How to Walk in High Heels Like a Pro: 5 Tricks Every Fashion Girl Swears By

We’ve all seen it. A woman struggling to walk in heels. She’s obviously in pain and trying to put on a brave face. You can almost see the blisters forming on her feet and the ice pack she’ll be hunting for as soon as she gets home.

You don’t have to be that woman. Learning to walk in heels is an important life lesson that can make them more comfortable and less scary. Grab a pair of high heels and try out our handy step-by-step guide on how to walk in heels.

1. Master the Heel-to-Toe Technique

With each step, you want to land on your heel first, followed by the toe. As your toe hits the ground, lift your heel into the air.

This heel-to-toe motion mimics how we naturally walk barefoot — gently landing on the heel first rather than stomping flat-footed or stepping with the ball of the foot. By focusing on walking heel first and toe after, you force yourself to have a more natural stride.

Before you slip into your heels, take a moment to watch this tried-and-true guide. While published in 2011, this YouTube tutorial by Kassandra Brooks has stood the test of time, garnering over 10 million views as of June 2025. In it, she shares practical tips for walking in everything from wedges and chunky heels to sky-high stilettos. Whether you’re a beginner or want to refine your strut, this video is a must-watch.

Make your steps look as natural as possible. While this might take a while to implant in your mind, it’ll quickly become a force of habit.

Something else to remember while you think of “heel—toe, heel—toe” is to take small steps instead of massive strides. High heels tend to shorten your stride, but you shouldn’t try to counter this by taking longer ones. Doing so will make your walk look unnatural.

Smaller, dainty steps will help reduce the pressure on your feet and allow you to maintain a better posture.

There are two exceptions to the rule, though—when walking up stairs and on grass. With these, you should focus more on stepping with your toe first to shift the balance, ensure stability on stairs, and avoid drilling holes in grass.

2. Don’t Rush in Heels — Safety First

Heels are for walking. If you need to run, keep a pair of sneakers in your bag to change into.

Women sprint in stilettos during a high-heel race organized by Glamour magazine in Berlin, Germany, drawing a crowd of spectators in 2006 (Credit: Avalon / Chuck Yunck / Lia Toby / WENN)

Every city girl knows this trick: You need a second pair of shoes if you think you’ll be running to catch a train or the subway. These days, some flats can easily fit into your purse; check them out on Amazon.

Heels are for walking, so don’t rush yourself. Rushing in heels can quickly cause a sore, twisted, or broken ankle.

3. Walk With Confidence and Good Posture

The trick to walking in heels is to imagine walking along an invisible straight line. Resist the urge to have your eyes glued to your feet. You want to keep your eyes fixed ahead of you in the direction you’re going.

Channel runway confidence by keeping your gaze forward, shoulders back, and stride strong, just like a model owning the catwalk (Credit: Avalon / Chuck Yunck / Lia Toby / WENN)

Picture walking in a straight line, and your feet will follow. Speaking of posture, you’ll want to lean back on your heels to help balance your posture and stabilize your steps. Keep your core engaged for additional stability.

Maintain good posture so that you don’t put stress on your lower back by compensating for the shift in your center of gravity. Your head should be aligned with your spine, and your chin should be parallel with the floor.

Relax your arms, bring your shoulders back and down, and remember to swing your arms for balance. Bend your knees slightly—never lock your knees when walking in heels. Your toes should point straight ahead, and your legs should be kept close together.

4. Start Small and Choose Beginner Heels

When you’re learning to walk in heels, take it in baby steps. No one goes from flats to 120mm Christian Louboutin skyscraper heels.

First, learn how to walk in kitten heels and slowly move up inch by inch (Credit: Avalon / Chuck Yunck / Lia Toby / WENN)

Start with shorter heels or styles that offer more support, like block heels or wedges, which provide better stability for beginners.

Even if you’re confident in your stride, sky-high stilettos can still throw off your balance. Build up gradually—inch by inch—to develop strength and control with each new heel height.

5. Practice at Home and Break Them In

We would love to be able to tell you that learning how to walk in heels is an overnight process. But unfortunately, it’s not – it’s more like riding a bike and takes practice. Trust the process and take it slow.

Start by wearing high heels for special occasions. You can also practice wearing your heels around the house to get a feel for them before taking them out.

This will help you practice your natural movements, and you’ll be able to tell if you can wear them out. Scrubbing the bottom will also help prevent your heels from being as slippery.

Breaking in your heels at home is a chic, low-stress way to make them wearable. It softens stiff materials, adds grip to slippery soles, and helps prevent painful blisters or sore spots—so you can strut with confidence the moment you step out.

Walking gracefully in high heels takes coordination, confidence, and consistent practice—especially when aiming for sky-high styles (Credit: Golubovystock / Shutterstock)

Once they feel more wearable, try taking them out for low-commitment outings—like dinner at a restaurant where you only walk from the car to the table. As your confidence and comfort grow, gradually increase the time you wear them.

Don’t force yourself to wear heels all day until you’re ready. Always have comfortable flat shoes on hand that you can change into if your feet hurt. You should also check out these lightweight gel and foam insoles, which can help make heels more comfortable.

In the words of Marilyn Monroe, “Give a girl the right shoes and she can conquer the world.” We hope our guide to wearing high heels helps you find the right shoes to conquer your world!