High heels are hazardous, but a 'must have'

A pair of high heels is like a must for every women as it makes them look chic and classy. But carrying it off is difficult as it put them into difficult situations, says a research.

Research from Compeed, a foot-care brand, has found that nearly half those women trying to arrive at work looking their best, get their heels caught in a grate, over a third have fallen over and 29 percent have tripped up the stairs, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

The survey, which offers a comparison of high heel wearers across Europe, reveals its hazards are adding to commuting times.

Ten percent of the British women surveyed, reported that wearing high heels tags more than one hour a month to their journey time.

But it appears as if nothing will prevent some women from doing the daily commute in their high heels - 58 percent of British women will wear heels even if they are painful or uncomfortable and 13 percent (surveyed between the age group of 25-34 years) admit they wear their heels even if it makes them late for the office.

The survey also reveals reasons why women are prepared to sacrifice both comfort and punctuality for high heels.

Over half of the women surveyed stated that wearing heels gives them confidence and 35 percent say their heels make them feel smart, making it clear why women are determined to wear heels to work despite the pitfalls they face.

Alexandra Papa, spokesperson for the Compeed brand, said: "Interestingly, it is not just women that are struggling due to their high heels, women's life and work balance is also impacted by the high heel commute with 20 percent of London ladies surveyed admitting that their heels have caused them to miss their train."

Sixty percent of women surveyed have admitted to sacrificing their fashion preferences due to discomfort and confessed to wearing flat shoes to work, then surreptitiously changing into their heels at their desks.