High-heel shoes, which first appeared in Ming Dynasty in the 14th century according to one saying while another insists that it was invented by the tailor from the French royal court in the 15th century, hold strong attraction for the majority of women, including young and middle-aged ladies, and even some teenage girls. Wearing a pair of high-heel shoes usually makes every step of the wearer more graceful and at the same time increases her charm. Besides, it can also bring some medical advantages.

The arches of the foot, which are formed by the tarsal and metatarsal bones and strengthened by ligaments and tendons, allow the foot to support the weight of the body in the erect posture with the least weight, help to cushion the vibration while walking and protect the vessels and nerves in the sole from being pressed. As high-heel shoes have a similar arched shape, wearing them can preserve the foot arches and redress flat feet.

In order to maintain balance, the high-heel shoes wearer should square the shoulders, flat the belly, and walk with more strength from the calf. Thus, it can help to expand the pleural cavities, strengthen the lung capacity, and tone up the calf and the abdominal muscles. And another theory claims that it can increase the abdominal pressure and thus the wearer can lose weight by wearing high-heel shoes.

Lower limbs varicosity is common with women. Since high-heel shoes upraise the arches of the foot, it is favorable toward boosting the blood circulation. It can not only prevent such a disease, but also help to cure it.

To those women who are relatively short, the helpfulness and effects of high-heel shoes are more immediate and magical. By putting on a pair of high-heel shoes, they can grow tall in a wink which no medicine can make it happen even the TV commercials claim so.

Although wearing high-heel shoes does a lot of good, to walk with them everyday like Victoria Beckham does would not be a smart choice. The shoe with a heel which is too high does not appeal to human mechanics. As the whole weight of body falls on the former part of the sole, and the toes do not bear stress evenly, the wearer is very likely to get sore legs, twist her ankles, or fall down out of carelessness.

In order not to get into the trouble which might be caused by wearing high-heel shoes in an inappropriate way, the following instructions are highly recommended. Firstly, the best time to select a pair of suitable high-heel shoes is 3 to 4 o¡¯clock in the afternoon. When trying the shoes, walk with them for about 10 minutes so that you can find the pair which fits your feet perfectly. For a pair of proper shoes, the height of the heel had better not exceed 5 cm and the heel should not be too slim, otherwise it cannot sustain the body weight stably. Secondly, it is not recommended to wear high-heel shoes every day. Those women who need to walk frequently are suggested wearing high-heel shoes and flat shoes alternatively so as to reduce the weariness of both feet. Thirdly, if possible, soak both feet in hot water for 5 minutes to relax them.