Few relationships in a woman's life are as love-hate as the one she has with her high heels. We love them because they look great and make legs appear longer and leaner, helping petite women appear taller and tall women statuesque. The hate, however, comes when the pain begins.
High heels are the No. 1 culprit of foot pain for women, according to an American Podiatric Medical Association survey. Nearly half of all women wear heels, and 71 percent of heel-wearers say those shoes hurt their feet, the APMA reports.
"With many types of heels, like very high stilettos, foot pain is hard to avoid," says Dr. Matthew G. Garoufalis, a podiatrist and immediate past president of the APMA. "But it is possible for women to find a happy mid-point between great looks and great pain."