Last Wednesday I had my dear friend and client August McLaughlin of Girl Boner Radio on my new limited series IG LIVE show Wine and Wardrobe on Wednesdays. Besides our gregarious girl chat of how we first met, Girl Boners and what she’s wearing; we dove into her #heelfree campaign.
For one year the lovely, vivacious, blonde, speaker, appearance maker and media personality didn’t wear heels! She let her size 9 feet comfortably walk down red carpets and hop up on stages give empowering speeches. This is almost unheard of…especially for a woman in LA. I personally only wear heels if it’s a special occasion. However, I remember the days in my twenties of looking sexy and powerful in 3 inch heels while dreading every knife stabbing step! Those days are long behind me. However, I know many women who feel bad if they can’t wear high heels because of a foot injury or bunion. They have expressed lower confidence because they have to wear flats.
I, along with August, want to change that perception. If you wear heels, and love them, good for you! If you wear heels and are in pain and discomfort, stop! You don’t need them to be sexy or feel empowered. Once you start to shift your mind into being comfortable in fashionable badass flats as you whisk around from task to task you’ll start to see you can still be all you can be…with no pain attached.
The pros of high heels are few and far between when you look at the cons. Yes, adding a few inches, and having the appearance of a leaner longer leg at first is a definite plus. At what cost you ask? When compared with the cons; back pain, bunions, hammer toes and walking funny heels are not worth it. Even kitten heels according to a fab article on BestHealthMag the pros and cons of heels states the cause corns to back pain and can difficult to walk in.
She states on her blog:
“High heels are a lot riskier than I’d realized.
As heels have grown taller and more plentiful, related injuries have grown more common. (Go figure! ;)) High heels have been compared to foot-binding, for good reason; they cause similar problems.
They change the way we walk and stand, shorten our calf muscles and Achilles tendons, cause pain and inflammation and contribute to knee arthritis, bone fractures and more.“- AugustMaclaughlin.com
She goes on:
“Feeling stable and comfortable is hugely empowering.
At first, giving up high heels was as challenging as I’d imagined it would be. There were times I felt “less than,” as though I’d given up my power suit or superhero cape. But gradually, I began to feel more connected to myself and more present with others.
I hadn’t realized how much even the low heels I’d been wearing a few hours per day at most had been hurting me. The knee stiffness I’d attributed to past overexercise left completely with high heels. During and after upscale events, I have more energy and zero foot pain or stiffness.”- August McLaughlin
She also gives kudos to those high heel wearers, but pleads to educate yourself before you continue. After her campaign, she continues to be #heelfree. If you ‘d like more info on her #heelfree campaign read her takeaways on her blog. Make sure to catch our interview on Wine and Wardrobe with Rayne too!
Wishing you all lots of love, health and style!
PS. Here are my picks for cute flats! You can shop from the link or you can always reach out to me for a complete makeover from hair to toe! Check out my new packages here.
