It occurred to me the other day, as I was packing my sixth pair of cute shoes for a three-day business trip: "What the HELL am I thinking?"

While I had perfectly good intentions and had strategically chosen my clothing for the following days in a much warmer and sunnier climate, I realized that all I was doing was continuing the cycle of violence toward my feet and back. I also only needed about two pairs of shoes. But I REALLY wanted to bring the cute ones with the spiky heels and the pretty leather flowers and leaves on the ankle straps...I digress. Sorry.

I ended up putting those back on the shelf. I knew I'd hate myself in the morning for wearing them and even attempting to walk more than about 12 steps in a day.

But at the risk of sounding like my mom (sorry, Mom!) I wanted to share two hard-earned foot-related lessons with you, if you care to listen.

1. Cheap shoes are usually cheap for a reason: they are cheaply made, with cheap materials and low-end structural support. Cheap will translate into a few things, including blisters from stiff, unbreathable materials, arch pain from badly constructed foot beds and back problems from an unnatural walking stance. Look for the best-made shoe you can afford and consider them an investment. Then take care of them like you would your favorite cashmere sweater or a new kitten. Think for the long-term and think about your poor toes.

2. Choose your shoes wisely for the occasion. If you will need to be standing or walking for extended periods of time, e.g. at a conference or a long evening event, opt for a lower and/or more stable heel, offering more support. While the higher heel might be more fun for the first few minutes and may look better in the mirror, you'll be much happier a few hours later when you can still keep your mind on the work at hand, instead of how much your feet hurt and how much you wish you could sit down. At your own wedding, you can do whatever you want  (bring some white frilly slippers!), but it's NEVER professional to take your shoes off and walk around in stockings or bare feet at a business-related event.

Sure, cute shoes are fabulous. They look great on your feet and can make your legs appear longer and leaner. They can make you taller and make the right outfit really pop. They can even make you feel awesome- for the first few minutes, anyway.

And then reality sets in. I'm really not all that old, but after many years of killing myself with bad shoe choices, my feet are retaliating and so is my back. I'd be a hypocrite if I told you not to fall victim to the latest fashions. I have more pairs of shoes than I can count, several of which I have either never worn or have worn once (because they HURT so much!) While I'm no Imelda Marcos, sadly, many of them simply sit on a shelf to be adored privately because I can no longer bring myself to submit my body to the torture to which I once subjected myself.