What do fashionably high heels mean to feet? First, the toes are jammed into a pie-shaped wedge which prevents them from moving naturally. Then the heel is elevated three inches, increasing the pressure on toes with no room to move by a factor of 7. Now, you're ready to walk, just walk. Ankles, calves and knees work to steady a teetering rearfoot. The arch strains to stretch and flex simultaneously. Imagine the increase in pressure on the forefoot. It's no wonder that, according to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, women who wear heels have the highest percentage of ingrown toenails, bunions, neuromas and calluses.