Deepika Padukone's sneaker-dance is the sensible fashion moment of 2018

Deepika Padukone

The season to let your hair down is here- most of us would want to wear dazzling outfits and pair them with stylish high heels.

And Deepika Padukone just set the trend meter right by ditching her high heels for sneakers at her post-wedding dance party.

Doctors and spine specialists decode what this means. "Deepika's sneaker-dance is the sensible fashion moment of 2018. Stilettos affect your body more than just causing sore feet. The pain that you feel in your feet can travel way up to your knees, hips, back and neck, which means your entire spine gets affected. If you already have back pain, it can worsen. We see many such cases especially during festive and holiday season," shares Dr Neha Narula, Senior Spine Specialist, QI Spine Clinic.

It's not just Deepika. Everyone from Sonam Kapoor to Kangana Ranaut to Swara Bhaskar, have been spotted time and again pairing their traditional and western outfits with shoes.

Thankfully, for your back, this just might be the biggest fashion trend of 2018; and hopefully will spill over into 2019.

Here's why-

Have mercy on your poor little toe!

High heels place much more pressure on your toes than you can imagine. "Your upper back, chest, neck and head lean forward while your middle back turns backwards in an attempt to manage this pressure and uneven distribution of the body weight. Added pressure gets built up on your knees, calf muscles and back. At the end of the day this can cause excessive muscle fatigue and strain," adds Dr Gautam Shetty, Senior Orthopaedic surgeon. Therefore, minimize the period of time that you wear high heels for.

Body balance must win over fashion

As per a 2017 study published in the Journal of Novel Physiotherapies, body balance, trunk stability, muscles activation of ankle and knee, muscle activation of cervical and lumbar spine, body weight distribution and walking speed are all affected by wearing high heeled shoes.

Whatever the diktats of fashion, walking is not about risking your mechanical balance and inviting injury and strain on your back.

More the heel height, more the trouble

Do not compromise the balance and stability of your body by giving into fashion. Make sure that maximum height of your heels isn't exceeding beyond 2 inches. Choose platform heels if the height exceeds 3 inches. Worldwide research suggests that the height of your heels determines the weight and level of pressure carried by your forefoot (ball of the foot).

As per the Spine Health Institute statistics

1-inch heel equals to 22 percent body weight on the forefoot

2-inch heel equals to 57 percent body weight on the forefoot

3-inch heel equals to 76 percent body weight on the forefoot.

Buy your heels at the right time

The best time to buy your heels is in the afternoon. "Our feet expand during the day due to continuous walking and standing. They are at their largest in the afternoon which makes it easier to buy the correct size of that pair of stilettos that you have liked. It is key to buy the correct size to minimise the side effects of extended use of high heels," says Senior Spine Specialist Dr Garima Anandani.

Select that round and wide toe box

Opt for shoes with round toe box. The narrower or pointy the toe box, the more pressure the heel will put on your toes. Narrow toe box compresses and deforms the natural form of your toes over a period of time. Prolonged use can even restrict blood flow in that area and lead to swelling. Prefer wedges and platforms over stilettos as they mostly offer rounder toe boxes.

Check shoe cushioning, slope and heel thickness

Select high heels with cushioned fore-foots and insoles as they prevent feet from slipping. Choose thicker heels as they are better than spiky heels. Go for gradual or lower slopes like platform and wedges instead of stilettos as they help maintain balance and doesn't compromise stability. Buy a variety of shoes and vary your footwear day to day so as to prevent wearing heels every day.