Like lollies are to your teeth, high heels are to your feet.
So put them in the "have occasionally" box, says one Tauranga podiatrist.
Sarah Edwards sees plenty of hideous results of wearing high heels - calluses, hammer toes and claw toes to name a few.
"You see a lot of little old
ladies who wore heels a lot in the '40s and '50s and have the consequential damage," Mrs Edwards said.
However, Tauranga ladies were usually good at saving the heels for special occasions, she said.
"You see it more in the cities. Here things are a bit more casual."
The problem with heels, Mrs Edwards said, was they put more weight on the fore-foot.
"You see neuromas, a nasty condition that sits between the nerves and causes a lot of pain," she said.
There was also evidence to show wearing heels caused arthritis in the front of the knee.
So for Mrs Edwards' heels to come out of the closet it has to be a very special occasion.
"Your everyday shoes should be fantastic, they should be the ones you invest more in," she said.
John Miller, the Tauranga-based general manager and lead podiatrist of Foot Mechanics, which has clinics across the North Island, said high heels could become "killer heels" and cause minor problems like blisters and corns through to serious back pain.
"High heels make your legs look longer, bottom smaller and can convert you from a drab shopper to a diva spectacular and no podiatrist would dare to tell you otherwise," Mr Miller said.
But by slowing down when wearing heels, saving them for special outings, getting the right fit and giving feet
some special attention after wearing heels, women could avoid lasting
damage.
