
You may even find that when you start wearing flats more, you feel a stretch in the calf muscle at first. This is just a sign that your body is returning to a more normal muscle balance after adjusting incorrectly to a heeled position.
Switching to flats takes some of the pressure off of the balls of your feet and your ankles, and causes you to straighten your back, reducing a postural defect called anterior pelvic tilt, which is where you stick your butt out too much – a common problem from standing in heels too much, and one which can cause lower back pain and other muscular imbalances. You will also find that you no longer have to worry so much about foot problems like blisters and bunions.
Feel More Mobile, Be More Active
One thing many women notice when they switch to a more comfortable shoe, e.g. sneakers, is that they feel more mobile. You will feel like you are able to walk faster, run for the bus, and are just generally more willing to be the one making the runs out to buy coffee and things! The obvious benefit of feeling more comfortable and having more freedom of movement is that you’ll become more active and burn more calories without even really thinking about it.
In a day wearing sneakers instead of heels, you can happily try taking the stairs instead of the elevator, going for a stroll in your lunch break, and just generally walking more. Try wearing a pedometer and comparing how much more you move on a flat shoe day – you may well be surprised!
Switching to Flats without Losing Your Style Edge
Unless you have an injury or a problem that a doctor has advised you to stop wearing heels as a result of, nobody is saying you should stop wearing them altogether, and so if heels are a big part of your favorite party outfits or chicest work outfits, there is no need to replace them. Just try wearing a pair of flat shoes that you love the style of the rest of the time.
One of the best options for women who love the glamorous style but want to get the health benefits of reducing the time they spend in heels is to invest in a gorgeous pair of luxury sports shoes or sneakers, for instance, a pair from the current collection of Balenciaga sneakers.
Get yourself some Balenciagas in a fashionable, sexy design, and you will find that you want to wear them just as much as your most beautiful high-heeled shoes! SSENSE is a luxury retailer that offers all of the newest and best designs in Balenciaga footwear, as well as sneakers you will love from other high-end brands such as Givenchy and Gucci. They are certain to have some sneakers that will make you feel just as stylish in flats!
Change Your Habits
Changing your habits to wear flat shoes some or most of the time can really help you improve your general posture, foot leg, and back health, and should also make you feel more energized and active. Why not invest in some stylish new sneakers and give wearing flats more often a try, so that you can start to see the benefits for yourself?