People with flat feet have fallen arches, meaning that their feet have lost the natural curve along their inner sides. Flat feet can be easily treated with the use of a slip-in orthotic, but this will limit the choices that people have when picking out shoes; in particular, many will find that high heels are quite painful to use, especially since they won't fit with most medical insoles. This means you need to be careful, but it doesn't mean that you need to give up on heels altogether.

Exercise Your Feet

Flat feet cannot be cured, but you can do exercises each day in order to make your feet more flexible and strengthen their muscles. Try sitting on a chair with your knees bent at 90 degrees to the floor and a towel placed beneath your feet. Next, use your feet to grab the towel, then roll it away. Repeat a few times, building up as you get stronger. Another easy exercise is to scatter a few balls of paper around your chair, then pick them up with your feet. These exercises will increase the strength of your feet, ensuring that they can cope with shorter periods wearing heels.

Choose the Right Heels

When you're looking for heels, make sure you pick out the right sort. In general, you should be looking for thicker heels that are no more than 3 inches high. Thin heels will cause your foot to wobble more, and they provide less of a platform – this can be tough if your flat feet are aching. Heels that are more than a few inches high are likely to place too much pressure on the fallen arch.

Minimize Wear Time

People with flat feet should be careful not to wear heels for too long. If you're going out for the night, take your heels in your bag and wear trainers until you arrive at the event. You can then quickly change before making your entrance. If you feel more confident heading to each board meeting with a pair of heels on, keep some in your office or in your desk, then slip them on before you head to the boardroom. Additionally, try to sit down occasionally in order to give your feet a break, rather than standing and walking about a room until they actually begin to ache.

People with flat feet often despair at the idea of never being able to slip on a pair of heels again, but they really just need to minimise wear, strengthen their feet, and make more informed choices when they head out shopping for new shoes. Contact a podiatrist if you have concerns.