How To: Confidently Strut In High Heels

Ahh… Stilettos. Just saying that word is like heaven to my ears. I love high heel shoes. My motto is the higher the heel, the closer to God. Since I’m short (5’3”), high heels make me taller and feel more confident. It is not hard for me to walk in them since I’m used to it, but many times people will say to me, “How do you walk in those shoes?”

Walking in stilettos is truly an art. It takes a lot of practice to master the skill. I have given some tips below for successfully walking in stilettos; however, it’s one thing to successfully walk in high heels and a completely different thing to “work them.” If you want to learn how to have the stiletto swagger, complete with the catwalk steps and swinging hips, watch the videos below, they are both great.

Here are my tips:

Make sure your shoes are the right size – This is always important, but it’s extra important with stilettos because if they are too big, you’ll slip and if they are too small, your feet will swell, so getting them properly fitted is critical.

Stand up really straight – Posture is very important when walking in high heels because if you don’t stand up straight, your weight won’t be distributed properly and you’ll feel unbalanced.

Feel your calves strengthen – I have very strong calves from wearing toe shoes (ballet) and from bartending (being on my feet a lot) while attending University. If you do not, you will feel them strengthen as you continue to practice this. It will feel like you are doing calf exercises. If you feel that, you are doing it right!

Walk with one foot in front of the other – If you notice, we don’t normally walk with one foot actually in front of the other. We walk with our legs parallel to each other. In high heels, you’ll have an easier time if you swing your leg over a little bit more so that it is actually in front of the other leg when you walk.

Practice walking inside before you walk outside – If you can successfully walk inside with stilettos, then you can graduate to practicing outside, but don’t start off by walking outside. In high heels, everything from grass to rocks on the concrete can be your enemy.

Carry flip-flops or flats in your bag – Every cosmo girl knows that you need to carry some flat shoes in your bag at all times. I switch shoes to drive, to walk long distances and whenever my feet get tired.

This first video is from Oprah –

This is a picture of one of my favorite pairs of stilettos that I bought and tweeted a few months ago. This picture comes complete with my messy desk and Tweetdeck open on my Mac. ;)

This is another video that teaches you how to work it –