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How To - make a custom height shoe |
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Tuesday, 07 August 2007 |
Feature:
How to make your own height shoe
Cost:
Cheap!
Country of Origin:
UK
So many people worry about how they can grow taller or increase their height and look into complicated medical procedures such as the Ilazarov technique or leg stretching exercises. Well then, I have one thing to say – stop! I hate to break it to you, but if you are over 21 it is very, very unlikely that any more growth will occur (although very occasionally, some people do stretch a few inches more).
So what can you do? Well the first thing is just to accept it, you will probably always be at your current height. It’s not so bad. But there are things that you can change, and the main one is to change your shoes (short of growing your hair one foot tall like the guy from House Party)
You can buy height increasing shoes from a variety of places, and some of them are very good. However let’s face it, a lot of these shoes aren’t going to be winning any awards for their looks. Most of them are dress shoes, and at the other extreme are big punk things such a New Rock boots – not something you would want to be seen in while escorting granny to church on a Sunday.
Why Using Heel Lift Inserts Can Sometimes Be Better
A pair of dirty boots, ep it's the same ones as in the next caption
Enter stage left a better option – heel lift inserts. Heel lifts can be fitted inside just about any type of shoe, allowing you to wear normal, trendy shoes while still adding a couple of inches onto your height. What is even better is that it will be impossible for anyone else to tell that you even have heel lift inserts in – you will look just like a normal guy.
Now you don’t have to wear them all the time – maybe you only want to wear them for job interviews or dates. Some people think shoe lifts are bad to wear all the time, and so use them sparingly. I can only comment that I have walked (miles!) with 2 inch heel inserts in my boots for at least 4 hours a day for the last 2 years with no problems. As long as you have some time where you wear normal shoes you should be fine – I wear slippers while in the house for example.
Obviously some types of footwear are better than others for height shoe lifts. If you are a fan of sneakers or trainers then you are probably only going to be able to fit 1 inch lifts into the shoe without it being uncomfortable or looking silly. Boots on the other hand, such as those made by Timberland or Caterpillar are a much better option since really quite big lifts (as much as 2.5 inches) can be placed inside them and still remain comfortable. Another advantage of using boots with shoe lifts is that the sides and back of the boot will support your ankle, and with the laces loosened slightly the boot can really grip the foot snugly – sometimes I find using this combination to be just as comfortable as wearing normal shoes.
Ok, onto the guide!
The guide – inserting the lifts in shoes and making them comfortable
A pair of Timberland boots. Yesterday.
- Step 1 – order the correct heel inserts.
I recommend buying something like inch ups as a base for the bottom of the shoe and also regular insoles to cover the heel lift inserts. The insole will cover the lift and make a better fit with the sole of your foot.
Step 2 – prepare the shoes / boots
Loosen the laces to make enough room for the heel lift insert and ankle
Loosen the laces on the shoe, this is because there will be less volume in the shoes for the feet once the shoe lifts are placed inside.
Step 3 – place the lift inside the shoe
The heel lift insert placed inside, now for the insole
Sometimes you might have to trim the lift to sit flat in the shoe – adjust as necessary for comfort.
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Step 4 – Place the insole over the top of the lift.
The insole! Try to find a cleaner one than us though (shouldn't be hard)
You want to get it so that the insole creates a nice smooth surface for the foot. Again, you may have to trim the insole slightly with scissors.
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Step 5 – Try the shoes on
The finished article. A nice smooth sole inside the Timberland's
Ok, try on the shoes and tighten the laces one by one till the foot is gripped firmly. In the case of boots, it is probably a good idea to only tighten the laces up to the natural flexing point of the ankle. If the laces are really long because of this just wrap them round the back once.
Conclusion
Ok, so now put them on and walk about in your new height increasing shoes to test them out, if it hurts your knees when you walk then you should probably reconsider the size of your heel lifts. Try 1 inch instead of 2 inch. One thing you will probably want to do once you have finished is buy longer trousers! I generally have to add an extra 2-4 inches onto the size of trousers I would normally buy – although having legs that appear longer is always a good thing!
So there you have it. Start off by wearing your own homemade height shoes for one day to begin with, and then extend the amount of time if you find them comfortable. Remember to take them off and make adjustments if they hurt in any way. It’s not just small people that can benefit from shoe lifts, taller people can too – the extra height will give a great boost in confidence.
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