In this article, I’ll explain how to measure the height of a heel. To put it another way, how do you determine your ideal heel height?
This is going to be different for everyone, but it’s information you can use to select shoes that are both comfortable to wear and also healthy for your feet.
So that you may stock your closet with shoes you’ll enjoy for years to come.
Let’s get this party started.
Formula For Measuring Heel Height
There’s a simple formula you may apply to determine your ideal heel height. It only requires three easy steps and has proven to be highly accurate in my experience.
Measure The Length of Your Feet
The first thing you’ll want to do is measure the length of your foot from heel to toe.
With your entire weight on your feet, you’ll want to achieve a very exact measurement.
Do this while standing up and on a sheet of paper that is easy to mark.
To get the whole length of your foot, measure it from the back of your heel to the very tip of your toe. Make a note of the measurement in centimeters.
Divide by 7
Take that number and divide it by seven for the second step. That should get you to your ideal heel height.
It’s vital to realize that everyone’s experience will be different.
Finally, the smaller your foot is, the lower the number will be. And the higher the number, the bigger your foot.
Larger feet are often accepted as being able to wear higher heels. For everyday wear, podiatrists and specialists advise not exceeding four centimeters.
Keeping that figure on the lower end will be considerably better for your feet.
Experiment
Once you have that, you may go to the final phase, which is to experiment to determine if it is accurate.
Pull out your most comfortable shoes from your closet and see what that number looks like. Is that a good match for those shoes? Is there a fundamental difference?
Because, in the end, you want this to be tailored to you.
A measurement can be really useful in guiding you in the proper direction. However, try things on and evaluate your actual feeling in your feet to assess how comfortable anything is and to select the appropriate shoes for you.
Measuring Heels For Special Occasions
Let’s assume you’re not shopping for a pair of everyday shoes, but rather something a little finer, something you’d wear for a special occasion rather than for long periods of time or for a lot of walking.
In that situation, you can use a separate equation to determine a heel height that is comfortable for you for a few hours.
This, like the first, will be unique to each person, and there are three simple steps to follow.
The first step is to relax your foot by fully extending it while sitting. Make certain that the talus bone is not tight in any way. That will provide you with a very realistic representation.
You can then go to the second stage.
The second step is to measure the distance between your heel and the point where the ball of your foot begins to bend, which is about where your joint bone is.
That will be the ideal heel height for you, as well as something that will be comfortable for a few hours.
When I completed that, it was accurate for me.
In the third phase, you can begin testing to see what you truly enjoy, and then play about with inserts and other options, but that’s a topic for another time.
Other Indicators
I’d like to go over a couple more ideas that you can keep in mind when looking for shoes that will be extremely comfortable.
When it comes to general fit, the heel and up to the joint of your foot are the most critical places for a shoe to fit.
That will ensure that everything is nice and snug and, in the end, comfortable.
If you can accommodate your widest part of your foot, everything else should fall into place beautifully.
Always purchase shoes at the end of the day, when your feet are the largest and most swollen.
It’s quite useful for avoiding the dreaded situation where you buy a pair of shoes in the morning, go to put them on, and by the end of the day, they’re terrible, way too tight.
That is something you should definitely do.
Another point I’d like to mention is that if you’re going to wear shoes in the summer and live somewhere that’s extremely hot and humid, it’s a good idea to size up a half size to ensure that your feet have enough area to expand.
In the cold, my feet are always smaller, and in the hot, they are much larger. That’s something to keep in mind.
It’s been quite beneficial to me as someone who lives in a hot climate.
Also, I have extremely high arches, which, combined with the fact that I have small feet, makes many heels quite painful because they lack appropriate support beneath the arch.
Flats or tiny heels, on the other hand, are far more comfortable for me. It’s possible that you’ll find yourself in a similar situation.
When it comes to comfort, and especially when I’m going to be wearing anything for a long time, I prefer a block heel to a stiletto or a very thin heel.
I’ve noticed that my foot’s weight is more equally distributed, and it’s simply more comfortable. It’s certainly something to think about.
That is all there is to it.
That’s how you’ll be able to determine your comfortable heel height and, as a result, discover a pair of shoes that you’ll enjoy wearing.
Comfort is vital for everything in your wardrobe, but it’s more important when it comes to shoes.
You’ll be able to enjoy your shoes for a long time if you find ones that are both cute and comfortable.
