Stylish Shoes and Fibromyalgia Don't Mix

Shoes are important because feet are important. Shoes are also big business. Women love to wear the beautiful, high heeled, works of art being produced by Jimmy Choo, Louis Vuitton, Manolo Blahnik and the like.

Manolo Blahnik

They come in all kinds of colors, patterns, shapes, styles-the variety seems endless. They elongate our legs, push our butts and boobs out, basically making us feel and look a little sexier. Even a practical shoe gal, like myself, can't help but feel drawn to these heeled beauties in the stores. Unfortunately, everyone agrees that these shoes are harmful to the body. The toe boxes are now triangles that squish and mangle the toes, the heels that create all those sexy lines also cause back and leg pain, not to mention they change our gate.

To most women, it doesn't matter. I hear women saying the same thing the celebrities and the industry say - that the pain is worth it. I don't tend to agree. For one, I can't afford to be that cavalier about pain. If I put on a pair of shoes that pinch, rub my foot wrong or mess with the shape of my back, I will trigger my fibromyalgia and pay the price for days. I have enough pain already. At the same time, I am youngish and still want to wear things that are fun and express a sense of style. For two, I hate that our society puts so much pressure on women to look sexy that we feel compelled to completely disregard the physical damage and pain being inflicted by stylish shoes.

Why can't comfortable be sexy? Imagine a world where we all cared so much for our valuable feet that we wore soft shoes with plenty of arch support. A world where stilettos were considered ridiculous. I bet if this world could exist that people would find a way to make shoes be both stylish and good for our feet. If only our creative energy and ingenuity were focused on that end.

Since this world exists only in my imagination I am left looking forward to the day that I'm old enough to start wearing orthopedic shoes.