I’ve never been a fan of everyday shoes, so I’ve always wanted to find a way to wear high heels without pain.
Honestly, the thought of slipping on sneakers never appealed to me, and despite a brief fling with Doc Martens, the number of practical shoes in my wardrobe gradually dwindled until I suddenly realized I didn’t own a single pair of flat shoes.
But they say beauty requires sacrifice. Despite my love for platforms and heels, I couldn’t get used to the side effects they came with—blisters and foot pain.
I haven’t come across any foolproof method to combat blisters—except maybe wearing stockings all the time or changing band-aids every couple of hours. Unfortunately, even these options don’t work well for open-toed shoes.
At one point, I turned to platform shoes. With a thick wedge between the heel and the toe, I could walk for days without a problem. But stilettos and block heels were a different story.
Don’t get me wrong; I’m a stubborn high-heel lover, but the foot pain always seemed too high a price to pay.
Until I discovered a cheap, simple, and slightly quirky method to avoid that nagging heel pain.
It was invented by Marie Helvin, the 1970s supermodel, muse, and former wife of British photographer David Bailey, who spent countless evenings on catwalks and red carpets wearing towering stilettos.
Helvin shared her secret a few years ago, and ever since, I’ve been recommending it to everyone. So, what’s the secret, you might ask?
You need to tie your third and fourth toes together (counting from the big toe).
Hold on, I know it sounds ridiculous. I know because everyone I’ve told about this laughed in my face.
But it works.
In her interview with “The Daily Mail” in 2014, Helvin gave some questionable scientific reasoning: apparently, when you tie the middle toes together, it aligns the foot muscles and relieves the pressure on the heels.
Whether this explanation is true or not, it doesn’t really matter in this case.
By the fourth day of wearing 12-centimeter booties without the slightest pain, I was a convert.
Personally, I prefer to tie my toes with tape, bandages, or soft ribbon because I don’t like the idea of using anything too sticky.
When I want to ensure a blister-free experience, I still give my feet a couple of days to rest from heels. Or I go for platform shoes.
Some might say my newfound almost-daily ritual is utterly foolish, that no shoes are worth so much effort and suffering.
But what sets heels apart from other everyday rituals, like applying makeup?
I don’t mind spending an extra 30 seconds; it’s worth it when I feel fabulous strutting down the street in my high heels!
So, will you give this method a try? Share this article with other women and let them decide!
