Height is a measure of attraction these days. Be it, men or women, most of us are pretty attracted by height as a factor. However, not all of us are blessed with a great height, making us look quite average. Most short people are always insecure about their height which affects their overall confidence sometimes.
Well, the good news is, you can increase your height quickly by 2-5 inches in a jiffy. How? By wearing shoes that make you taller!! YES!! There are specific shoes available that are designed to make you look taller. These shoes are different from the usual heels available for women. In fact, these shoes are ideal for both men and women.
There are several ways through which you can look taller by just wearing your ordinary pair of shoes. But, instant hacks may have a catch, as always. Therefore, we decided to give you a quick guide on how you can increase your height with shoes and work on making yourself look dapper and confident.
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Do Shoes Increase Your Height?
When it comes to answering the question of whether shoes increase your height in any way, the answer is YES!! Technically, till the time you wear the shoes, you will look a few inches taller. This all depends on the type of shoes you are wearing and the type of heel that it possesses. If it has a narrow heel, the measurement would be comparatively lesser than an elevation that platform heels can offer.
Ideally, shoes that are meant to increase your height have a thick outsole along with a separate section within the shoes that gives your feet an elevation. With specific shoes, you can also insert height-increasing insoles to add to a few inches.
There are separate elevator shoes available that have a platform heel and increase your height by a few inches. The design and the thickness of the shoes also play a major role in increasing your height.
Generally, women’s heels can give the maximum height than any other kind of shoes. Other shoes have box or platform heels that give you a decent 1.5 to 2 inches of a raise. Don’t expect much from a pair of sneakers as they are meant for high activity levels and comfortable walking, which is impossible with an elevated shoe.
How Much Height Do Normal Shoes Add?
If you want to understand the height that a shoe adds genuinely, here is a simple calculation that you can try to determine the increase in height.
Ideally, the height increase is determined by your ankle’s vertical rise level compared to when in the barefoot position. Draw and point a dot on the mid-portion of your ankle. Now, measure the distance from the dot to the ground barefoot.
Next, you may want to wear the height-increasing shoes and measure the distance now from the same point on your ankle to the ground. Subtract the barefoot measurement from the measurement you noted after wearing the heels. The answer obtained is the amount of height increase or elevation your shoes offer. The thickness of the outsole or the presence of insoles will also affect the measurements and the elevation range.
Different types of shoes give you a different elevation range. Sneakers are usually flat and add up to half-inch to one inch at max. They are generally flat, and the height increase usually comes from the thick outsoles and the insoles that are built for shock absorbance and stability.
Work boots or cowboy boots have a good amount of elevation to offer. They add up to 1.25 to 1.5 inches from your usual height or a standard range of shoes. Good elevator shoes add up to 3-4 inches in your height.
If you wear narrow high-heel shoes, it will add up to 75% to your height. However, since they slope downwards, you will lose a little bit of elevation there. In comparison, box heels or platform heels are uniform and maintain uniformity in your feet’ angle. Therefore, they can give you a higher elevation and increase in height.
As evident, flats and skimmers do not add to the height. Men’s dress shoes add up to 0.75 inches to 1.25 inches. Women’s ballerina shoes add around 0.25 inches. Combat boots add about 1 inch to 1.25 inches.
Things To Put In Shoes To Make You Taller
There are several hacks you can try to make you look taller and boost your confidence. You could invest in height insoles, shoe lifts, get elevator shoes, or add heels to your shoes for a permanent solution. While females have several options for shoe elevations like wearing heels and experimenting with different designs, the options get limited in the case of males.
Moreover, it also relates to comfort, and some of us may not be very comfortable exposing the heels or wearing high heels and letting the world know. Therefore, the list of things that we have mentioned below allows you to increase your height and confidence in public and improve your posture and gait while walking.
Here are a few things that you can try:
Height Insoles
Height insoles are a slightly elevated version of a standard set of insoles. They are only primarily available for the heel region and not the entire bottom portion of your feet. Height insoles are readily available online or in any local shoe store or cobbler. These are usually placed below the heel so your feet rest at a slight angle.
There are several types of height insoles available, but they may or may not be comfortable based on personal preferences. A few of them listed below are:
Plastic height insoles
Plastic height insoles are great in terms of increasing height. But when it comes to supporting your feet and adding a natural bounce, plastic height insoles or inserts are the worst choices. They are tough and unsupportive, which is why you cannot wear them for a very long time. They do not compress or condense when you add weight to your feet. Therefore, the more weight you add or the heavier you are, the more uncomfortable it gets. They are suitable for temporary use.
Gel absorbing height insoles
These are one of the best height insoles one can have. Due to the gel absorption padding in between, they offer good shock absorbance and even compressor condense when you add pressure with your feet. Plus, they remain stable, don’t cause pain even when worn for a long time, and are incredibly comfortable. They may not be quite great in terms of adding height, although. The more you press them, the more they tend to condense, pressing it against the bottom and reducing the elevation. But for long-term comfort, these are worth investing upon.
Brushed height insoles
These are made of hard-bristled material, which is extremely unstable and long-lasting. Not only do they break easily, but they are also not comfortable on the feet either. They may slip off easily and do not add all that much of a height either.
Cushioned thick memory foam height insoles
These insoles are made of a foamy, spongy material. They have a good and thick memory foam coating on the top that does not hurt your feet and, at the same time, provides decent compression and elevation too.
It keeps your feet in a balanced position, takes the pressure off your feet, and works best for long hours too. These are some of the best choices and our favourite of all shoe inserts. However, they may be a bit expensive but worth investing in.
Gel inserts
Gel inserts are like stacking up jelly in the heel section of your shoes. They are unstable, slippery, do not offer a great deal of height either, and are not long-lasting at all. They are available for cheap although and suitable for temporary or one-time use.
Do Height Increasing Insoles Work?
Height-increasing insoles work as long as they are of good quality and material. Plastic and cheap foam does not make for good height-increasing insoles.
If you want them to work comfortably for your feet, it is advisable to invest in a well-cushioned and balanced memory foam insole. Else, they would add to nothing but increasing pain and pressure to the feet. Height-increasing insoles should have an adequate balance of compression, pressure balance and provide good elevation. This makes them suitable for more prolonged use over the day and keeps feet-related problems away.
Are Height Insoles Bad For Your Feet?
Height-increasing insoles are not bad for your feet. However, if worn for a long time, it may cause pain and discomfort. Therefore, it is always advisable to buy one based on your shoe design and foot size.
Also, you may want to get a larger shoe size if you plan to use height inserts with them. This is because particular height inserts get pushed out of the heel section upon applying pressure, and there may not be sufficient room to accommodate them if they are thick.
Secondly, it also depends upon the height insole material that you choose for your feet. If you choose plastic or any cheap jelly-like material, then you are up for damaging your shoes as well as harming your feet. However, if you invest in quality height insoles, they can reduce plantar fasciitis and other leg-related problems as they balance and distribute the body weight evenly on the feet.
Should You Wear Height Insoles?
If you want to increase your height, look taller for a particular occasion, and improve certain leg conditions like flat feet or plantar fasciitis, height insoles are good. In fact, height insoles can also benefit by adding a natural arch to your feet and improving plantar fasciitis. It balances the weight off and evenly distributes it to the insoles taking the pressure off your feet completely.
Don’t use them very often and replace them instantly if they have worn out. This is because once they are worn out, they are incapable of supporting your feet as expected and can make the pain worse if you are suffering from any feet related condition.
What Shoes To Wear With Height Insoles?
With height insoles, you can consider wearing boots or shoes with high-cut designs. Work boots, cowboy boots, professional high cut shoes, basically, any shoe that is above ankle length is an ideal choice to match with height insoles.
Do not combine these with low-cut sneakers like a pair of converse or any other sneakers. This is because once the heel inserts add a certain height to the shoe, it can push your feet out and cause the shoes to slip. Moreover, it can increase pain in the ankle and front portion of your feet as they remain very compressed and under pressure due to the pushing of the feet from below. Height insoles with low-cut shoes can also cause pronation.
Therefore, pair the height insoles wisely with the kind of shoes you wear.
Shoe Lifts/ Heel Lifts
Shoe Lifts or Heel Lifts are very similar to height-increasing insoles, but they may not be as comfortable as a height-increasing insole. These are usually made of plastic or rigid material that is not malleable and cannot succumb to pressure. In some instances, shoe lifts are recommended by doctors and orthopedics to improve the feet’ condition like plantar fasciitis or flat feet. But if the structure is not comfortable, it can cause pain in the feet and lead to other deformities like Achilles Tendon and ankle pain.
How Many Inches Can Shoe Lifts Add?
Shoe lifts can add a good 1.5 to 2 inches if placed underneath the heel. Since they do not condense nor compress due to the material usually being hard, the elevation remains reasonably intact that adds quite a lot of height than your usual height. In fact, the height increase is more significant than that of height insoles.
The possible difference that you can have between a shoe lift and an elevator shoe is that you can customize and adjust the position a bit within the shoe. Whereas in elevator shoes, the shoe lifts are inbuilt, and you may have no option but to tear the shoe into half to get that adjusted. Not a convenient option, of course!!
Are Shoe Lifts Noticeable?
If the shoe lifts increase your height to around 1.5 to 2 inches, then shoe lifts are noticeable. If you want comfort for a long time and a slight amount of elevation, stick to 1 inch to not make it too prominent and not change the feet’ angle.
Adding Heels to Shoes
Not many people may prefer adding heels to their shoes, but this seems to be the best and permanent option. It may change the design of your shoes but does not require any future customizations. However, the method does not come as cheap, and you would need to go to a cobbler to fit a heel from the sole.
Nevertheless, you can consider adding heels to shoes only when you are comfortable wearing heels for a long time and have no feet related deformities.
Do Elevator Shoes Work?
Another way to increase your height instantly without going noticed is to wear elevator shoes. Elevator shoes are usually considered to be the reverse of wearing heels on the outside. Elevator shoes are like having heels at the insides. Usually, these shoes have a very unique construction.
Starting from the bottom comes the outsole. The outsole may have a slight platform heel that adds to the height when you wear elevator shoes. Then comes the mid-insoles. These are meant for support and aeration while maintaining stability and balancing the compression on the height-increasing layer.
The height increaser is a hidden layer within the shoe construction which is not very evident and can easily add a good height.
In fact, if you observe and research carefully, you would also determine the angle of elevation. A 15-degree elevation is quite remarkable for your feet as it also supports the arch and the ball of the foot.
Ensure that the midsole is evenly supported and there is no space left between the elevator and the bottom of the foot. Else, it may cause arch pain and affect the nerves below the feet.
Are Elevator Shoes Bad For Your Feet?
No, Elevator shoes are not bad for your feet. In fact, it helps in maintaining a good gait and posture while walking. It also boosts your confidence and makes you look taller by quite a few inches without making it very prominent.
Make sure to choose an excellent spongy material that is stable and soft at the same time. Like polyurethane, that adds aeration, maintains stability, and compresses evenly to take the pressure off your feet. If the elevator material is too hard, it will only cause more pain and worsen your feet’ condition.
It is believed that elevator shoes can help improve conditions like flat feet, plantar fasciitis, provide a natural shape to the feet, and are recommended by doctors. What better way to look taller instantly?
How Much Height Do Elevator Shoes Add?
The increase in height with elevator shoes can depend on several factors like the overall design and shoe type. Elevator shoes can add a good 2-5 inches to your usual height. This is quite good to make one look dapper and increase their confidence ten folds.
Should Short Men Wear Elevator Shoes?
Short men can wear elevator shoes if they are insecure about their height. Ideally, appearance is not all that matters and a short height is nothing to be ashamed of. But, if elevator shoes boost a short man’s confidence and make him look better, then it is worth giving a try.
On a funnier note, however, don’t wear it on a date. If it turns out to be successful, you don’t want to disappoint the girl after knowing your actual height. Nevertheless, for a one-time show and occasions, elevator shoes can always up to your style game as well as height. However, it is just a temporary boost, and accepting the reality seems like a better option than relying on elevator shoes always.
Are Elevator Shoes Worth It?
If you invest in good quality elevator shoes, they are worth it. If you are insecure about your height or looks and want to look taller for occasions or outings, then elevator shoes are worth it. But, they are not ideal for everyday use. If you invest in a good quality shoe, they can also help improve your posture and stability, but elevator shoes don’t come cheap. Especially the good quality ones are pretty expensive, and you make sure you got some legitimate reasons to make them worth the purchase.
The bottom line
If you are looking for quick and easy ways to increase your height instantly, no supplements or height-increasing capsules will work. An instant solution is height-increasing insoles or elevator shoes. They can increase your height anywhere between 1.25 to 5 inches.
There are several hacks like investing in height insoles, shoe lifts, elevator shoes, fitting heels to your shoes, etc. Ultimately, it depends upon your levels of comfort and the quality of the inserts or the boots.
It is believed that when your feet are kept at a certain angle, it also alleviates feet pain and plantar fasciitis and improves your overall gait and stability. But you may want to read some fact bombs mentioned above before you actually start using elevators or shoe lifts.
Read our article above and tell us if you could stand tall and look confident with our tips mentioned through the comments section below.
Brandon R. Katz is a registered professional nurse who has been instrumental in providing us with an informed opinion on the medical aspects of footwear. He graduated from NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and currently provides his services at a non-federal long-term care hospital in Brooklyn, NY.
Brandon proves to be the champion in the group of expert writers with his in-depth knowledge in foot health, how to take care of it adequately, and what shoes, socks, or insoles will be supreme for you. He has previously worked with hospitals where he has foreseen both inpatient and outpatient departments and has been a practicing nurse since 2009.
Brandon hails from Jersey City, NY, and has a loving family of four with a small popper called Rozo. His decision to become a nurse arises from the desire to be in the position of helping and rehabilitating people.
