8:03 PM
Salsa Circuit
Heels that cause accidents, sometimes even when they're not on your feet
Problem: The platform wedge
"Very very high platform wedges, which are super hot right now, are prime suspects," says Meghan Cleary, resident shoe expert at shoeareyou.com. The most common injury they cause are what's known as a "ballet break". "It's when you fall off a wedge onto the side of your foot causing a stress fracture," says Cleary. "It happens because there is zero flexibility in the large platform, so your foot is locked into falling the way the platform heel dictates."
For safe-walking get a sandal with more support at the ankle so you're less likely to suffer twists and turns. Bringing down the height will help minimize the distance you fall.
Photo by: Alexander Wang braided mini-wedges via Saks.com
Aretha Franklin loves her Jimmy Choos, but they don't love her back. The singer was sent to the hospital with a fractured toe last week after she stepped on her spiked Choo shoe. That's right, she wasn't even wearing them when they injured her. Just stepping on one of the heels was so extreme it sent her ankle on a one way train to twist city.
Add it to the annals of accidents caused by architecturally impossible footwear. In April, U.S. Open tennis champ Kim Clijsters tore ligaments in her ankle when she stepped on someone else's foot while wearing heels at a wedding. She had to keep her foot immobile for a month following the misstep.
In Australia, a woman was recently awarded around $60,000 after she tripped and fell down the stairs of a hotel she was staying at. Her nude stilettos actually became key evidence in her court case, and stood trial as a considerable cause of the fall. In the end, the judge decided that women were entitled to their heels even if it leaves them more susceptible to accidents.
But some shoes are more dangerous than others. We asked the experts of footwear which ones have a higher rate of accidents. Here are the biggest types of problem heels, and some less risky alternatives.
Photo by: Jimmy Choo boot shoes via Kristopher Dukes .
Problem: Pencil Heel
These thin-as-a-pencil Louboutin heels should come with an on-call EMT. "People don't have a good sense of balance on spiked or pencil heels because the heel is so thin," says Dr. Rock Positano, Director of Non-Surgical Foot Service at The Hospital for Special Surgery. "In addition, a very narrow heel puts force on the achilles tendon which can lead to problems not just in the foot but in the back and knee."
Photo by: Christian Louboutin pencil heels via Saks.com
A chunkier heel that puts less pressure on the toe and allows for more balance is a safer bet. And yes, Louboutin makes them too.
Photo by: Christian Louboutin via Saks.com
You can get Christian Siriano's 5 inch heels for less than a $100 bucks at Payless but those inches could cost you. Dr. Positano regularly sees what he calls "Gloria Gaynor fractures", or injuries caused from dancing or even walking too long in high heels over 3 inches. "The higher heel means less balance so people lose their footing and invert their ankle leading to fractures or torn ligaments." He's even seen people break bones. "The worst injury I've treated was a woman who actually broke her ankle and foot in three different places from dancing in heels," he says. "When she came in to me her foot was the size of a basketball."
Photo by: Cristian Siriano for Payless
You know those cheap flats you can scrunch up to fit in your handbag? Invest in them. This way if you're planning to wear the killer heels you love, you can swap them out if you're planning to dance or, well, walk. "There's nothing wrong with wearing heels as long as you wear them intelligently," says Dr. Positano. "Don't walk around the city for hours or take them out on the dance floor." Don't step on them either. Aretha will tell you that.
Photo by: Purse Flats
SourcePiper Weiss, Shine Staff
Posted in
0 comments:
Post a Comment