A Beginner's Guide To Wearing High Heels

There is no greater fashion confidence booster than walking out of the house in a pair of killer heels. However, I'm not one for wearing Louboutins, because a) they're too frigging expensive and b) I honestly don't know how people can walk in them without toppling over. But a good heel that I find comfortable to walk in can be a huge confidence booster for me. However, one drawback of wearing high heels all day is this - the somewhat inability of my feet being able to survive in high heels for long durations. 

A pair of white high heels on a white chest of drawers.


As I said, I love high heels. Whether it be a highish stiletto, a block heel, a wedge or a thigh-high boot, heels are my guilty pleasure. In my early twenties, I would love to wear heels for any going out occasion. From a birthday to just having a quick drink in the pub, I'd wear a heel of some sort. Nowadays, I do opt for the flatter shoe, purely for comfort reasons. I find this quite sad in a way. The confidence high heels bring out in me is second to none. I want to start wearing them again and be able to wear them for longer periods of the day. 


Now, I'm not saying that I'm going to start wearing them to hospital appointments or to put the washing out. Just when I go out out. After everything with the pandemic, going out out for me is now a coffee catch-up with friends. Can you blame me after isolating for so frigging long?! 


So yes, surviving in high heels is a physical skill for the feet, core and even posture. Your feet are put through the mill when wearing heels. So it takes time and practice to get your feet trained to wear that killer heel for more than five minutes.

A pair of white high heels

Here is a little guide to surviving and bossing wear high heels all day:  

1) Get the plasters on standby

Buy some decent plasters. Wearing new high heels in particular is a monumental task at times. You've got to wear them in and that means a little blister or two forming on the toes or by the bunion area. Have some plasters to hand, I use these gel plasters from Amazon in particular as, for me, they provide the best comfort for my poor little blistered toes. 

2) Make sure you break them in

New heels need breaking in. Simple as. Never wear new high heels outside before breaking them in first. You'll be so apologetic to your toes and feet if you don't. When you buy new heels, wear them around the house. Wear them while loading the dishwasher, hoovering or even feeding the dog. Even walking around your back garden in them to practice walking in them on concrete or grass.

3) Start off small and work your way up  

If you're looking to start wearing heels, start with a smaller inched heel and work your way up. Don't start off with a 6" stiletto. You'll never want to wear heels again otherwise. Go for a heel of 3-4 inches to start with and once you get used to them and can walk in them all day without fail, go for the 5-inch heel (that’s if you want to have the higher heel). Working your way up is key.

A pair of white high heels.

4) Know which type of heel will suit you

Stilettos are hard to walk in for long periods, so don't be afraid to go for a smaller or block heel. Block heels are so easy to walk in for me. The thicker the heel, the easier it is to walk in them. You'll have greater balance with a thicker heel. Stilettos are hard to find that balance in, that's why I suggested before to work your way up.

5) Try heels in different sizes

We all know sizes differ in some shops when it comes to clothes, but the same applies to shoes too. I know for a fact that when I've tried on shoes in different shops, sometimes I have to size up or size down from my normal size. Even flats. So try on three sizes - your normal size, a size up and a size down and see which fits you best. 

6) The heel on the ground first trick

To be able to walk in high heels with great confidence and provide better balance, put your heel on the ground first. Heels have the ability to make you walk differently. I know they do for me. One trick I learnt online is to walk in them with some success, place the heel on the ground first, then the rest of your foot. I know that sounds weird, but it works, trust me. 

A pair of white high heels and artificial flowers.

7) Practice makes perfect

Plenty of practice and you'll be bossing wearing heels and wearing them all day. Please don't give up, the practice will be worth it, I promise. Next thing you know, you'll be heading off to London Fashion Week wanting to walk on the catwalk. Just don't overthink it. It's easy for me to say relax when wearing heels, but that’s easier said than done. But honestly, you'll smash it once you practice!


I need to point out though, that wearing heels is to everybody's individual tastes. If wearing heels isn't for you (because of comfort or disability) please don't feel like you need to wear them. If you feel more comfortable wearing flats, then that's more than ok! This post isn't a forceable piece to make you feel you have to wear heels next time you go to Tesco! 

Let me know your thoughts on this guide to wearing high heels below!


48 comments
  1. Haha, rally needed this post before i got married. It was the first time wearing high heels and i kinds resembled bambi - on ice!!
    https://herdigitalcoffee.com/

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    1. Oh bless you! It really does feel like Bambi on ice when you walk in heels the first time! x

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  2. Great tips! I do miss wearing really high heels like I did when I was younger like 16+. I just can’t manage more than 3-4 inch these days x

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    1. I'm like you Beth, I can't really wear anything higher than 3-4 inches these days! x

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  3. These are great tips! It is important to break in shoes before starting to wear them outside.
    xoxo
    Lovely
    www.mynameislovely.com

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    1. Thank you! It's so important to break shoes in before wearing them properly! xx

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  4. These are some great tips. I'll be honest, I HATE heels. I love how they look and you're right, they're SO confidence boosting. But I just tend to have a lot of trouble with shoes in general and it's RARE I find any that don't hurt my feet in some way (perhaps my feet are an odd shape?) I've had some awful experiences with heels and how much they've hurt my feet to the point where I've felt sick!

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    1. That's awful that you struggle to find shoes that fit you well and ones that don't hurt you! That's awful that you have had bad experiences wearing heels lovely x

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  5. Great tips! It’s all about practice, finding what works for you, and the gel plasters help a great deal! Sometimes when I’m trying new heels and don’t have plasters, I’ll use bandaids to keep my heels from blistering. Thanks for sharing!

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    1. That's good that you have bandaids to hand to stop your heels from blistering! x

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  6. I had never found a truly comfortable pair of heels until a few years ago. Your post is very helpful to try to find the perfect shoes for us all.

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    1. There's not many heels that are comfortable lovely, so fair play on finding a pair that you find comfortable yourself!

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  7. thanks for the tips! i usually don't wear heels that often anymore. but when i do i always seem to get blisters. ugh especially when there is a lot of dancing. the struggle is real.

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    1. Getting blisters when dancing in heels is definitely a painful experience!

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  8. These are such great tips. I rarely wear heels anymore, but I do love how tall they make me when I do. Breaking in is so important!

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    1. I'm the same, I love how tall they make me too!

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  9. I used to wear heels all the time in my twenties, platform killer heels! And I would dance in them all night! I honestly don’t know how I did it because I can’t wear heels now. I have some really lovely kitten heeled nude shoes that are a bit fancy and these are my go to pair. They go with everything and look stylish - they are comfortable too! I definitely couldn’t wear those killer heels again though - for one, I think I’ve lost the arch in my feet! That’s either due to age or weight gain! Lol thanks for sharing.

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    1. Kitten heels are definitely the way to go if you want to wear a heel without the pain! That's great that you have found a pair that you can wear with everything!

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  10. I have come across this post at the right time. I have two weddings in July and I would love to wear some heels with my outfit. However, I haven’t worn heels in a long time and even so they were wedged or a chunky boot heel. I am looking for something similar to your image, but maybe a little lower. I don’t need to be looking like bambi on ice at the weddings ha ha! Thank you for your suggestions - they have been really helpful!!

    Lauren - www.bournemouthgirl.com

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    1. This best couldn't have come at a better time for you Lauren! These ones I'm wearing are from New Look and they're quite old now, but I'm sure they do a couple of similar ones on their website! I'm glad you have found these tips helpful lovely x

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  11. I hardly ever wear heels now purely for comfort reasons, but I definitely miss that bit of confidence you get from them!
    Amy x
    callmeamy.co.uk

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    1. Wearing heels definitely gives you that bit of confidence Amy! x

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  12. These are some great tips! In all honesty, I love the look of heels & I love how they make me feel... But only for the first half an hour, then my feet ache & it makes me feel miserable. Haha. I have one pair of heeled sandals which are my go to whenever I have a fancy occasion to go to, but I usually always pack a pair of flats too. I saw a tiktok of somebody last week using a sanitary pad in the sole of their heel to act as a comfort - Apparently it woks? Although I don't know how much truth is in it. Haha. X

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    1. Using a sanitary pad in the sole of the shoe for comfort may possibly be one of the most genius ideas I've ever heard?! Seriously Claire, that is such a brilliant idea! I'm so tempted to try it next time I wear high heels! x

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  13. What a fun post, Lucy! When I’m feeling fancy, I’ll wear a heeled wedge sandal but my stiletto days are long gone.
    Crystal | www.amazingbaby.app

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    1. I do love a wedge, they're such a nice shoe!

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  14. I love a good pair of heels but I haven't worn them in YEARS. These tips might come in very handy whenever I decide to take the plunge again x

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    1. I hope you take the plunge again one day Simona! x

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  15. I love the look of heels and how put together I feel when I wear them, but I'm much more of a trainers girl x

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    1. I always feel put together when wearing heels, I don't wear them often now though. Like you, I wear trainers a lot more cause of work etc x

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  16. These are amazing tips! Maybe I will give it a try again with heels! I am totally a tyrannosaurus on heels, but thicker heels as well as platforms is all I could try!

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    1. Thicker heels are always easier to walk in, it may be worth giving them a try if you want to!

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  17. I do love a high heel but they always kill my feet, I tend to go for a small heel these days in my old age haha!

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  18. This is so helpful Lucy! With covid and the stoppage of bigger fancy events I can't even remember the last time I wore heels. I might have to start from the bottom with some practice walking like you suggested as I learn to get use to them again!

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    1. Start from the bottom and work your way back up again Alex!

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  19. So many fantastic tips sweetie!

    Danielle | thereluctantblogger.co.uk

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  20. This is exactly what us ladies and gents needed! With so many occasions coming up, it’s almost a cert that people will be wearing heels so these tips are perfect. I’ve never been a proper heel wearer myself but I know this will benefit a lot of people. I’ll be sharing with friends and family for sure. Thank you so much for sharing with us lovely Xo

    Elle - ellegracedeveson.com

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    1. I hope this post can help those who are worried about wearing heels! x

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  21. I don't regularly wear high heels because I walk everywhere so for practical reasons I stick to flats. If I go out to eat or an event where I know we'll be driving, I might wear some heels. This is a helpful guide and I didn't know about the heel on the ground first trick so I'll have to try it out to see if it does help for me!

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    1. It's worth trying that trick next time you wear heels Karalee!

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  22. Hello, great article! Thanks for sharing with us!

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  23. I can't do heels - between the inability to feel stable on them and chasing my kids - flats are just so much better for me lol. I live in my trainers - in fact I don't even own any smart shoes at the moment. I keep meaning to buy some new smart shoes especially if I have any job interviews but there definitely seems to be flexibility around them here in DK because so many people cycle everywhere. (I imagine there are people who like to ride their bicycle around Copenhagen wearing heels lol). The tips are definitely helpful too - especially if I have to give in lol. I think I will be on the blocky type heels that I had on my school shoes lol. No stilettos for me!

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    1. Flats sounds like they are a better option for you lovely, especially if you're running around after your children!

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  24. Oh heels are tricky for sure I generally do not wear super high heels I am tall to begin with so don't want to be too tall but also yes they are hard to walk in for sure. This is such great helpful advice. And indeed knowing the type of heel you can wear is key. I can not wear pumps or ballet flats lol.

    Allie of
    www.allienyc.com

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    1. You're right Allie, it's so important to know which type of heel suits you best x

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