6 High Heels Hacks To Save Your Sanity and Your Feet

We love our high heels, but let’s be real— they do not love us back. For every outfit they complete and every leg they make look gorgeous, there’s a numb foot, a twisted ankle, a pained calf, or just a stinky shoe. We’ve accepted that beauty is pain until now, but you know what? No more. This list from PureWow is helping us take back the power and hack our high heels. Turns out all we need are these six products:

  1. Ice

    This shoe-stretching tip has been one of our favorites for a while! Fill some bags with water, put them in your shoes, freeze them overnight and you’ve got yourself some stretched shoes. Be sure to check out our first post for a video tutorial.
  2. Hair Dryer
    Style Fox

    Not feeling the cold solution? If you have some shoes you love that are just a bit too tight, you can also break them in with heat. Put on some thick socks, then the shoes, and use a blow dryer to blast them with hot air. Wiggle your feet around to make sure you’re stretching them for mobility, too.
  3. Sandpaper
    Simon Eugster via Wikimedia Commons

    In addition to comfort, the other reason for breaking in your heels before going out is making sure you don’t slip. Rather than wasting time clomping around your home trying to scuff your new heels’ soles, just use sandpaper to very gently rough them up.
  4. Tape
    esben468635 via Dollar Photo Club

    Ballerinas dancing en pointe do this trick all the time to take some pressure off their feet, so you know it works! Wrap some medical tape around your third and fourth toes to bring them together – there’s a nerve between them – before heading out into the night and you’ll have much less pain at the end of it.
  5. Deodorant
    venusangel via Dollar Photo Club

    It’s not flattering, but it’s true: our feet sweat, and then they stink. More dangerously, the sweat can make straps slip out of place, leading to falls and twisted ankles. Avoid it all by grabbing some spray deodorant and aiming it at your feet.
  6. Tea Bags
    André Karwath via Wikimedia Commons

    Didn’t learn the deodorant tip in time? Used it, but still have that stale smell stinking up your closet? Then tea bags are your best friend! Dry out used tea bags and stick them in your shoes for 24 hours to kill the stench. You’ll be recycling, too!

Brilliant! Be sure to check out PureWow’s list for more information and high heel hacks, then tell us your own in the comments! How do you enjoy your favorite sexy shoes without pain?