They say that beauty is pain, and in the fashion world, we often swap out the word “beauty” for “style.” Style is pain? That doesn’t sound enticing. We’re devout trend followers and appreciators of nice things (don’t judge us), but even we can’t get behind items that are bad for our overall well-being—even the prettiest pair of stilettos.
Since shoe trends operate on a swiftly moving trend rotation and can determine how comfortable we are throughout the day, we needed to touch base with our favorite podiatrist, Bobby Pourziaee, also known as the High Heel Doc of Rodeo Drive Podiatry, to get the 411 on which shoe trends we should skip this season.
When we told him about the season’s biggest shoe trends, he literally laughed at the overall harm the structures can have on your foot’s health. Below, read along as this podiatrist breaks down which ones are laughable at best and which you should stock up on ASAP.
Don’t worry—the ones he recommends are some of our favorite styles for this season. Apparently, comfort and style actually can go hand in hand.
DON’T WEAR: FLIP-FLOPS
“Even though your toes (and that beautiful pedicure) are out for the world to see, extended use of flip-flops can lead to arch and heel pain. Flip-flops notoriously have no support. Keep them only for the beach or the pool.”
DON’T WEAR: BALLET FLATS
“Even though these remind you of your days in ballet class in first position, these shoes also have zero support. They give you a false sense of material because your foot is covered, but the material is thin, and therefore, it can easily be punctured while walking on the street to your barre class (or coffee date).”
DON’T WEAR: PLASTIC SHOES
“The plastic-shoe trend will hopefully not last long. Not only does plastic cause major perspiration of the feet, but the friction caused by the plastic can create blisters and pain. Besides that, they make your feet smell really bad.”
DON’T WEAR: GLADIATOR SANDALS
“These give the illusion of ankle support because of the straps, but the flimsy straps provide minimal support of the ankle and therefore can cause an ankle twist or a bad runway fall.”
DON’T WEAR: CLOSE-TOED MULES
“Close-toed mules can squish your foot because they’re narrow. More importantly, they have no ankle or rear-foot support. This can easily allow for a sprained ankle or long-term damage.”
DON’T WEAR: HEELS HIGHER THAN THREE INCHES
“General rule: the higher the heel, the closer to god, but also increased chances of ankle sprains and long-term damage to the forefoot.”
This post was published at an earlier date and has since been updated. Next, These Are the Best Sneakers for Wide Feet, According to a Podiatrist
