
Q: "I'm in love with high heels in and out of the office, but
they kill my feet. Do comfortable ones exist?"
1. Heel placement If
the heel is too far back, it won't support your weight properly. The center
line of the heel should be directly under the center of your own heel. Thicker
heels often do this automatically, or you can look for narrow heels that dip in
slightly at the top.
As good as the shoe on the left looks, the way the
heel drops straight down in the back probably makes it less comfortable than
the shoe on the right. Black-and-White Heels, ACNE,
2. Sole thickness High heels are much
more comfortable with a little padding, especially on hard surfaces, so some
sort of a platform is always a good idea. If your shoes don't have a platform,
try adding a gel insole.

Despite being just as tall, if not taller, than the
shoe on the left, the shoe on the right is probably more comfortable on city
sidewalks thanks to that thick platform. Turquoise and Black Heels,
3. Sole rigidity Steer clear of shoes with rigid soles
made out of wood or hard plastic. Leather and rubber soles have more give, so
they move with your feet and adjust better to inconsistencies in the ground.

Despite having a relatively thin sole, the rubber and leather combo on
the right is probably more comfortable and easier to walk in than the unyielding wooden
wedge on the left.

4. Heel
Thickness The wider
your heel, the greater your stability. Wedges can be even more stable, provided
they are not too narrow and the entirety of the sole touches the ground.
Chunkier platforms like the one
on the right often have a rounded sole, which helps keep your weight back on
the balls of your feet, instead of forward on your toes, to give you greater
stability so high off the ground.
5.
Security The easier it is for you to slip out of your heels, the harder
they will be to walk in. Your shoes should feel like an extension of your body,
not something foreign that could fall off at any moment. A slingback or a pump
is preferable to a mule, but a boot or something with a strap that goes across
the front of the foot and/or ankle is even better.
