How to Run in High Heels

Most women find themselves wearing high heels at some point in their lives. Maybe you're a professional woman, and wear high heels to the office or perhaps you're wearing heels for a night on the town. Whatever the case, high heels are part of popular culture, and for now are here to stay. Chances are, if you wear high heels often, the time will come when you need to run in them. You might have to run to catch the elevator, or a cab or run to make a meeting on time. Learn how to run in high heeled shoes, and find out how to prepare your feet and buy the best high heeled shoes to run in without injuring yourself.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

How to Prepare To Run in High Heels

1. If you're going to run in high heels, your body has to be prepared. If you are out of shape or have weak ankles, you could fall or injure yourself. The first step to take is to strengthen your ankles. Do ankle strengthening exercises every day for about a week leading up to wearing the high heeled shoes. You can find how to do these exercises in an article listed in the resource section.

2. Before wearing high heels, stretch out your feet and ankles. It's just like a runner doing leg stretches before running. If you stretch out and have built up the strength of your ankles, you will less likely injure yourself when running in high heels.

3. Practice walking in high heels before you decide to run in them. You have to learn how to be able to balance yourself walking if you're going to be able to run without falling. It's like roller skating. If you can't walk, you won't be able to stand up to balance yourself on roller skates. Take baby steps.

How to Find High Heeled Shoes to Run In

4. The most preferable high heeled shoe to run in is one that provides the most support to your ankle. Generally this will be a shoe that comes up over your ankles, such as a boot. By trying on high heeled shoes, you'll get a sense by walking around in them which ones provide the most support to your ankle.

5. Of course, the lower the heel, the easier it will be to run in it. However, you want a high heeled shoe with a thicker heel, no matter how high it is. Stiletto heels are very thin and it is easy to misstep and have your foot go to the side, which can sometimes lead to a sprained ankle.

6. 
   Don't run in a heeled shoe with no strap around the back of the foot

   If you must wear a sandal-type shoe, find ones with the best overall support. A flip-flop type high heel with no strap around the back of your foot will probably fall off if you run, and then you'll fall down. The thicker the strap around the back of your foot, the more support there will be for your ankle. It is also preferable not to have elastic as part of that strap, because it can stretch and give too much and not offering the support you need.

7. Make sure the high heeled shoe you choose is comfortable to walk in. If it's not comfortable to walk in, it won't be comfortable to run in.

How to Actually Run in High Heels

8. Start out running slowly, so that your body gains a sense of balance before you take off at full speed. This can help you avoid falling.

9. Look at the surface you will be running on. Avoid grass, because it can be uneven and you could step in a hole and sprain your ankle. You also can't see the ground surface beneath the grass to know that a hole is there.

10. A cushioned surface is best to run on, like an indoor running track. But how often will this be when you need to run in high heels? Most likely it will be blacktop, a sidewalk, a tiled or hardwood floor, or carpet.

11. If running on pavement or blacktop, just be careful not to let the heel get caught in a groove in the surface. Watch your feet at least somewhat to avoid this from happening.

12. If running on a tiled or hardwood floor, be careful that the floor isn't slippery or wet. Look ahead of yourself to make sure you don't see an overly glossy surface.

13. Have a copy of your health insurance card with you. This way, if you do fall while running, you will have the information you need to get treated for a sprained ankle or even broken bone.

Tips & Warnings

• It's always best to run in a running sneaker. However, if you have to run in a regular shoe, and heels at that, at least prepare yourself ahead of time so you have the least chance of being injured.
• Wearing high heeled shoes often can weaken your ankles in the first place. It is a good idea to do ankle strengthening exercises in general to keep your ankles strong. Weak ankles can lead to easily sprained ankles, from something as simple as accidentally stepping in a whole when walking through grass.