How high is too high?

BEFORE I even think of taking a bath on any given morning, I already know what I’m going to wear.

On this particular Tuesday, it was going to be a blue body con dress and a pair of nude peep-toe high heels.

In my mind the combination seemed perfect. It was just going to be one of those flawless wardrobe days.

I then got a rude awakening when it was time to get dressed.

I had my dress on and was putting on my shoes in front of the full length mirror in the hallway at our house – the perfect morning hit a snag!

With the shoes on, I wasn’t too sure about them anymore. They looked really pretty with my freshly pedicured toes in there but I just wasn’t sure I could leave the house in them.

The heels were a little too high! I walked down the hallway towards the lounge yet it felt like a lifetime of walking.

Photo Credit: The Nigerian Fashion Police

At the back of my mind I kept thinking I could pull it off – I could go to work in these shoes and have a perfectly good day.

But I was wrong.

After walking around the house in the shoes for a couple more minutes I thought, I can’t pull this off. I thought, “Who am I kidding, I won’t even be able to make it to the end of the staircase in these shoes!”

I didn’t want to remove the shoes but I needed to be honest with myself. They’re hot, yes, but what’s the point if I can’t even walk a metre in them!

It was back to the shoe rack to find a more manageable pair of heels for a regular work day.

Did I want to? No, not at all but I had to be practical if I needed to get any work done.

Too many women overlook practicality when it comes to their choice of heels.

The most heinous mistake they make is either wearing too high a heel or too shiny and glittery a shoe for a day look.

People are different and handle high heeled shoes differently but you know a shoe is too high for you when you stop walking like a graceful woman and start walking like a new born calf.

Your knees are so bent and your back slouched you’ve taken away all the sexy by your clumsy walk.

Nothing can destroy your confidence like an uncomfortable pair of heels.

You’ll keep wondering if anyone else can see your discomfort.

You really can’t overrule spraining an ankle or missing a step and falling when it matters most – in front of a group of people.

Before you leave the house in those heels, ask yourself if you’re going to be able to walk in the shoes and what environment you’ll be in.

If it’s to work and depending on the nature of your job – ask yourself if you’ll be able to walk from one point to the other without any difficulty.

If you have to stand for a few minutes – would you be able to do so without yearning for a chair within a few seconds?

Assuming you’re attending a wedding and won’t have to walk around much, are you comfortable enough to get up and go if someone were to ask you to give an impromptu speech.

But if you’re going to the club and want to turn up all night, decide if not being able to dance is more important than looking pretty.

If you’re going to sacrifice your feet for the entire night – make sure you keep a chair close by – just in case.

If the shoes are glittery and look like something someone could wear on a night out on the town, you may not want to wear them to work or to church.

Nothing says cheap like a glittery pair of shoes in an otherwise formal or reserved environment during the day.

Pretty is good but in embracing your femininity – always consider the practicality of it all.

It’s like running a marathon in a pair of heels – you wouldn’t dream of it, even in the shortest of heels simply because it’s not practical. A pair of running shoes would do.

If high heels are not your forte, start small. Wear those that you’ll be able to maintain your balance in.

You could also think about a wedge heel as opposed to a stiletto.

This is an easier shoe to wear on any given day.

Make sure you replace the tips on your heels when necessary; this will help maintain your balance and minimise the chances of you slipping.

Besides, a pair of heels with worn out tips produces such an irritating noise. Do us all a favour and maintain your shoes!