Stilettos - can you walk in them??

[KoalaDownUnder]

Inspired by binge-watching Suits on Netflix over the weekend.

Just how do people wear stilettos all day, or in fact at all? I literally cannot walk two steps in them without losing my balance.

Stiletto-wearers, is there a special walk that you had to learn??

I used to wear them 9 hours a day, then go dancing in them on Friday and Saturday when I was younger. No way now!

It's been so long that I honestly don't remember how I walked in them! But I do remember it being a bit of a 'Marilyn Monroe wiggle' and balancing on the balls of my feet.

I think it might be a natural born gift. My 14 yo isn't allowed to wear high heels unless it's a special occasion but she can strut around much more confidently than I can, when she does.

Yes I can walk in them, and I wear them to work most days.

It gets easier the more you do it.

You're actually balancing your body weight on a spike, though! The physics of it don't make sense.

Maybe it doesn't help that I'm tall and have very small ankles. Perhaps I'm just not engineered the right way for stilettos.

Yes, don't put your weight on the ball of your foot, put it onto your heel. Sounds weird but I've coached friends to walk in high heels and they can now do it.

Make sure they fit properly too. The foot slides forward a lot in a stiletto which often makes it loose around the heel. You can't afford this to happen - make sure there is a snug, non-slippy fit round the heel.

What robinia said, also make your bottom do the work, not your knees.

Yes to putting the weight on your heel, although I have snapped a few heels when out and about because of my tendency to stomp!

I have wrecked my feet with stilettos but it was worth it.

I can if they have an ankle strap or a full-ish front. I'm hypermobile, and the joints in my feet are crazy, so I generally need a bit more support.

Why was it worth it, Nettles? What could make harming your feet worth it?

back in the 80s I would wear them all day every day. I didn't drive so that included walking a mile to the station and then half a mile to the office. I could run for a bus or train without any problem and would often stay out all evening dancing or standing up at gigs. Nowadays I live in Uggs and Skechers and all my lovely heels have been given away. I have a couple of pairs of highish wedges but they are only worn when I can be sure of getting a cab to and from my destination!

I was also a tiny size 8 with a flat belly, no broken veins, thick lustrous flowing hair and the complexion of an angel. And did I appreciate all that? No, I was shy and insecure and stuttered if anyone spoke to me.

I live in them from Mondays to Fridays (plus the occasional Saturday). I've been doing ballet since I was a kid so stilettos aren't a problem for me. What's important though, is finding the right one. Proper fit, proper height, proper support. Get any of those wrong and they're a nightmare to walk in.

Liinoo, you sound stunning!

As for putting one's weight on the heel - how often do they snap?! I'm not even overweight, but I just can't see it...

I'm probably sounding thick here, but i genuinely find the concept quite baffling. Yet women manage them all day, every day.

Mine have never snapped. I used to love them too, I once ran a mile in 4 inch heels, now I'd struggle to run for the bus in trainers.