PETALUMA, Calif. - Dec. 21, 2019 - Do your New Year's plans include killer high-heeled shoes, with your toes crammed into a pointy toe box, blisters forming at the back of your heel and painful pressure on the balls of your feet? If you think the fashion applause and confidence boost is worth the discomfort, a Petaluma podiatrist has some suggestions.

"The higher the heel, the more unstable the foot," said Dr. Peter Redko, DPM, of the North Bay Foot and Ankle Center. "Your weight is redistributed in an unnatural way, and your wobbly heels rub back and forth against the backs of the shoes, causing irritation."

"The culprit in high heel pain" said Dr. Redko, "is too much movement and not enough cushioning built into the shoe to prevent that friction."

Dr. Redko offers these five at-home hacks to mitigate the problem:

• Apply a blister patch (usually hydrocolloid) directly to your skin on the back of your heel. Second Skin ® by Spenco is a good choice.

• Rub a bit of petroleum jelly on your skin around the bottom of your heels and along the sides of your toe bones.




• Place a small piece of moleskin padding (up to 1/8") on the inside back of the shoe. This will stop the foot from rubbing against the back of the shoe and add a layer of soft protection for the skin.

• Lift your foot up and away from the irritating top edge of the heel by adding a small 1/8th inch felt pad inside the shoe, against the back heel.

• A 1/8" silicone metatarsal or dancers pad, available online or in any drugstore, can cushion the balls of your feet, providing relief.

The doctor recommends avoiding heels over 4" tall, as well as flat-soled sandals without a layer of cushioning.
# # #

Dr. Peter Redko, Podiatric Doctor and Board Certified surgeon, has the expertise to treat all your foot and ankle concerns at North Bay Foot and Ankle Center (http://www.MyAchingFeet.com), located in Petaluma (707-769-8481) and Sonoma (707-769-8481).

Contact
Lori Robinson PR