History shows that women have already worn such shoes since ancient Egypt. During this era, wearing shoes is related to the class where the person belongs to. Those who are wearing shoes in this era are attributed to the higher class while those who walk bear foot are members of the lower class. Considering the Roman and Grecians, they were first to wear platform sandals. Such is called as kothorni. During the Renaissance, the kothorni shoes were named as buskins. This footwear is made with cork or wood soles, which are specifically made for actors who need boost in their height.

After the Renaissance, the Europeans have made innovations in footwear. Nobles made heels as an addition to shoes. These heels have a utilitarian purpose; it allows the foot to keep the feet in the stirrups. Some shoes are “well-heeled” pertaining to the more costly ones. This kind of fashion slowly developed in more sophisticated styles and designs. Fashion from Europe was innovated. In Italy, the high heels were revolutionized by the chapiney type of shoes. But later, this kind of shoes were banned in Venice.

Moving to the 17th century in England, some women who were believed to be witches and used high heels to seduce women were punished. On the other hand, one can remember the name Casanova. He preferred women wearing high heels since it shoes the legs. In France, it was believed the Marie Antoinette who as the queen was executed wearing two-inch heels. In the Victorian Era, sewing machines were invented which made increasing innovations in high-heeled shoes.

During the1930’s, the heels of the shoes were made wider and lower. In the 1960’s, stilettos were invented. The name “stiletto” was derived from the dagger; these shoes were the crazed items in the catwalks. However, during the 1980’s stiletto heels waned a bit in the fashion scene. Now, one can see different styles and colors of high-heeled shoes. Surely, a woman owns a pair of high-heeled shoes since it is considered a staple footwear in the wardrobe. Now, high heels surely made a distinct mark on the fashion industry. Women everywhere patronize this kind of footwear for its aesthetic function. Nevertheless, wearing heels is like wearing a piece of history.

Some common foot problems are results from wearing high-heeled shoes that do not provide much comfort. One prominent injury associated with high-heeled shoes is the shortening of the Achilles tendon. Due to the unnatural position that the feet given to, the calf and Achilles tendon have less contact. This results to the aforementioned condition. With some calf and Achilles tendon exercises, injuries such as this can be avoided or minimized.

The forefoot is the area that is most affected because the weight is lunged towards the given area. This makes room for injuries such as bunions, callous and inflammation. Bunions are abnormal growth in the forefoot area, which is an enlargement of the joint. To be more specific, there is an additional bone formation in the given area. Discomfort can be felt with this kind of injury. When abnormal growth occurs in the small toe, the condition is called sailor’s bunion. When the toe box of the shoe is too restricted or tight, this injury occurs. It would be best to select shoes with round or wide toe boxes to avoid getting bunions.

With excessive tightness or friction the feet develops calluses and blisters. These are painful skin condition due to intense rubbing and pressure. The external area of the skin thickens to protect the feet from further friction. Hence, this is a normal reaction. Though this is a normal reaction to protect the feet, it is an unpleasant growth in the feet. Some would use over the counter callous removing cream to remove the growth. However, some over the counter cream burns too much skin, which might cause infections and the likes.

The abovementioned injuries will be considered light as compared to the following. Stress fractures, which are crack or breaks in the bones of the foot when wearing high heels especially with older women. Ankles can be strained or twisted when one loses balance over the shoes. Lastly, neuromas are tissue growth under the feet that causes utmost pain and discomfort.

Given these possible injuries, women should not wear shoes with heels exceeding two inches. In addition, one should not wear high-heeled shoes on a daily basis to give the feet time to heal and repair. Though flats may not be flattering as heels, they offer much more comfort and support. Hence, one should rotate the shoes to be worn to avoid injuries.

However, many experts say that wearing high heels for long periods or daily can affect one’s health seriously. The damage that can be incurred with wearing high heels is long-term. Women tend to complain about pain that is caused by their killer high-heeled shoes and their tendons suffer the most damage. Additionally, the damage to the tendons is irreversible. Why do such problem occur? Wearing high heels disrupts the natural balance of the body affecting not only the foot but the calves and back as well.

Wearing high heels put forward a lot of pressure to the balls of the feet, which is in the forefoot area. In this case, the body is put into a posture that is non-normal to avoid from falling or tipping forward. Simply put, the center of gravity is severely altered and lunged forward. Back pains are also caused by wearing heels since the back forces the body to an upright position when heels are worn. Nevertheless, the posture that is achieved is utterly irregular. To be more specific, the spine’s position is altered which in turn puts pressured on the nerves in the back.

The Achilles tendon is the most injured body part with wearing heels. Since the foot’s position is altered, the Achilles tendon tends to shorted and in the end be permanently damaged. The Achilles tendon is for flexibility, which allows the foot to point and flat. Nevertheless, with the shortening of the Achilles tendon, the feet are forced to be positioned as if one is wearing high heels. Some older women who wore high-heeled shoes most of the time are unable to put their flat anymore due to the shortening of their Achilles tendon.

Aside from the abovementioned medical conditions that can be derived from wearing high heels, there are some more health conditions that are less alarming but should be taken into consideration. Bony growth in the feet area occurs when the toes are squishes into a certain position by the toe box, this condition is called bunions. With the skin, calluses and blisters are incurred when the shoes provide excessive friction. All things considered, wearing high heels is a health hazard. But in reality, women cannot shun away these irresistible shoes for their impeccable style and image.