Award Season Fashion Can Strain Feet
Award season is one full of glitz and glamour. Designers and celebrities bring their A-game when it comes to fashion and every year they collaborate to create iconic looks that will be remembered for years to come. No wonder almost everyone’s favorite part of any award show is watching the red carpet to see what the stars are wearing.
The couture gowns are swoon-worthy, but in a Podiatrist’s office, the shoes are anything but. Especially in recent years, the red carpet shoe trend has been crazy pumps and thigh high boots that look beautiful, but end up killing your feet.
The queen of crazy (and dangerous) shoes is none other than Lady Gaga. Her style in recent years has become more elegant, while still preserving her quirky charm, but she has, without a doubt, had some of the most unforgettable looks of any red carpet. Some of her most memorable shoe choices that come to mind are the meat shoes that she wore to the 2010 VMA’s or the custom, sky-high, platform stilettos that she wore to the 2016 Grammy’s.
Celebrities Love Foot Health, Too
Gal Gadot and Emma Thompson are two celebrities (apparently in the minority) that put their foot health and comfort above fashion, even during these glamourous events. When questioned about her trend-setting shoe choices, Gadot said she wanted to “create this trend of doing red carpets in flats”.
“I love wearing high heels, it’s beautiful, it’s sexy, whatever,” she told USA Today, “But at the same time, especially stilettos, it puts us out of balance. We can fall any minute. It’s not good for our backs. Why do we do it?”.
Emma Thompson, of course, made headlines, and Podiatrist fan clubs everywhere, when she wore tennis shoes to her Damehood ceremony at Buckingham Palace in the winter of 2018.
Compromise is Key!
It’s probably not reasonable to expect everyone to choose foot health over fashion 100% of the time, especially when personal style plays such a huge role in self-confidence and self-expression. But, when it comes to preventing pain and serious health problems down the road, compromise is key! It’s always important to look your best and feel your best, so here are some tips on how to maintain your foot health and your fashion sense.
Helpful Tips:
- If you walk to work, wear sneakers on your commute and change into your business shoes when you get there.
- When in doubt, opt for shorter heels.
- Wear wedges when you go to Keeneland or the Derby- they offer much better support and stability.
- Always bring a pair of supportive flats as a backup shoe- don’t push yourself!
- Soak your feet in Epsom Salt after a long day on your feet
- Get a pedicure or foot massage to break down built up tension in your feet