09 May Easy Ways to Make Your Heels & Strappy Sandals More Comfortable

Ah, heels. They can be so pretty and great at making your legs look phenomenal. But the dark side? They can be crazy uncomfortable and even downright painful. I’ve worn heels that have practically left me in tears after a few minutes of wear.

But, instead of dealing with excruciating pain, the tips below will make wearing heels and summer sandals much more comfortable.

First, let me say this. If you’re not into heels, you absolutely don’t have to wear them. And some heels are just painful no matter what you do {I’m talking to you, Louboutin!}.

But if you love a mean high heel and want to figure out how to make them as comfortable as possible, the suggestions below will help a ton.

Prevent Friction with Deodorant
Yup, this is one of my favorite tips. When the back of your shoe rubs against your ankle, you know a dreaded blister is coming. Your affordable solution? Clear deodorant. Rub it on the areas where your feet tend to blister. The deodorant acts as a barrier between your skin and the shoe and will cut down on friction. You can also buy a product like Blister Block, but this option is cheaper.

Tape Your Toes
This is a new-to-me trick that I tried recently and I think it worked! It’s believed that when you tape your third and fourth toes {equivalent of the middle and ring finger} together, it helps to prevent pain on the ball of your foot. It has something to do with the tape removing strain from the nerves in these toes. Yeah, I don’t know exactly why it works but like I mentioned, I tried this last week and it really helped. I was filming my Essence Live Mother’s Day segment {you can see a clip here, 17:32 mark} and my thrifted Dolce & Gabbana heels aren’t exactly comfortable, but I was able to make it through the day. I’m going to try this high heel hack again and will be sure to report back.

Pad Your Foot
Speaking of the ball of your foot, this area can be the source of a lot of pain. A burning pain that just aches with every step you take. Foot Petals has a ton of options specifically for that nagging area and they even come in fun prints. Stock up on a few of these and place one in each pair of shoes that typically cause you pain.

Stretch Your Shoes
Too big. Too small. Just right! Sometimes to get to that “just right” place, shoes need to be stretched a bit. If you need to go up a half size or want a bit more wiggle room in the toe area {especially for pointy toes}, use this at home hack to stretch your shoes.

Add Moleskin to Straps
Summer is perfect for strappy sandals and heels, but those straps can be a blister magnet. The friction from the back and forth motion can tear your feet up! This is such a common problem, but an easy solution can be found in the drugstore aisle. It’s moleskin. Cut up a few strips of the padding and add them to the inside of any straps. The straps will no longer rub back and forth against your skin and you can minimize or totally prevent blisters.

I know it’s tempting to just walk out of the house with your heels as is, but a few minutes of prep will make a huge difference.

[bctt tweet=”Tired of blisters and calluses? Here’s how to make your heels more comfortable! “]

Also, I don’t wear heels all day. If I know I’ll be doing a lot of walking or standing, I always {always!} have a backup pair of flats so I can walk comfortably and in peace. Because let’s face it, heels were not meant to be worn for hours at a time.

How do you alleviate the pain of high heels? Are there certain brands or designers you don’t wear because of shoe pain?