As a little girl, I remember stuffing my feet into my ballet toe shoes, doing thousands of releves and then soaking my feet in a bucket of water and epsom salts. Needless to say, I find walking around in high heels a piece of cake! But even though I probably have stronger ankles than most women because of my early dance training, high heels still pose health hazards for me and for you.

In fact, according to the UK’s DailyMail, up to one-third of women suffer permanent problems as a result of wearing their “killer heels.” One major factor contributing to the problem is that we are wearing our high heels for longer and longer periods of time.

After all, when stilettos first become popular in the 1930s, they were only worn for special occasions. And walking in high heels from your house to the car and from the car into a theater or a restaurant didn’t put excessive strain on your feet. But now we women wear our heels for hours of dancing, shopping, and working.

And don’t even get me started on the “high heels” being produced for little girls and all the teens and preteens strutting around in high heels to imitate their favorite young celebrities. Risks to teens are especially severe because their bodies are still developing. The stress high heels places on their bodies increases the risk of hip and back problems as they grow into adulthood.

So what’s a well-dressed gal to do? First, exercise moderation by choosing lower heels whenever you can and wearing your towering gems for shorter periods. Second, pay attention to fit. And finally, and most importantly, be aware that your shoe choices today can contribute to the amount of permanent pain or lack of pain you will feel a decade from now.

Of course, there will still be times when you choose a high heel so take a look at today’s VPOD. These 1970s platform sandals provide more stability than a shoe with a skinny 5-inch heel and their straps allow your feet some room to stretch as they shift sizes during the day.

They’re a sweet indulgence for a vintage fashionista!

Available at Girl on a Vine.

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