A friend said to me recently that she was so used to her feet hurting [from wearing heels] she hardly noticed the pain any more.

I didn't know how to answer her. I wanted to say 'that's bloody ridiculous'. And then the ridiculousness of wearing heels knowing that they'll be uncomfortable made me feel a little foolish. I've done it so many times.

That said, I have noticed a move towards flatter, more comfortable shoes over the past few years. I have a lovely selection of pretty ballet flats and a rather super pair of metallic brogues that I now often wear in place of heels. But I also have a love of heels that will never wane.

My days of grin and bear it are (almost) over when it comes to shoes. I've walked home in bare feet countless times because it's more comfortable than keeping my shoes on. On a few occasions this happened in winter, in near freezing temperatures, the ground was so cold, and yet it was still preferable to walking in my heels.

I recall a few nights out that were rather spoilt by shoes pinching my feet, giving me blisters or making the balls of my feet ache so much I wanted to throw them into the nearest bin. And yet I still wore those shoes again.

Why do we do it?

I have a few pairs of high heels that are comfortable, but these are the exception rather than the rule. I'll be hanging on to these like my life depended on it.

Sadly, you have to purchase the shoes and wear them for longer than just the customary 'walk up and down a bit' in the shop, to know if they are truly comfortable.

Even when you order something online and you spend some time wandering around the carpeted parts of your house, it's never a true test of how a shoe will perform in real life.

I look at heels now and instead of thinking 'ooh pretty', in the way a younger me would, I now think 'they look like they'd hurt' (mostly).

I once read that spending more on heels guaranteed a more comfortable shoe but in my experience this just isn't true. My most expensive pair of shoes cost me £105 (and they were half price in the sale) and they are by far the most uncomfortable of all the shoes I've owned. I mean own, I can't part with them, they're too pretty, even though I won't ever wear them again.

So what to do? My love of heels remains, some outfits and occasions call for a lovely pair of heels.

I've been reading up on ways to make heels more comfortable. This is what I have learnt...
1. there are a lot of pins dedicated to this
2. it seems a lot of people are resigned to feeling pain when wearing heels
3. there is no way to tell if shoes will be comfortable or not (so I'd go with the assumption that they won't be)
4. I've spent too much of my life reading articles on the subject
5. The general consensus is that the way they look is worth the pain
6. I do not agree with no.5

*decides to backtrack slightly*

6. I do not agree with no.5 most days of the year.
I'd rather not wear heels that are going to hurt, but if they're new then you're never going to be absolutely certain that they'll be OK until you've worn them for a decent amount if time. Sure, there are some that you know as soon as you put them on that they'll hurt like hell, but there are those sneaky ones that seem OK, until they aren't.

I think from here on in if they are uncomfortable, they won't be staying in my wardrobe to be worn again.

7. For me Irregular Choice, New Look, and Zara have a pretty good track record.

Do you have any tips? Do you feel the pain and wear heels anyway?