Everyday Orthotics · Dress shoes with heels
Custom Orthotics for Ladies’ Dress Shoes with Heels
Slim, shaped support for an elevated heel.
A raised heel shifts body weight forward onto the ball of the foot and places the foot on a steep slope within a narrow shoe. As heel height increases, pressure beneath the forefoot rises and the muscles of the calf and foot work harder to maintain balance.
Standard orthotics rarely fit this footwear. For ladies’ dress shoes with heels, we prescribe the Cobra and Slimthotics devices: narrow, contoured designs shaped to the pitch of a heeled shoe.
Book an Orthotic AssessmentBring the heeled shoes you wear most often to your appointment.
What a heel asks of your feet
A heeled shoe concentrates load at the forefoot and reduces the area of the foot in contact with the shoe. The device must add support through the arch without taking up space the toes and heel need.
Support
A cobra-shaped shell, narrowed through the midfoot, fills the space beneath the arch so more of the foot shares load on the slope of the shoe.
Alignment
Gentle control helps keep the heel seated and reduces the tendency of the foot to slide forward within the shoe.
Cushioning and efficiency
A Poron extension and suede or micro-suede top cover add comfort beneath the forefoot, where pressure concentrates in heeled footwear.
Evidence
What the research indicates
Orthotic research continues to develop, and individual responses vary. We base our prescriptions on your assessment and use published evidence to guide, rather than overstate, expected outcomes.
- Studies of heel height indicate that forefoot pressure increases as heel height rises, which is the principal target of a heeled-shoe device.
- A review of high-heeled footwear describes changes in walking mechanics and muscle activity associated with regular wear.
- An orthotic can improve comfort within a heeled shoe but does not remove the effect of the heel itself. Your chiropodist can advise on heel height and wear time.
Selected references
- Speksnijder CM, vd Munckhof RJ, Moonen SA, Walenkamp GH. The higher the heel the higher the forefoot-pressure in ten healthy women. The Foot, 2005.
- Cronin NJ. The effects of high heeled shoes on female gait: a review. Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology, 2014.
Technical specifications
How the device is built
Heeled devices are built to a slim, cobra-shaped standard to fit the narrow, sloped interior of a dress shoe. Your chiropodist adjusts materials, posting and shell rigidity according to your assessment, body weight and level of activity.
Cobra
Control level 1–2Lab standard description
- Micro-suede top cover to the sulcus
- Vacuum-formed semi-flexible polypropylene shell with medium-durometer EVA arch fill
- 1.5 mm Poron extension to the sulcus
- Cobra shell grind, narrowed through the midfoot
This is an example only. The actual design and materials of your device will be based on your chiropodist’s assessment.
Applications
Dress shoes with a heel height greater than 3 cm.
Optional shell materials
None
Slimthotics
Control level ModerateLab standard description
- Semi-flexible Subortholene shell
- Moderate control
- Cobra-style shell designed for the best possible fit in high-heeled shoes
- PPT top cover in tan with black suede
- White EVA post and arch filler
- Heel seat depth of 1/4 inch (approx. 6 mm)
This is an example only. The actual design and materials of your device will be based on your chiropodist’s assessment.
Applications
High-heeled dress shoes with a narrow, sloped interior.
Recommended footwear
The right heeled shoes matter
An orthotic performs best in footwear with appropriate structure, depth and fit. Your chiropodist can advise on suitable footwear, and we can order select models through our footwear service.
Dress shoes with heels: common questions
Related orthotic services
We direct-bill most extended health plans.Billing details
Bring your footwear. Start with an assessment.
Meet with our Registered Chiropodists to discuss your feet, your daily activities and your footwear, and whether a custom orthotic is appropriate for you.
3305 Harvester Road, Burlington, Ontario L7N 3N2