For the women: do you wear high heels regularly when not training, and do you find it causes any problems in terms of running and biking after wearing them? Im worried about possible stress on feet shins or calves from wearing high heels all day (talking about heels around 2inch or above).
Ive had coaches discourage wearing high heels, and one guy who claims they’re great (he’s a faddist, and not very reliable on anything he says).
What do you think?
I have been having problems with my left knee, ITBS and Patella Femoral Syndrome. On my way out from my sports doc, he looks at me and says “no more high heels” it puts a lot of strain on my knees/calves. So it’s low heels for me…for now anyways.
Good luck!
I used to always wear heals, but I have noticed that as I’ve increased my training my knees are on the verge of complaining. Wearing flatter shoes during the day makes my running easier. Heals especially bother me up/down the stairs, which I do quite a bit during the day. When I finally decided to give up the really high ones earlier this year, I felt like I was becoming my mother. Oh well, all for a good cause.
I only wear heels when I go out on the weekends (I work from home, so I’m spoiled). There is no way I would wear 2+ inch heels every day. I think the biggest problem for me is that they make me so tired when I wear them all day and I think my training would suffer. You can get some pretty nice shoes with lower heels and then leave the high ones for special occasions. I’ve also started wearing nice dress boots with a medium heel and I think they look pretty nice too. You can’t go wrong with tight, black leather and a heel:
thankfully i don’t have to wear high heels (i’m taller than most of the boyos in the office when i do) but i find them to be a strain on my feet, make my already too tight calf muscles tighter and do a number on my lower back. can’t see how they could be considered beneficial in any way. i’m thinking that guy just likes looking at womens legs and they do look better in heels.
k
It’s ridiculous that a male coach would say not to wear heels. Come on! It’s not like you wear them and stand in them for 9 hours! I wear high heels frequently (generally heels that are at least 3 inches), and find that the only thing that causes a problem is if I have blisters from running…then the heels hurt.
Heels have never hurt my training.
Wear them, and be fabulous!
kitty
I’ve been wearing these Ann Taylor Lulu boots alot this winter. They are sleek, high, tight and fabulous. They have no negative effect on training whatsoever…
My wife hardly ever wears hers any more unless we’re going out somewhere special because they give her low back pain and tighten her calf muscles when running. At work she’s a grade 2 teacher so chasing after seven yr olds is much more comfortable in flats. I look the look of heels on women but apreciate how uncomfortable they must be.
“You can’t go wrong with tight, black leather and a heel:”
Amen sister - add handcuffs and a whip and you are decked out perfectly - for work ro play
.
I second kitty! I wear heels all week and when I go out, and they’ve never affected my training (my training, however, has affected my wearing heels at times . . . boo. ) I guess if your legs are used to them, it’s no biggie. So as long as they’re comfy, wear them! And boots–the most wonderful things–my calves feel so cozy and supported . . . I hate to give them up in the spring!
if you find any hot looking heels for spring let me know…so far Ann Taylor is showing only mules with a tiny heel (boo), and haven’t seen what else is out there. the problem with spring is that the heels often get lower–when the skirts come out, this is no time to shorten a heel!
Time for the seasonal pilgrimage to Nordstrom! I haven’t seen the spring shoes yet but I think I’m toally over the kitten heel (no offense). Height is my friend. Sandals are a no-go at my office, and straps make my legs look big(ger), so I’m all about the d’Orsay pump these days . . . Actually, you know where I’ve found some great shoes? Target! I’ve bought pairs from there that are really cute and extremely comfortable, and you can’t beat the prices. Perfect for the trendy stuff!
I read somewhere that if you wear heels during the day, you should run in the a.m. b/c heels tighten up your achilles and running at the end of the day could be problematic.
As my training load increases, I wear heels less often, not only for comfort but because I am clumsy and don’t want to injure myself.
But for a night out, the higher the better! I have a closet full of 3-4" heels that come out to play every so often. I just make sure to run (and shower) before I put them on…
The better quality the shoe, usually the more comfortable the heel, regardless of height. I buy a ton of shoes now from Zappos.com. Some really comfortable, but stylish brands they carry are BCBG, Casadei, Donna Karan, Anne Klein, Via Spiga, Donald Pliner, etc. The best customer service, selection and prices I’ve found online. And they carry handbags as well 
They are the “Amazon.com” of shoes.
I used to wear heels every day, but an achillies injury put a stop to that. I wear flat loafers, maybe a loafer with a 1" heel is about the max, for day to day work. I just can’t wear them anymore for long periods of time and then go running. However, now that I run at lunch and not in the evening, I may just have to give them a try again.
I’ve been wearing these Ann Taylor Lulu boots alot this winter. They are sleek, high, tight and fabulous. They have no negative effect on training whatsoever…
Pics or we don’t believe you.
(you know that had to be coming, right?)
High heels throws everything out of alignment (spine especially) as well as keeping your calves and achilles chronically tight. Eventually, they will mess you up if you wear them all the time. I cannot at all see how they could be construed as beneficial except as a dude lure. 
Thanks to all you ladies for your replies!!
I used to wear high heels all the time until I had an L5 and ischiadicus problem in my ex-life as a rower. After that, I wore flats or one inch heels and shuned higher heels. Now that Im not rowing any more and the back is fixed, I really want to wear higher shoes again, the high ones are just so cute. Plus they make me look a little taller than my 5’3"
Thank you for the note on running in the morning if wearing heels during the day. Seems like a good idea.
Do you wear heels before your long days? Anyone find that wearing heels the day before a long brick affects the transition?
Never! I’m just getting a heel sput/PF under control and just thinking about it makes my heel hurt. And, I can wear jeans to work, so I wear Pumas pretty much every day and the Puma store has them in about 100 different colors and materials. Not to mention I walk part of the way to work in a city with crappy streets and sidewalks, then catching the bus or cable car. Maybe if I had a car and driver.
I do have two pair of heels that are actually comfortable which I bought in Paris. If I can ever stay up past 8:30 PM on the weekend, maybe I’ll wear them on a night out.