Steven Neufeld MD: High Heel Shoes Impact Foot Health

1. Steven Neufeld, MD: High Heel
Shoes Impact Foot Health

2. •More popular than ever, high-heeled shoes are considered
an important accessory to the modern woman’s wardrobe.
•Although a fashionable choice of foot wear, wearing high
heels can negatively impact foot health and your body’s
proper alignment.

3. •As Dr. Steven Neufeld notes, wearing high heels may
additionally exacerbate symptoms and pain related to
common foot conditions such as bunions.
•The Director of the Orthopedic Foot & Ankle Center of
Washington and founder of a foot and ankle fellowship,
orthopedic physician Steven Neufeld, MD, offers insight on
the dangers of frequently wearing high heeled shoes.

4. •A common type of fashionable yet potentially dangerous
shoe, the stiletto features a high, thin heel.
•The design of this shoe can affect a patient’s balance and
body alignment because most of the patient’s bodyweight is
focused on the balls of the feet.

5. •Wearing these types of heels for prolonged periods of time
can cause excessive tightening of leg muscles and affect
walking (gait) patterns.
•Orthopedic physicians recommend that patients wear shoes
that fit properly and feel comfortable.

6. •Patients should also consider wearing heels only for short
periods of time such as a dinner party rather than a full
workday.

7. •Patients should also consider wearing heels only for short
periods of time such as a dinner party rather than a full
workday.