Good Heels vs Bad Heels

What makes heels good? They don't hurt and you feel amazing in them!

But how can you tell when a heel is good? I will show you a few tricks, both my just looking at the heel and when you're trying them on.

We all love sky-high heels but a lot of designers (or stores) don't do them well. They're painful and not worth the money. I love Louboutins, but I'm careful about where I spend my money.

Visuals: What You See

Good Heels
(credit: Forever21)

 Bad Heels
(credit: Forever21)

What makes it good:

• The heel angle is slightly tipped to the back and the platform at the toe area is large/thick
• The space between the toe area and the ground is not much, meaning you won't tip forward when you walk

What makes it bad:

• The heel angle is totally forward and the platform around the toe area is too small in comparison to the heel
• The back heel area is pointed straight to the sky (no angle)

Experiment: Trying Heels On

When trying on a pair of heels/platformed heels. It is always wise to put them on and stand for a bit. If they seem to push you forward and you feel super tall (in an awkward way) they are bad heels. They will be painful to walk in and you probably won't get very far. If you are standing up straight and most of your weight is on your heel (back of your foot), it is a good heel.
Next try walking in them for a bit (around the store). Do you feel as though you could tip forward and trip at any time? If yes, they are bad heels. The platform should never be too far away from the ground. Regardless of how comfortable you feel walking in heels, they are bad heels and you will not enjoy wearing them.
I purposely tip my feet forward while standing to see how far the platform is from the ground. Then I stomp the back of the heel a bit on the ground while walking to see if they are sturdy.

If you really love the shoes but they are bad shoes, consider them "sitting down shoes". You will only be able to wear them at dinners etc., where you are not moving around too much.