What: ShopSmart Mag tackled the big question of insole effectiveness for high heels. The study consisted of multiple women wearing high heels for 6 to 7 hours a day with various insoles.

What the Experts Say: ShopSmart: Panelists rated the insoles for cushioning, comfort, stability, and how easy they were to put in and take out of shoes. The verdict: None of the products impressed. Panelists said they would advise women to save their money instead of buying insoles.

The fact is, high heels aren’t comfortable, and a little insole probably won’t make a big difference.

What We Think: Good to know! We’ve used insoles to help wear in a pair of shoes before and then removed them, but our experience has been similar. Sometimes heels are just going to hurt and there is nothing insoles can do about them. We’re happy to save our money where we can.

Here are some high heel and general footcare tips:

1. Try smaller heels – Steep stilettos can cause bunions, hammertoe, stress fractures and other deformities. Solution: Skip the height and try 3” heels at the max with boxier or rounded toes

2.  Get Measured – It’s totally possible that you’re wearing shoes that are too small because you don’t know what size you really are. Tight shoes are bad news.

3. Limit your time in flip flops – Flip flops can cause foot widening, dry cracked heels and other problems so choose sandals that are more supportive, have heel straps and moisturize!

4. Don’t walk barefoot – Keep the barefoot look in the house to prevent cuts and other hazards that your feet can come across in the great outdoors.