Heels hurt to walk in primarily because they alter your natural foot position and gait, placing excessive pressure on certain areas of your foot. This can lead to several problems.
Here's a breakdown of the reasons:
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Altered Foot Mechanics: Heels force your foot into plantar flexion (toe-pointing down), which shifts your weight forward onto the ball of your foot. This disrupts the natural distribution of pressure across your foot.
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Increased Pressure on the Forefoot: The higher the heel, the more weight is transferred to the ball of your foot. This can overload the metatarsals (the long bones in your forefoot), leading to metatarsalgia (pain and inflammation in the ball of the foot).
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Strain on the Achilles Tendon: Wearing heels shortens and tightens the Achilles tendon over time. This can make wearing flat shoes uncomfortable and increase the risk of Achilles tendonitis.
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Plantar Fasciitis: The unnatural foot position can also strain the plantar fascia, the thick band of tissue that runs along the bottom of your foot from your heel to your toes. This can result in plantar fasciitis, characterized by heel pain, especially in the morning.
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Muscle Imbalance: Heels cause your calf muscles to work harder to maintain balance, while other muscles (like those in the front of your lower leg) become weaker from underuse. This muscle imbalance can contribute to pain and fatigue.
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Restricted Ankle Movement: Heels limit the natural range of motion in your ankle joint, potentially leading to stiffness and discomfort.
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Nerve Compression: High heels can compress nerves in your feet, causing numbness, tingling, or pain, such as Morton's neuroma.
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Bursitis: Increased pressure on certain areas, like the back of the heel, can irritate the bursae (fluid-filled sacs that cushion bones and tendons), leading to bursitis.
In summary, the discomfort experienced while wearing heels stems from the unnatural stresses they place on your feet, impacting foot mechanics, muscle balance, and nerve function. This can cause or exacerbate conditions like plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendonitis, bursitis, and nerve pain.
