I recently purchased a pair of shoes with six inch heels for my girlfriend. Although she has almost hypermobile (very flexible) joints, she says she can’t walk in them. I guess it’s a question of balance. Would six inch heels be too high, for someone just starting out?

I would like to know how the ladies in here have dealt with high heels. Have you gradually increased the heel-size or have you just practised until you felt comfortable wearing (and walking in) your shoes? Your advice will be greatly appreciated.

– The heel size depends on her foot size. My girlfriend has small feet (European size 36) and the highest heel she wears is four inches. Five inch heels look strange and she cannot walk

– If your girlfriend has never worn heels before, she’s going to need to begin with a lesser height, and practise, practise, practise.

Very high heels can throw off one’s centre of balance by thrusting the backside and breasts out, and forcing the hips to sway from side to side to compensate.

The one thing that new heel wearers (usually teen girls) have to get used to is not walking flat-footed as one does in sneakers and boots. The mantra is “heel-toe, heel-toe”.

Another part to wearing heels is becoming aware of how straight your back is. There is a natural tendency to lean forward, to compensate for the feeling of unbalance. That’s because you have to learn to trust the heels – that they will keep you from toppling over backwards.

As I said, it’s all in practice. I would suggest trying with a 2″ heel first, and wearing them on a daily basis. As your confidence grows, you can begin to wear higher heels.

I have been wearing heels for many years now, on an almost daily basis. I am most comfortable at 3 to 3.5 inches. I think even I would have to practice to be comfortable in 6 inch heels. Unless walking is not a pre-requisite. 🙂

– I will pass on a piece of advice I gained from Arizona Walk Shop (a speciality store specialising in the best footwear for men and women. They said any heel over one inch in height is not truly safe. It’s a question of balance, and you simply cannot balance in shoes that are over one inch in height.

Definitely start your girlfriend out in shoes one or two inches at most. I take a size 6.5 and I find I cannot wear anything over 2.5″ without having my foot sliding into the toes of my shoes. The Arizona Walk Shop also said that unless the heeled shoe has a strap across the front there is a danger of falling and breaking an ankle.

– There are three of us working in our shoe shop and we wear six-inch stiletto heels all day with little discomfort. However, the crucial difference is that they have a one inch platform. The platform cushions the foot whilst still giving the impression of a very high heel from behind.

I do have a couple of pairs of six inch stilettos without a platform (made by the London based company Leatherworks) and find the difference dramatic. The extra height tilts you forward making it difficult to walk and with no platform every little bit of gravel is felt through the balls of your feet. I did wear them clubbing a few times but now they just sit on a shelf looking pretty.

A good friend of mine always says that six inch heels are for getting from the living room to the bedroom only. I agree – if you’re planning on going any further you’re very optimistic. In my opinion the six inch heel is just that little bit too high for practical use.

Wow, a six inch heel is a tough act to follow. My wife has two pairs of five inch ankle strap sandals that she likes to wear. These are strictly from the car to the restaurant sandals. Or from the restaurant seat to the ladies room. These shoes are eye catchers that are always worn with RH&T or full fashion seamed stockings.

She can walk okay in them but not for a long time. Most of her wear-all-the-time sandals are three-inch (most comfortable) and the four-inch (almost good for all day) She has no six inchers. I think if she did they would be reserved for at home and by no means going up and down the stairs. Please be very care full. Some ladies can wear these tall shoes and some can’t. My wife is a size five and a half wide and can do the five inch but she would not or could not wear them out on the town. The six inch spikes are nice for those who can tolerate them. Should they be overly uncomfortable or worse yet appear unsafe then drop down a bit. Better a lower heel than a broken bone. Have a nice day! Oh, if she wears them it will be a good idea to be at her side just in case.

– High heels are a choice, just like most fashion. I choose to wear them daily. I started wearing heels on a daily basis about 10 years ago at the age of 35. I had worn heels for special occasions before but it had been years since I wore stilettos. I started with three inch heels and gradually worked up to my daily four inch heel and higher on week-ends and outings. Katie is very right about the platform except I wear a two inch platform with my six inch heels . It is much easier to wear those than the four inch flat soled heels I wear to work. If it didn’t cause such a stir, I would wear the platforms to work. Ten years later, can I honestly say my feet were better off without them? Probably, but for drastic effect, nothing beats a great pair of legs in full fashion nylons and high heels. I wouldn’t have it any other way!