article_snippet.sent: In the study carried out by Stanford University's biomotion team, the knees of healthy women were scanned as healthy women walked at normal pace in flat shoes, 1½ in heels and 3½ in heels.
article_snippet.sent: And after that, a 3 in heel or more, whenever I wanted to look smart.'
article_snippet.sent: All my lovely high-heeled shoes had to be banished and I started living in trainers. '
article_snippet.sent: I had to have a bunion surgically removed from my left foot last year, too, which was caused - or certainly worsened - by years of wearing tight, pointy stilettos. '
article_snippet.sent: I probably would have paid more attention to the fit of my shoes, rather than how fashionable they looked, if I'd known they would force me to go under the knife twice.'
article_snippet.sent: In a recent survey of 1,200 women, 93 per cent said they felt sexier and more feminine when they wore heels, 88 per cent said they considered they more stylish and 77 per cent
article_snippet.sent: said they heels made they feel slimmer.
article_snippet.sent: With statistics like those, it's no surprise that many women seem to take a dangerously 'no pain, no gain' approach to many women footwear, however dire the warnings.
article_snippet.sent: they really helped in the short term, but I still found I couldn't wear heels when they went out or on holiday
article_snippet.sent: I still wear heels occasionally - mainly when I'm dancing - but the heels are lower than they used to be.'
article_snippet.sent: High heels have always been considered part of a female TV presenter's uniform,' her says. '
article_snippet.sent: Not that I complained - high shoes have always be my preferred choice of footwear when I've got to look smart.
article_snippet.sent: The shame is that I can't really wear them any more.'
article_snippet.sent: I was told to stick to flats or shoes with a very low heel and to spend as much time barefoot as possible to help correct my posture, which had been thrown out of alignment by wearing heels day in and day out,' her says.
article_snippet.sent: For the past 15 years, I've had to stick to flat footwear and keep up the exercises to keep my back pain at bay. '
article_snippet.sent: I still take heels with me to slip on for TV appearances, but the twinges in my back start if I have to stand in them for more than an hour.'
article_snippet.sent: For high-heel lovers not yet suffering painful problems, podiatrist Michael Ratcliffe advises picking shoes carefully. '
article_snippet.sent: If you are after height, wear a comfy platform or a shoe with a heavy block heel -which will give you support - rather than a flimsy stiletto with a thin sole,' podiatrist Michael Ratcliffe says.
article_snippet.sent: If you're wearing a pair of heels over 2 in high, limit the time spent wearing you're wearing a pair of heels over 2 in high to two hours maximum. '
article_snippet.sent: After two hours, sit down, take heels with me off and walk around barefoot if possible for 30 minutes to allow time for your feet and knees to recover.'