An incline of over 2 inches from toe to heel can increase the impact of each step sevenfold or more. Choosing a pair of heeled boots or shoes doesn’t rule out sexy stilettos. If you purchase footwear with a stacked toe, keeping the incline to 2 inches or less, you can create the illusion of real stilettos – while avoiding the pain.

Modern materials and manufacturing techniques for athletic shoes are also utilized in today’s women’s shoes. Try to find a sole with air pockets and a see-through construction. The air pockets reduce painful impact, and the transparency gives the impression of floating on air, while making shoes look dainty.

Insist on sturdy, quality construction with straps that hug (without chafing) to provide firm support. Shoes with leather uppers will wick away moisture and heat, allowing your feet to breathe in comfort.

Whatever your choice, footwear should be comfortable from the first moment you try it on. High-quality footwear does not require a breaking-in period. Perfect Sizing

Don’t try to squeeze into something that is too small. If you must wear a 7 1/2 wide instead of a 7 narrow, do it. Comfort must always be number 1 on your list of priorities. You may have seen commercials for high-heel comfort gel inserts. While there is nothing wrong with this extra layer of protection, it cannot replace proper style and fit. The Tryouts

After you have found your ‘perfect’ footwear, try it on and walk around inside the store for a few minutes. Place your weight gently, heel first, rocking forward onto the ball of each foot. Take small steps, legs close together, pretending that you are wearing a really tight skirt without a kick pleat. Toes should be pointed to the front, not to the side.

Do you feel absolutely comfortable? Great! Ring up the sale! Do you wobble from side to side when you walk? Do you feel unsteady? Pick out something else! Wobbling is unsafe and unsexy. If you sprain or break an ankle, you won’t feel very attractive hobbling around on crutches.

Keeping your sales slip handy, proceed at once to an indoor location with a smooth floor. Stroll around in your new shoes or boots for about an hour. Practice walking around corners, navigating stairs, and making turns – like a model on a runway. After the hour has passed, how do your feet feel? Do they burn? Do they have blisters or tender spots? If the answer is ‘yes’, return them to the store immediately and look for something else. The soles will still be in near pristine condition.

Once the final decision has been made, spend more time practicing. Do not venture out in public until you feel confident walking on floors, uneven surfaces, and carpeting. If you plan to go dancing, rehearse for awhile in front of a mirror. Now – Soak Up the Admiration!

Your careful selection may take some time – but the reward is worth it! You will feel like a starlet as you walk, and the comfortable, radiant smile on your face will force everyone nearby to take a second look at a beautiful, poised YOU.

©Copyright Kathy Steinemann: This article is free to publish only if this copyright notice, the byline, and the author’s note below (with active links) are included.

It wasn’t until I saw my best friend Amy with a pair of Sugar Boots that I realised just why so many thousand girls have been trying to get hold of a pair of these fantastic little things! They are actually incredibly cool looking. I have seen Sugar Boots being worn by the celebrities featured in heat magazine, and finally managed to get my hands on a pair. Luckily for me Amy is a size 4 so I could get to try before I buy, and sure enough, they fitted like a glove.

I’m not normally the type of person to rave about a pair of boots, I usually prefer to spend my time deciding what top or pair of jeans to put on. Usually the only thought shoes get is that they have to blend in with my outfit, but found myself somehow wanting to choose my outfit around these boots…most strange! I guess I’ve been hooked by the “Sugar Boot” craze and will be ordering a few more pairs…just for choice (please don’t tell my husband ) )

Sugar boots are yet to be donned by the mighty Beyonce Knowles, but I’ve been reading on the sugar website that she is wearing the false eyelashes. Rachel Mcadams has also been said to wear the “Pump em up” lip gloss…come on girls…get a pair of Sugar shoes on your feet!

Well, I’ll have to end this article by recommending my favourite pair of Sugar Boots, and it’s the “Sugar Graphic Boot Party Polka”. It was the first pair of boots that I laid my eyes on that were made by sugar, and I guess that they will always be my favourite, and I’ve got a pair on order at the moment.

We looked on this website, www. fashionshop. co. uk, and found what are called Sugar Boots. Now Sugar Boots are slightly different from your average everyday woman’s shoe, my wife tells me. They feel “prancy”, which I first assumed meant that wearing them made it easier for my wife to leap fences. I am however relieved to discover that she simply means that she feels light on her feet when wearing them. Sigh of relief.

Sugar Boots also seem to be decidedly strong. My wife is not the smallest of women by any means (nor is she the largest), and yet they seem to be able to take a great deal of walking, running and general exercise punishment without duress. It must be like they’re made of titanium, because she goes everywhere in them, does everything in them, and they have still kept their shape, stitching and colour. Amazing.

Now comes the good bit. The particular shoe my wife twisted my arm into buying for her is decidedly pink. Not the pink that sits comfortably on the face as a lipstick, or the understated handbag. This is pink at its most feminine. This is the type of pink that you’d see around the shoulders of drag acts, this is Sheila’s Wheels Pink. Ladies, if you want shoes that scream “Look at Me”, then go for Sugar Boots. My wife’s feet now seem to get more attention from her friends than her latest handbag (which is also pink). I think she’s stumbled upon the latest craze.