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Maybe kinda frivolous question but wondered how many older women still wear some type of heels? If you never wore them, this doesn't apply to you. Put this in Retirement as the gist is not fashion per se.
I wore heels at my last job of 10 years, not spikes heels but good pumps. Now I have plantar fasciitis in one foot. Wearing flats, flip flops, shoes with no support etc. makes it worse. Not saying wearing heels is recommended but they feel so good as they stretch out the fibrous band that is affected with p.f. I also have bunions so must wear toe separators.
Have several heeled shoes but all have a chunky heel, all about 2 inches...like short booties and mules. They feel great as they have larger toe boxes, many are made of a flexible fabric instead of hard leather etc. and I enjoy wearing them and the way they look with pants....this is just for me, not trying to impress.My other shoes have lower heels like mules etc. I never wear sneakers.
Oh...and I feel very stable wearing these shoes, no teetering etc. Not sure how much longer I'll be able to wear them but for now...
How about you? Sworn off them forever?
Last edited by greatblueheron; 03-08-2019 at 08:03 AM..
I never wore real heels in everday life, but i can't wear flats. I have to have a little heel.
Even my favorite combat boots were called lineman boots. The guys that climbed towers wore those. The heels were a little taller for a better grip i guess. Loved them.
I do not wear flip flops unless they are a good brand - no dollar store stuff. Birkenstock slides are comfy too. They just have a strap that goes across and have a good arch support. Come in different colors
I never wore real heels in everday life, but i can't wear flats. I have to have a little heel.
Even my favorite combat boots were called lineman boots. The guys that climbed towers wore those. The heels were a little taller for a better grip i guess. Loved them.
I do not wear flip flops unless they are a good brand - no dollar store stuff. Birkenstock slides are comfy too. They just have a strap that goes across and have a good arch support. Come in different colors
Birkenstock got an A when I was reading about shoes and foot problems, because of the molding to the foot.
I have some hiking boots but no combat.
I always used to wear some kind of heels but never spikes; my ankle turns too easily, lol. I'd say probably a 2.5" to 3" heel on most of my pre-age-60 shoes. The only flats I ever wore were sneakers. Even my sandals had some kind of heel.
Fast forward to age 60 when I developed plantar fasciitis in my right foot and now must wear orthotics ALL the time in order to avoid pain. Low, integral-heel shoes such as sneakers or something like these Softspots are the only ones that really work with orthotics:
I live in only those two kinds of shoes now. On the rare occasions when they would look just too horrible, I have a couple of pair of plain pumps that have a 1.5" heel. Even a 2" heel will now make me feel off balance and/or with lower back strain. On the other hand I can't stand a totally flat shoe either. The sweet spot is between 1" and 1.75" apparently.
My biggest problem is proper fit because I have a narrow heel, wide front foot (WW or WWW), high arch, and moderate bunions as well as the plantar fasciitis. So shoe shopping is basically a nightmare.
Older women who can still wear pretty shoes probably don't realize how good they have it!
Donated every pair of heels I owned the day I retired. Because I need good arch support I wear an Easy Sprit athletic shoe or an Easy Sprit walking shoe 95% of the time. If I must wear a dressy shoe I have a pair of Clark flat dressy shoes with a rubber sole.
Since I have a wide foot across the toe area I can't find shoes in a store and have to order on line. Once I find a style that works for my foot I stick with it.
Now I have plantar fasciitis in one foot. Wearing flats, flip flops, shoes with no support etc. makes it worse. Not saying wearing heels is recommended but they feel so good as they stretch out the fibrous band that is affected with p.f.
GBH, I suffered with the p.f. for almost a year, trying all sorts of shoes and over the counter inserts, before finally going to a podiatrist and getting a set of sport orthotics. I can honestly say that within 24 hours of first using them, I was completely free of pain. The only time I am not wearing them is while asleep or in the shower (I raise my p.f. heel off the floor while showering, weight never gets placed on it if my orthotic isn't there.) I kicked myself that I waited so long to see the doctor about the p.f.
I got a second set of orthotics that would fit into my slightly narrower "dress" (read: not sneakers or granny shoes) pumps because the standard sport orthotic is designed for casual footwear. The podiatrist trimmed down the sides of those orthotics to make them slimmer. The commercially available so-called "dress orthotics" are useless.
I recently replaced my first (10-year-old) pair of orthotics because the layers began separating and couldn't be repaired. They cost $400 but are worth it to keep me pain-free. I think my original pair cost something like $275 or $300 including the mold the doctor takes. Regular Medicare does not cover orthotics, by the way. Don't know if any of the Advantage type plans do.
I always used to wear some kind of heels but never spikes; my ankle turns too easily, lol. I'd say probably a 2.5" to 3" heel on most of my pre-age-60 shoes. The only flats I ever wore were sneakers. Even my sandals had some kind of heel.
Fast forward to age 60 when I developed plantar fasciitis in my right foot and now must wear orthotics ALL the time in order to avoid pain. Low, integral-heel shoes such as sneakers or something like these Softspots are the only ones that really work with orthotics:
I live in only those two kinds of shoes now. On the rare occasions when they would look just too horrible, I have a couple of pair of plain pumps that have a 1.5" heel. Even a 2" heel will now make me feel off balance and/or with lower back strain. On the other hand I can't stand a totally flat shoe either. The sweet spot is between 1" and 1.75" apparently.
My biggest problem is proper fit because I have a narrow heel, wide front foot (WW or WWW), high arch, and moderate bunions as well as the plantar fasciitis. So shoe shopping is basically a nightmare.
Older women who can still wear pretty shoes probably don't realize how good they have it!
I know it's hard to find shoes with the issues you have, some of which I have too. Zappos.com has wide shoes, you can try them and then send them back for free....thousands of shoes there. I've bought specialty shoes from Footsmart.com too. I'm sure you have your own places to shop...care to share?
Donated every pair of heels I owned the day I retired. Because I need good arch support I wear an Easy Sprit athletic shoe or an Easy Sprit walking shoe 95% of the time. If I must wear a dressy shoe I have a pair of Clark flat dressy shoes with a rubber sole.
Since I have a wide foot across the toe area I can't find shoes in a store and have to order on line. Once I find a style that works for my foot I stick with it.
I need the wide toe box because of bunions...Zappos.com has a huge selection...I try too to use leather inserts for arch support but they wear down after a while. A podiatrist recommended Fitflops, have you seen those? They really have a lg toe box and hard sole for support but no real arch support.
GBH, I suffered with the p.f. for almost a year, trying all sorts of shoes and over the counter inserts, before finally going to a podiatrist and getting a set of sport orthotics. I can honestly say that within 24 hours of first using them, I was completely free of pain. The only time I am not wearing them is while asleep or in the shower (I raise my p.f. heel off the floor while showering, weight never gets placed on it if my orthotic isn't there.) I kicked myself that I waited so long to see the doctor about the p.f.
I got a second set of orthotics that would fit into my slightly narrower "dress" (read: not sneakers or granny shoes) pumps because the standard sport orthotic is designed for casual footwear. The podiatrist trimmed down the sides of those orthotics to make them slimmer. The commercially available so-called "dress orthotics" are useless.
I recently replaced my first (10-year-old) pair of orthotics because the layers began separating and couldn't be repaired. They cost $400 but are worth it to keep me pain-free. I think my original pair cost something like $275 or $300 including the mold the doctor takes. Regular Medicare does not cover orthotics, by the way. Don't know if any of the Advantage type plans do.
The orthotics are SOOOOO worth it though.
Thanks so much! Right now I'd say my p.f. is a mild case, so I'm using Aleve, foot exercises, some
inserts purchased online. The only time it hurts is pm or early am. I'll keep your recommendation in mind.
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Not sure how much longer I'll be able to wear them but for now...
