Sexy heels! - Something that fashion dictates and foot specialists forbid. Almost every woman would have used or wanted to use one at some time in her life. Why would so many women be sold on to uncomfortable shoes with heels over three inches in height? To start with, a high-heeled shoe changes the way a woman walks, making her sway her hips and assume postures that can be enticing. High heels are also a fashion statement that few women can resist.

Origins of the sexy heel

Would you believe that today's high heels had their ancestry in humble riding boots that riders wanted to make more functional? This gave way to a sort of fashion among the nobility in France and other countries whereby men of high rank and noble birth started wearing high-heeled shoes (The term "well-heeled" actually has its origins in this practice.) The credit for introducing it as a women's fashion perhaps goes to a diminutive French noble woman, who used it to enhance her physical stature. After a period of hibernation following the French revolution, high-heels resurfaced in the fashion world in the late 1800s and have since held a firm foothold.

What makes heels so sexy?

There are many reasons why high-heeled shoes appeal and are considered sexy. Here's a sample that includes some of these reasons.

·The most obvious reason is that high heels make a person look taller than she is. Whether this adds to the sexy look is of course a matter of individual perspective.

·High heels accentuate the appearance of the calves because of the elongated angle between the foot and the lower leg

·High heels push out a woman's chest giving her an "animal mating" posture

·The buttocks are pushed backwards, causing the hips to sway more

·Very often the sole of the foot is visible adding to the sexy look

If they're all that great, then what prevents some women from wearing these?

There are number of disadvantages and discomforts that women wearing high heels are subjected to. Some of these include:

·Causes pain in the foot, particularly if worn for long periods

·Restricts the wearer's movement and shortens stride

·Makes running almost impossible

·Damages feet and tendons over a period of time

·Unstable - women wearing these shoes are more prone to fall. Research has confirmed what common sense has always told - that women wearing high heeled shoes are twice as prone to trip and fall as those wearing normal shoes.

Isn't there a way to make fashion meet comfort?

Well, that's what intrigued Tina Norris, the founder of a firm called Foot Petals. She concluded that you don't have to suffer to be beautiful. Her feet gave her no end of trouble when she persisted with her desire to pursue fashion. Necessity is the mother of invention - Tina padded her shoes with orthopedic inserts from drug stores to reduce her pain, which they did, but at the cost of good looks. After all, good looks were the prime motivation for wearing these uncomfortable shoes in the first place. So she did the only thing that she could - she innovated and created her own shoes. Today she sells in 17 countries all over the world. Other innovations include insoles with massaging gels from Dr. Scholl's, and suede insoles that prevent slipping, from Summer Soles.

A few comfort tips

·Choose shoes with round, open toe or square toe, instead of pointy toes as these can add to your discomfort.

·A chunky or wedge heel will be more comfortable than a stiletto or pointy heel.

·Try out your shoes before buying them preferably late in the evening. Take a few steps in them and make sure you feel comfortable walking in them.