Return of Ballet Pumps is Bad News for Feet: MD Podiatrist

Ballet pumps are making a comeback. Dan Michaels, DPM states that wearing such shoes repeatedly can cause “calluses, corns, and in some cases, fractures.” Although the latter, he notes, is something he’s only seen happen “a handful of times” in his practice. Ballet pumps tend to have very thin, flat soles, which offer that trademark chic appearance but aren’t necessarily great news for the feet.
 
The flat soles offer no support and because there’s not usually a strap across the top of the foot, they don’t stay on easily ““ meaning you alter the shape of your foot to try to keep them from falling off. The base of the shoe also doesn’t cover the entire sole of the foot, resulting in the width of your foot when standing becoming “much wider” than the sole of the pumps, says Michaels. “These all can cause various issues for the feet both in the short-term and the long-term.”