Everyone has a preconceived notion about how the world perceives us, and sometimes that aligns with our self-perception. Unfortunately for most people, however, this isn’t always the case. One of the most common things that people are most subconscious about when it comes to other people is their height or lack thereof.
Shorter men and women sometimes want to increase their height to make themselves appear more confident, physically there, or more attractive to the other sex. But when it comes to adding height, there are only a few options available to either gender, and one of those options is shoe lifts.
Shoe lifts are realistic solutions for men on the shorter side who are looking to increase their height, and with it, gain a plethora of external and internal benefits that come from wearing them. Some of these benefits include a much larger physical presence and increased confidence.
Are shoe lifts noticeable? What are the benefits of wearing shoe lifts? In this article, we’re going to answer both of those questions, and more so you have a better understanding of what shoe lifts are and why so many people use them to increase their height. So, let’s get started.
What Are Shoe Lifts?
Shoe lifts are inserts for your shoes that have a thickened section in the insole to increase height.
What Are the Benefits of Shoe Lifts?
Not only will you become taller when wearing shoe lifts, but you’ll also be pleasantly surprised by all the other benefits of wearing shoe lifts. Such as:
- An increase in overall confidence, which makes you more assertive, freer, and relaxed
- Shoe lifts are designed to enhance your posture while walking to protect your back and knees
- You’ll have an increased social presence because you’ll feel like the man of the hour
- You’ll feel more attractive because taller men are seen as inherently more attractive
Other benefits can come from wearing shoe lifts and will be personal to the person who wants to increase their height, but these are the main four benefits of shoe lifts.
Are Shoe Lifts a Permanent Solution?
Shoe lifts are quick to implement and inexpensive, and the fact that they can be put into just about any shoe makes their value worth the money. But there are some drawbacks to using shoe lifts, which makes them more of a temporary solution.
Heel lifts and shoe lifts have been around for a very long time: they were most commonly used as treatments for patients with a variety of limb lengthening discrepancies, plantar fasciopathy, and/or Achilles’ tendinopathy.
There are several sources out there that state that with prolonged use of shoe lifts or heel lifts, you could suffer from conditions such as:
- Increased pressure under the heel bone can reduce the support of the shoe’s insole under the foot’s arch
- Increased contractile activity of the calf muscle
- Gait changes that can increase your chances of falling or spraining your ankles
Shoe lifts are great if you’re in a pinch, but you shouldn’t rely on them forever because everybody’s foot is different. The biggest problem with shoe lifts is that they’re mass-produced, so they’re not custom-built for anyone’s foot.
So, if you want a permanent solution for increasing your overall height, you might want to invest in some elevator shoes.
How Many Inches Can a Shoe Lift Add?
Shoe lifts are an excellent option for anyone looking for a discreet height boost for an affordable price. Most shoe lifts on the market today can add anywhere between ½ an inch to 3.5 extra inches to your height.
Keep in mind that the higher you go with your shoe lifts, the higher your chances of hurting yourself are when walking. It’s the same as wearing heels: if you’re not used to the increased height, you could end up falling and rolling your ankle, or worse. So, if you decide to go with an extra 3.5-inch shoe lift, you must be extremely careful.
Are Shoe Lifts Noticeable?
When you dare to increase your height, it’s best to do it discreetly. This is especially true when you’re using shoe lifts for extra height. So, how much is too much for a shoe lift? Are two inches too much?
To put it into perspective, two inches is about half the length of an iPhone SE. Two-inch shoe lifts are noticeable because they hover by the line of being just enough for other people to notice a difference in your height. If you want discreet, you’d be better off going with a one-inch shoe lift, or you risk being “found out.”
Again, the problem with most shoe lifts is that they’re mass-produced and not specific for your feet. They’re also generally made in a way that makes the heel incline – which, when too steep – easily noticeable.
So, when you’re picking your shoe lifts, go with a shoe lift that doesn’t have a steep heel incline and isn’t more than about 1.5 inches tall if you don’t want the height increase to be noticeable.
Conclusion
Shoe lifts are a great way to increase your height temporarily, but are shoe lifts noticeable? If you want to wear shoe lifts but don’t want the height increasing shoe to be noticeable, we recommend going with shoe lifts that are anywhere between ½ an inch to 1.5 inches tall because once you start getting into the two-inch range, the height increase starts to become noticeable.
Shoe lifts can make you feel more confident, thus making you more assertive and relaxed. They can improve your posture when walking, increase your social presence, and make you feel and look more attractive. When you feel better about yourself and your footwear, you can tackle anything – even that job interview!
However, you should keep in mind that shoe lifts are only a temporary solution. If you want something more permanent, you should think about purchasing a pair of elevator shoes to prevent any damage to your legs and feet.
