Ad | 9 Tips To Make Wearing Heels More Comfortable, Over 40

What to wear with a safari-style khaki jumpsuit: Cream fedora statement crystal necklace cobalt blue heels leopard clutch | Not Dressed As Lamb, over 40 style

Sometimes I receive comments from my readers about my outfits with high heels – they often mention how they simply can’t wear them anymore.

As you get older, wearing heels becomes more and more of a problem due to the various aches and pains (to a greater or lesser extent) that we all suffer from.

I haven’t yet quite got to the stage where I can no longer wear high heels – I’m happy in a pair of four-inchers – but being comfortable in heels is something we all want. The feeling of relief at the end of the day after wearing heels is second-to-none – but is there anything we can do to make the actual wearing of heels easier and comfier?

I think there is! There are no miracle cures, that’s for sure, but you can make steps (see what I did there) to make wearing heels easier on your feet. I’m sharing my 9 best tips to make wearing heels more comfortable – these tips are ESPECIALLY good for women over 40 as our tolerance levels do tend to go down the older we get…!

 

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Airpufs (click here for my full disclosure). All content is original, however, and opinions are my own and 100% honest.

 

1. Break them in

If your heels are new and for a special occasion, ensure you wear them in before the big day. I tend to wear them with a pair of thin socks around the house for at least a couple of days to make them stretch and mould to my feet a little.

 

2. Wear comfort insoles

Insoles are a godsend if you wear heels and are on your feet all day (or night). I’ve reviewed some Airpufs which are made from a shock-absorbent hypoallergenic foam and slip inside your shoes – read my full review of them at the end of the tips!

What to wear with a safari-style khaki jumpsuit: Cream fedora statement crystal necklace cobalt blue heels leopard clutch | Not Dressed As Lamb, over 40 style

3. Try foldaway flats

Take flats or – even better – foldaway shoes for the walking part of your journey. These are a godsend when you’ve worn your heels all evening and you then need to walk to the tube station/the taxi rank/home.

 

4. Use talcum powder

I swear by this one – dusting your feet with talcum powder before putting on your heels stops rubbing. This is the absolute best way to avoid blisters on your toes.

 

5. Consider heel types

Block heels are easier to wear all day than stilettoes which tend to make you wobble more. As much as I love a pointed toe shoe with a stiletto heel they do result in feet that ache more!

 

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9 Tips to Make Wearing Heels More Comfortable, Over 40

6. Get a pedicure

Keeping your toenails trimmed will avoid rubbing or squashed toes. There’s nothing worse than running out the door wearing heels and you realise that your toenails have grown a little too much.

 

7. Slip your heels off

If you get a moment while you’re sitting down, discretely slip off your heels and stretch your toes and arches. (Don’t blame me if you don’t want to put them back on, though.)

 

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8. Try a supermodel’s hack

Marie Helvin swears by this trick and I’ve read others who’ve tried it say it sounds crazy but it’s so effective: Tape your third and fourth toes together (the two before your little toe). Something to do with balancing the weight over your feet. Obviously only try it if you’re wearing closed-toe shoes, however…

What to wear with a safari-style khaki jumpsuit: Cream fedora statement crystal necklace cobalt blue heels leopard clutch | Not Dressed As Lamb, over 40 style

9. Switch your shoes

Don’t wear the same pair of heels from one day to the next – change heel heights and shoe styles if you can. Give your muscles a rest (and a different workout) the next day.

 

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Airpufs review

Invented by a former long-time flight attendant, Airpufs are a self-adhesive shoe insole designed to cushion your feet inside your high heels. I was asked to review them, and as a heels fan I OBVIOUSLY had to take up the challenge!

Now don’t get me wrong, I am a die-hard heels wearer. I never, ever take my heels off at a party or event. I know that if I do, I’ll never want to put them back on again (see tip no.4). Therefore I guess for vanity’s sake that I do leave them on too long (must follow my own advice, oops).

I wanted to wear my new jumpsuit at a family birthday party – jumpsuits always look better with heels… Jumpsuits and heels go together like eggs and bacon, they’re just meant to be. So not only did I chose to wear something that would give me bathroom problems, but I wore something that required heels – I swear I’m out to sabotage myself sartorially much of the time.

THAT was the perfect time to try my new Airpufs, surely…? All I had to do was take off the backing and stick them inside my heels – and walk, stand and er, run. (No, I didn’t actually run.)

 

Why Airpufs are different

The fact that they were designed by an ex-flight attendant was a draw for me. If any profession knows about being on their feet all day, it’s flight attendants. Airpufs’ website says this about the product:

AirPufs’ secret material is a hypoallergenic foam that is 20 x more shock absorbent than any generic material used by mass market brands. Compare AirPufs and other leading manufacturers, although they may be similar in shape and thickness, AirPufs will prove to be more bouncy and offer more comfort than any insole you have ever tried.

Now I have used other comfort insoles before, but I always used the gel things. The difference with Airpufs is that the material used is foam rather than a gel – they don’t rub. I always found that the gel inserts would cause friction and stickiness, no matter how much I followed tip no.4. And even THEY made my feet hurt after a while.

One thing was certain: The sponginess of Airpufs makes ALL the difference. The hypoallergenic fabric means your feet don’t get sticky and rub (like the gels). Whilst I can bear to wear heels all day, I know that I’m not getting any younger and once you hit your 40s you do start to find being on your feet all day far more tiring. So heels-wearing is only going to get harder.

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What to wear with a safari-style khaki jumpsuit: Cream fedora statement crystal necklace cobalt blue heels leopard clutch | Not Dressed As Lamb, over 40 style

Conclusion – did Airpufs work?

I’m glad to say that they really did make a HUGE difference. Do you ever occasionally come across a pair of boots when they’ve put a squishy layer of foam inside to make them more comfortable, and you put your foot inside and feel that sense of satisfaction at your protected-by-foamy-squishy stuff? Well, it’s a bit like that.

They’re thin, so they don’t take up much room in your shoes. They’re reusable in other shoes as the adhesive backing isn’t permanent. And they come in about 20 funky patterns, from marble to flamingo print to my Airpufs’ pattern, the classic houndstooth.

The blue heels I wore are ones I’ve had for ages, but I rarely wear them because they’re a pair that cause a fair bit of high-heel ache. But the Airpufs really did make wearing them no problem at all. I won’t lie, I was still glad to take my heels off at the end of the day, but my feet didn’t scream AAAAARGH YESSSSSSSSS when they were finally freed, just a small “yay”.

My conclusion is yes, flight attendants DO know their onions when it comes to wearing heels…!

Details: Buy from http://airpufs.com – all are a set price of $16.00 (or $14.00 if you want to take a lucky dip with the pattern). They offer international shipping and returns are accepted within 30 days (unused). Well worth every penny IMO!

 

Free delivery code

Airpufs have given me the free delivery code of NOTLAMB for you to use – there’s no expiry date and it’s for repeated use.

 

HAVE YOU TRIED COMFORT INSOLES OR GOT ANY OTHER GREAT TIPS FOR MAKING WEARING HEELS MORE COMFY? TELL ME IN THE COMMENTS!

What to wear with a safari-style khaki jumpsuit: Cream fedora statement crystal necklace cobalt blue heels leopard clutch | Not Dressed As Lamb, over 40 style
What to wear with a safari-style khaki jumpsuit: Cream fedora statement crystal necklace cobalt blue heels leopard clutch | Not Dressed As Lamb, over 40 style
What to wear with a safari-style khaki jumpsuit: Cream fedora statement crystal necklace cobalt blue heels leopard clutch | Not Dressed As Lamb, over 40 style
What to wear with a safari-style khaki jumpsuit: Cream fedora statement crystal necklace cobalt blue heels leopard clutch | Not Dressed As Lamb, over 40 style
What to wear with a safari-style khaki jumpsuit: Cream fedora statement crystal necklace cobalt blue heels leopard clutch | Not Dressed As Lamb, over 40 style

Comfort insoles: Airpufs c/o
Jumpsuit: Winser London c/o
Hat: Village Hats
Heels: Barratts (similar, US link)
Necklace: ASOS (old, LOVE this one)
Clutch: New Look (similar)
Nails: Nails Inc Porchester Square

25 Comments

  1. Laurette Broussard
    13 October 2021 / 2:22 pm

    Catherine, I thoroughly enjoyed your suggestions for making wearing heels more comfortable. After 10 years of wearing only flats, thanks to rheumatoid arthritis (which I now have under control), I started wearing heels again earlier this year. They’re mostly rather conservative, 6 to 8 cm heels, but I am now managing in them quite well. At work, I’m on my feet most of the day, but I will wear heels to and from work, for a little while in the shop, if I go to run an errand, or if I step outside for a cigarette.

    I will be trying your “switch your shoes” tip starting today. I’ve been wearing the same pair almost every day, it’s now time to start rotating them. Something I need to do, particularly with closed-back pumps, is decide when I buy them if I’m going to wear them with hose or barefoot. They have to fit absolutely perfectly.

    I do have exactly one pair of very high heels, a pair of platform pumps, peep-toes, with 15 cm heels and a 4 cm plateau. I wear them once every two weeks when I go out with the ladies. I’m 1.60m tall barefoot, but it’s really fun being 1.75m tall with my heels on. But of course, when I’m wearing them, a pair of roll-up ballerinas are in my purse.

    • Catherine
      Author
      13 October 2021 / 2:26 pm

      Switching is very important Laurette! And I agree about the fitting perfectly part… I have too many pairs of shoes due to my failure to remember that… So glad you liked the tips, thank you!

      • Laurette Broussard
        14 October 2021 / 2:00 pm

        One of your tips I was already doing, “slip your heels off.” For this reason, I avoid buying heels with ankle straps, t-straps, buckles, etc (though I do wear slingbacks), This makes it easier to kick the shoes off and slip back into them with ease. I think if the shoe fits perfectly, there’s no need for them.

  2. Margot Sevigny
    13 March 2021 / 1:17 pm

    Tried to order the Airpufs————–code does not work, but alas this is 2021!

  3. Rebeca
    10 May 2018 / 5:03 am

    I am on a never-ending quest for the perfect travel shoes. Just today I haunted both Aerosole and Clark’s outlet stores in Atlantic City. Like you, I also learned the hard way that gawking and safe walking doesn’t mix well—except that my incident resulted in more of a face plant. Not pretty.

  4. 20 May 2017 / 9:18 am

    You look fabulous! But high heels have been a no-no for me since I suffered my first (and last) pair at the age of 16. They are very bad for the back and posture, and restrict women's movement. It's a sad sight to see girls in skyscraper heelers trying to negotiate the steep cobbled streets of our town, desperately clutching at the nearest male for support. As a feminist who loves fashion, I think we should refuse to wear them and even campaign against them. When I need to look formal, I choose a wedge or a block heel, ans I make a priority of being able to move freely!

  5. 15 May 2017 / 4:48 pm

    I love all of these tips! I keep meaning to try the toe taping one, but haven't I'm gonna give that a whirl. Your styling on this jumpsuit is amazing… love every single thing you did, and these photos are so beautiful. You look gorgeous. xx

  6. 14 May 2017 / 10:47 am

    I miss high heels it hurts. So much.

    You can now rely on me to be the sneaker/trainer/tennis shoe blogger over 40. That's me! My collection–if I do say so myself–is pretty amazing. It has to be to compensate for my lost love.

    Sighhhhhh.

    Love, Ann from Kremb de la Kremb

  7. 13 May 2017 / 7:45 pm

    Thanks for the tips. I can do with them. The airpufs seem very tempting as I am on high heels most of the times. Like you and your jumpsuit, I choose clothes that need heels and then in my spare time I don't want to do heels and cannot wear half of my wardrobe. I may have to try Airpufs.
    As for your outfit: I absolutely adore it and am trying not be envious. A jumpsuit is the one thing which looks horrible on an inverted triangle shape. Better concentrate on other things.
    As always the hat is so cute. Love the necklace too. I am all for chunky necklaces.
    Greetje

  8. 12 May 2017 / 12:43 pm

    Love these tips, never thought of talcum powder and those shoes are dreamy. Catherine, you should join a modelling agency, you are so bloody beautiful xx

  9. 11 May 2017 / 8:26 pm

    I love the outfit. The shoes actually look really comfortable. I tend not to wear heals unless I am at work. I also wear flats for the journey in. Pen x #brillblogposts

  10. 11 May 2017 / 4:40 pm

    Gord I love this jumpsuit Catherine, the colour is stunning on you! I always avoid shoes without a padded sole but now I don't have to, thanks for the tip 😉
    xx

  11. 11 May 2017 / 10:44 am

    Gosh you look fabulous Catherine! What a wonderful pairing: Khaki and cobalt blue= DIVINE!
    I love heels but find my life just doesn't really require them that much in my day to day life. But yes, i am all about comfort when i do wear them! Love the idea of soft cushioning to help and your tips are fab!XX

  12. 11 May 2017 / 9:52 am

    Wow what a fantastic combination of colors! Fabulous jumpsuit too!

  13. 10 May 2017 / 8:34 pm

    As an ex-nurse and ex-flight attendant my mantra to younger women is "be kind to your feet". Always. The Airpufs sound great but always get off your tootsies the minute you can and never wear heels where they can't be seen.

  14. 10 May 2017 / 8:29 pm

    I love my heels!!! And wear those pointy, toe-cleavage bearing stilettos regularly! I especially love them with jeans. Another tip–have them professionally stretched a bit by a shoe repair! I love those blue heels!!!

  15. 10 May 2017 / 5:38 pm

    Electric blue heels go with EVERYTHING don't they?
    I love the look of yours with this khaki jumpsuit…fabulous!
    The shoe tips are spot on and that 3rd/4th toe tip really works wonders.
    I've never used talc, but I will give it a go now. Thank you for that :o)
    One tip I would add is never to assume a lower heel will be more comfortable. Sometimes a higher heel gives more support to the arch…. depending on the wearer's feet, of course!
    I have found that a few times, with different shoe brands.
    I love this look Catherine.
    You always manage to surprise and inspire!
    XXX
    Samantha
    Fake Fabulous | Fashion & Style, over 40

    • 10 May 2017 / 7:06 pm

      They do, Samantha – I'm not a big fan of wearing the colour in clothes (one of the few colours I don't like on me), but shoes: YES!! And thank you for the lovely compliments x

  16. 10 May 2017 / 5:19 pm

    I think in my case, it's not so much that my body can't cope with heels anymore, rather that I won't make my body suffer anymore. I've never been a big heel wearer, but I'm less willing to put myself through it now. I own four pairs of heels, and they've got tapered block heel that aren't too high.
    I do like the sound of those insoles though, and taping toes together, and the talcum powder. When I do wear heels these days it's usually for parties and weddings etc, so I tend to have them on for longer than I'd like.

    • 10 May 2017 / 7:05 pm

      I think that's the case for a lot of us, Danish – that we wear them for special occasions only. And as I mentioned, I never take mine off like some women do. I'm always so afraid I'll never get them back on!!!!!

  17. 10 May 2017 / 3:50 pm

    I've tried taping the toes together and it does give you a bit longer in the shoes. I also like to rub a bit of vaseline anywhere that the shoes rub, or are likely to have some friction as that stops blisters too.

    • 10 May 2017 / 7:04 pm

      OOh that's interesting that it works, Rebecca, I'm always forgetting to try it…!! Vaseline is a good tip too x

  18. 10 May 2017 / 3:33 pm

    Feel like CandyMan and I BOTH need those Airpufs lol! For real tho

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