The Best Way To Keep Your High Heels From Cutting Into Your Feet

We've all been there: cringing while on our feet late into the night at a friend's wedding or begging for an excuse to sit down at an event. When it comes to sporting a pair of high heels, our choice in footwear has so much potential to ruin the vibes, no matter how pretty they are or how put together they may make us feel. Still, not all of us want to swear off especially high shoes, nor do we want to accept the notion that "beauty is pain." Sure –– we've heard of preventative blister band-aids, gel inserts, and plenty of other supposed solutions, but most of us still want something that's more reliable and more effective.

Once again, social media has come to the rescue and brought us an answer to an all-too-common problem. One beauty queen has some tips that just might mean that you don't have to ditch your high-heeled shoes in order to stay comfortable. With three easy and inexpensive tricks, you'll feel like you're walking on air when you're actually sporting your highest heels.

There are plenty of reasons why we love to wear heels, but for many of us, the idea of enduring serious discomfort in order to look good just doesn't feel worth it. This notion is probably what inspired content creator Stephanie Chen to post a video to TikTok asking "corporate girlies, please share your heel wearing secret ... I couldn't even last for an hour in these [shoes]". In a video that's garnered more than 160,000 likes, content creator and pageant queen Erica Carosella stitched Chen's video with her go-to method as someone who's spent her fair share of time standing around in extra high heels.

In the video, Carosella explains that over the years of spending 8-hour days sporting uncomfortable shoes, she's gotten pain-free heel wearing down to a science. She starts with moleskin strips that she cuts down to whatever size she needs. She describes this adhesive material as similar to a band-aid but thicker and less noticeable when stuck to your skin. She recommends sticking this adhesive material anywhere that your shoes typically irritate your skin. You can get a long roll of moleskin on Amazon for under $7.

Furthermore, Carosella also recommends spraying your feet with Lidocaine before spending a long time in uncomfortable shoes. This Aspercreme spray will simply numb your feet so you can't feel any discomfort that your shoes may cause.

While moleskin and numbing spray are likely hacks you haven't tried, Erica Carosella's final word of advice on staying comfortable in heels is actually pretty simple (via TikTok). Rather than swearing off heels altogether or trying to ignore the pain, Carosella recommends keeping your periods of wearing high heels as short as possible. In other words, those folks who step out of the office and immediately swap their fancy shoes for sneakers have the right idea. Carosella is a fan of keeping flat, easy-to-wear shoes in your bag so that you can stay comfortable while traveling and swap out your heels to give your feet a break when you get the opportunity. We all know that the longer you spend in uncomfortable shoes, the worse you feel, so there's no need to spend any time in your high heels that you don't need to. 

Ultimately, using all three of these tricks together will set you up for the best shoe success. So, keep your Lidocaine spray, moleskin, and comfy travel shoes handy the next time you're ready to rock your favorite heels. Your feet and your future self will both thank you.