High Heels- High Price!

So yesterday, I said it was time to go shoe shopping, and with Valentine's Day around the corner, you may have thought that I was going to talk about shopping for the sexy, red high heels on the cover of my book! But alas, no, I was only talking about running shoes. So what do I tell my patients about heels?
First of all, my general advice is to save the major heels for a fun night out. Wearing high heeled, toe pinching shoes to work each day may look fashionable, but it's not worth the price. When I was a medical student, I spent a few weeks with an orthopedic surgeon who specialized in feet- and I vowed then and there to do everything I could so my decades over 40 would not be spent suffering from daily foot pain! I immediately increased my shoe size by a whole size to allow my toes more wiggle room. At 5'2" tall, I like to wear heels to raise my height, but now I rely more on boots and shoes that have a raised platform but less height differential from the heel to the toes. Of course, I also married a man who is 6'4" tall, so even super high heels make NO difference- which decreases the incentive for the whole thing!
If you are going to wear high heels regularly, buy and use the gel supports, and try to avoid super pointy toes. If they hurt- hello- they are NOT good for your foot health. Women who tell me their five inch spike heels are "comfy" have obviously never worn UGGs. Loving that boots of all heel heights are in style this year- take advantage and wear the most truly comfortable ones you can find!
So what do I wear to work? Happily, I wear scrubs and my white lab coat to see patients, and clogs or nice, clean sneakers are the shoes of choice. To be honest, I wear the scrubs BECAUSE of the shoes, not the other way around.
BOTTOM LINE: High heels are sexy, but save your feet by not wearing them every day.