polkadot

Original and tested info about comfy high heel shoes:
http://www.medianet.pl/~andrew/shoes/comfy_heels.htm

rubberheel

Thanks for posting! Very useful information. I doubt my local cobbler is able to make a pair of high heeled shoes though... He only does reparations, as do most cobblers in Denmark.

polkadot

Try to experiment with the inserts - you can make them yourself from any kind of thick adhesive tape. If the toe box is closed, nobody will see the ugly tape. If the toebox is open, you can have the cobbler glue a piece of leather on top of your tape to hide the tape.

rubberheel

Why have I never thought about that? Thanks for the input! My local cobbler (or shoe repairer) is a very nice man who likes heels. It's worth a try!

polkadot

Keep tinkering with the tape - add a little tape here, remove a little tape there, until it feels just right. I doubt any craftsman can make perfect inserts on the first try - you may actually save time if you make them yourself. Let me know if you are making progress. :)

sscotty727

Polkadot,

I have a solution that works pretty well. I've been tinkering with ways to add "height" and I think I have finally came up with something easy that works well.

Basically I got a woman's Triad insert (or something like it). I find the women's work best then the men's since the men's are bulkier and add more lift to the front of the foot, which is what you DON'T want.

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0...CLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

Anyway, next I got a solid gel insert for just the heel (get one that has a little thickness and is solid, not real squishy). I can't find a pic of one online, but if you look most drug stores will carry both.

I then used SuperGlue to attach the gel insert to the back of the Triad insert (the triad will go on top). You can then put this into your shoe, and depending on how snug it fits, you can add some tape underneath (i found either double stick or duct tape work well) to hold it in place (if you use duct, do the trick of twisting it to make "double sided" tape"). Anyway, this won't give you a real high lift, but since it does add a little PLUS changes the arch of the fit, you do get a sensation of a higher heel and alot more comfort.

PM me if you have any other questions or need more details. I can try to take some pics later when I get a chance.

Scotty

sscotty727

Ok, here are a few pics.

First of all, here is how the shoe fits BEFORE the insert (I am pointing to where my heel is).
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a1...out_insert.jpg

Here is the normal Triad insert with no modifications.
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a1...27/insert1.jpg

Here is a modified Triad insert with the Gel Heel glued on it.
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a1...27/insert2.jpg

The shoe with the modified insert placed inside.
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a1...hoe_insert.jpg

And finally, you can see how the shoe fits with the new insert (I am pointing to where my heel is now).
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a1...ith_insert.jpg

polkadot

sscotty727,

What is the purpose of the Triad insert? To hold the gel insert in place? If this is the case, why do you use double stick tape? A shoe glue would hold the gel insert in place much more securely than the double stick tape. (If the shoe glue does not adhere to the gel insert, you can prime the gel insert surface with coarse sandpaper or a burning match.)

All soft inserts, including your inserts provide some relief, but they are of little help in really high heel shoes, because they do not prevent sliding of the feet forward. When your feet slide forward, your toes are squeezed, which is painful.

The custom insert described in my web page (http://www.medianet.pl/~andrew/shoes/comfy_heels.htm) prevents forward sliding of the foot, so the toes are not squeezed.

Inserts made of hard rubber, leather, or plastic are more durable than inserts made of gel or soft elastomer.

I tried variety of inserts (ready made and custom made) in high heel shoes of different heights, (mostly 6 inch heels, which turn my feet into vertical position).

sscotty727

Polkadot,

I have experimented with inserts for a while now since most "masculine" shoes sold aren't very high (you are lucky to get 3 to 3 1/2 inches). Anyway, I have tried making wooden inserts, stacking gel inserts, etc. I have found that if you just use inserts on the heel part, you end up with a gap over your arch. While this feel initial nice, after you walk or stand all day like that your feet hurt. If you use a full length insert overtop of the gel inserts, you decrease the space in the shoe and again, the tops of your feet hurt. By using the triad (actually, Dr Schol also has a version with hard plastic on the bottom), you get the covering over the gap PLUS your toes aren't "raised" because the insert only goes down half way. The gel inserts UNDER the triad raises the back of the insert to increase the height plus gives you more of an arch. Depending on the shoe your putting them in, I suppose you could stack the gel inserts, but you will quickly turn a pair of shoes into mules if you raise the heel too much. It is probably best to experiement.

Also one last note. I found that buying the woman's triad is better since they are shorter (length wise). Since the men's are longer, you get more under the bottom of the foot (toe area) and therefore again, less room and the tops of your feet will compress against the tongue of the shoe. The woman's fit (well atleast for me) much better.

Hope this helps.

Scotty

polkadot

Scotty,

Your primary goal is simple tinkering with relatively low heel shoes to raise the heels. My goal is providing maximum comfort for those who wear very high heel shoes. If you want perfect fit, you have to sculpture your custom inserts using duct tape or any other method.