It IS possible to have holiday heels that are comfortable for all night of socializing and dancing. Plan ahead for the heels that you will wear. If you have shoes already make sure they still fit, as feet get larger over the years. If your shoes are too tight get rid of them, it is nearly impossible to stretch shoes to fit that are not natural leather because even if you succeed in stretching them out they will spring back into their original size and you will end up with very painful feet. If your old shoes are slightly too big such as stretched out natural leather pumps or sandals with loose straps you can make them like new again (and even better fitting and more comfortable) by adding permanent soft polyurethane inserts that are made to hold your feet in place preventing slipping forward and sideways, plus adding stability to your holiday shoes. Old shoes can be made holiday new by spray painting them (outdoors on a newspaper) in silver or gold paint that is suitable for vinyl or leather. When they are wet sprinkle on some glitter dust and your feet will sparkle!
If you buy new heels make sure to walk around in them - not just stand - in the store for at least five minutes. Your shoes should feel as if made for you during your walk about. The shoes should have at least 1/4 to 1/2 inch of space in front of you longest toe, whichever one that is. The heel of the shoe should be located so it is directly under the middle of your heel. Your foot at the heel end should fit comfortably within the heel of the shoe and the back of the shoe should not rub against your foot. Beware of high heel shoes with a high back as this can hit high up on the back of your leg and may rub painfully when you walk in the shoes. Make sure the bottom of the shoe is more than 1/8th inch thick. Platform heels are good in that the bottoms are thick, however walk about in them to make sure there is an appropriate amount of flex in the sole and the front of the shoe has a sole that is rounded and raised off the floor or you will end up walking awkwardly flat footed because the sole is not flexible or rounded.
After you have chosen the correct shoe size for your foot you should put permanent polyurethane high heel shoe inserts into your holiday shoes to ensure many more hours of comfort in heels than you may have become used to. Breathable non slippery (tiny) inserts help to keep your foot stable, preventing it from sliding forward or falling off sideways off the heel end and don't 'stuff' your shoe. The shock absorbing cushioning of the inserts under the ball of the foot is important for targeted comfort in the area of greatest pressure underfoot. I hope you have a very happy holiday in your glittering holiday shoes. (the featured image is my watercolour of Brian Atwood heels)
