When the spring New York Times Fashion supplement arrives at my door I open it with a sense of great anticipation. It's not that I actually can either wear or afford most of what's in there, but it's fun to stay on top of what's coming down the couture pipeline. However, my amusement quickly turned to outrage at seeing page after page of shoe companies promoting spiky heels so high, rickety, and just plain dangerous that they should come with a Surgeon General's warning. .
You can watch a video that shows what I'm talking about on the Huffington Post. These shoes don't look quite so glamorous on a beautiful model who has just taken a brutal spill on the runway.
You may be wondering why an "aging blogger" (so to speak) is commenting on fashion, but trust me-- there is good cause. Not only can you literally die or break a leg by wearing them, but over the course of your life, research shows that shoes like these will increase your risk of arthritis, the #1 chronic illness affecting individuals in middle and later life. If you know someone who suffers from this disease you know that it causes pain and mobility limitations that can significantly interfere with quality of life. And worse, there is no remedy other than replacing diseased joints.
The wisdom of wearing the right shoes was revealed to me many years ago when a wise elder interviewed in one of my studies announced her secrets of successful aging. "Good shoes, of course!" she said without hesitation.
It is a well-established fact that by wearing high heels on a frequent basis, women are more likely to develop osteoarthritis because of the increased force placed on the joints in the knee and feet. Although some shoe companies are building Nike Air technology into their design, most notably Cole Haan, the majority do not. And Cole Haan must know it's onto a good thing, because their shoes are not cheap! So most young women going for fashionable looks are relegated to those that have no cushioning or protection. However, even if you have the money to splurge, the chances are slim that you'll head toward the "sensible" Cole Haan's and instead go for the Jimmy Choo's or, thanks to 
, Manolo Blahnik's. As you tower toward the ceiling (or more likely, totter) you may feel and possibly look sexy (assuming you don't actually fall) but you will be signing the death warrant for your lower extremities.
The irony is that as stilettos have been getting more ridiculously extreme, the technology on workout shoes has vastly improved. Nike revolutionized sneakers and as a result we are better protected from injuries acquired while exercising. It's a situation similar to the use of ear protectors. To prevent auditory damage from exposure to noise in the workplace, a variety of ear plugs and ear protective devices became mandated. At the same time, though, Sony invented the Walkman, soon to be followed by the Discman and now Apple's iPod. Plugging the earphones into your ears results in the same damage to the ear as hours spent at work exposed to industrial noise.
Similarly, as medicine is making huge leaps in improving the treatment of cardiovascular disease, the incidence of obesity and availability of fast food is rising at a commensurate pace. Humans must be the only species capable of developing innovations that would extend life and improve its quality and then manufacturing products that entirely negate those advancements. In fact, obesity only compounds the shoe problem because the added weight puts increased pressure on your lower joints, hence accelerating the development of arthritis (among other diseases).
In my paranoid moments, I wonder if the shoe manufacturers are in cahoots with the pharmaceutical industry to ensure that there will always be a market for arthritis pain relievers. Perhaps Apple is busy developing a future market for hearing aids (the "iHear"?) and that's why they keep pushing the i-this and the i-that.
But I digress. Getting back to the footwear issue, if you think that by wearing flats, flip-flops, and Uggs you are protecting your sole, I'm sorry to say that you're wrong. Shoes that have no support may be less bad than shoes that give you a 4-inch boost off the ground but they aren't necessarily going to protect you from damage to your lower extremities. The sole needs physical support!
It's time to counter these trends but we need data. I've developed a simple quiz to help gather more information and I need your help. I've developed a brief anonymous survey designed to provide more information on people's health habits, including the shoes you wear. After I get enough responses I'll refine it further so it will most likely appear in a later blog. If you've got suggestions to improve the survey, please leave a comment or drop me an email.
As I point out in my book, The Search for Fulfillment, in order to achieve psychological fulfillment it is necessary (though not sufficient) to have your health. By avoiding unhealthy behaviors you can live a longer, and as important, a happier life.
