Head over heels in love with walking tall

Veronica Shale isn't giving up her heels, whatever the doctors may say. Picture / Glenn Jeffrey

Veronica Shale loves her heels, all 100 pairs. Purple, pink, black, boots, straps, stilettos, open toes - they bring a precious "bit of theatre" to her day.

"Shoes are a way to inject colour and individuality. And with all the responsibilities of working and owning houses and stuff, it's a chance to be a little bit silly in your day.

"You can just look down at your heels and have a chuckle. And it stops my bum looking big."

But in the classic pain-of-beauty argument, podiatrists have long warned of other problems - bunions, calluses, claw toes, arthritis and, later on, problems with the lower back, hips, knees, and feet.

This week a podiatrist from the University of Teesside in England, Professor Keith Rome, suggested a compromise in the battle: wear those heels, but only sometimes.

In Auckland to discuss research with the podiatry school at AUT and shoe company Kumfs, he said that if people wore high heels only for special occasions, they might avoid back and postural problems in later life.

"However, people who wear high heels from a young age and do so throughout their lives have a much higher risk of adverse reactions, including foot, ankle, knee, hip and lower back problems."

Ms Shale thinks she has the right mix.

"Well, five days is sometimes."

Besides, she has some flat shoes "for around the house and maybe the supermarket".

"All shoes have a place. The shoe just has to have a bit of an idea in it, a bit of something ... They're a bit of theatre."

Dr Daniel Poratt, head of the AUT podiatry school, is more interested in bone health than theatrical feet, but said realism had tempered the argument against heels.

"Many podiatrists would recommend heels be avoided. But realistically, how can you ask a woman not to wear high heels at all? It's just not possible.

"You can't stop people doing what they want, especially women in high fashion. So you have to compromise."

But when it wasn't a wedding or a gala event, he recommended sensible shoes - "nothing over 2cm and preferably with laces".

He said the time it took before bad effects started to take hold depended on how often people wore high heels.

"Most women start seeing us when they're in the 40s onwards."

Ms Shale reluctantly cedes a point, but is unrepentant about her choice of footwear.

"Dancing in them until six in the morning can be a problem the next day. But there's a price to pay with any shoe you wear, high heeled or flat. It could be a physical price or it could be an emotional price.

"I have flats, but they're just all a bit sensible and practical. A pair of heels you can wear anywhere, really."

Heel tips

If they're that bad for you, you might as well look good. Viva editor Fiona Hawtin's tips on wearing heels:

* Don't walk. Take a taxi or limousine.

* If you have to walk, keep your hips forward.

* Don't wear cuffed pants with heels. "The heel gets caught in the pants and you go for a Burton."

* If you're wearing a heel, don't waste it on a platform. Wear thin heels rather than heavy wedges or platforms, which shorten the leg and make you look like you've got big, fat ankles.

* Get painted toenails, pedicured feet and a good fake tan which doesn't end at the ankles because stockings with open-toed heels are a no-no.