Types

• Riverside Health Reference indicates that constant high-heel wear causes the foot to slide forward into the shoe. This creates abnormal pressure points in the toes and feet, which leads to conditions such as ingrown toenails, corns, callouses and hammertoe. Other conditions include bunions and stress fractures.
  
  

Effects

• An ingrown toenail is one that has grown into the skin. Corns and callouses are thickened layers of skin caused by continuous rubbing between the shoe and foot. Hammertoe is a deformity marked by inward curl of the toes. Bunions are bumps that form on the side of the foot at the joint by the big toe. Stress fractures are small breaks in the bones of the feet.
  
  

Prevention/Solution

• Avoid wearing high-heel shoes as much as possible. When they are necessary, limit their height to 1.5 inches. Try on both shoes and make sure they are comfortable before leaving the store.