The elderly couple sitting on the bench giggled as I teetered past them. It had been the third wedding I’d attended in a matter of months, but I’d far from mastered walking in my oversized, padded heels

At a size two, I struggled to find a pair of shoes to fit me or the occasion. I walked the high streets (in my trainers) and in one shop alone I tried on 10 pairs. But nothing. I tried ordering off the internet then had to return the beautiful, but loose-fitting heels which were delivered.

In the end, I settled for a pair of plain black sling backs, with both toe and heel stoppers. Their simple style suited each outfit I wore. Whereas I may have looked the part, I certainly didn’t walk it. My gait was not that dissimilar to John Wayne. And on my own wedding day I was not so much walked up the aisle, as supported along the way.

Despite hovering around the five foot mark, I had resigned myself to a life in flat shoes, with heels only making a very brief outing only at weddings – before changing into comfy shoes as soon as possible. But then I met clinical orthotist Martin Bell who said help was at hand. He has worked with Olympians and Paralympians to help overcome recurring injuries and improve their performance. And he also trains women in the almost athletic art of walking in heels. Martin has introduced a ‘Perfectly Poised’ class to improve posture and help prevent permanent damage caused by wearing heels.

It turned out that watching women hobble because of their footwear had been a bug-bear passed down the generations from his shoe-making grandfather. Martin, who used to teach people to walk with artificial limbs, says: “In the first instance it’s important to wear shoes which fit properly and offer support. Ideally, you want to hold the foot in the shoe, such as with a strap.” I thought the need to wear shoes which fitted would put an end to our challenge, based on previous experience. But Martin put me in touch with Tom Reader, who has set up Pretty Small Shoes to offer fashionable footwear starting from size 13.

Tom’s partner, Jiyeon Yeom, 41, has only a size two shoe and knows first-hand the difficulties of buying stylish small shoes. She has been the inspiration behind the business. Tom says: “The shoes sizes in the general population have been getting larger over the last 30 to 40 years. “The percentage of women with small size feet, which are below size three, is therefore now very low and at around just two to three per cent of adults.

“Mainstream manufacturers do not find it economically viable to make shoes in those sizes and those who do still use styles which have hardly changed since the 1990s. We worked to build a range of styles that were contemporary and found instant success due to demand and the desire to wear fashionable, well-fitting shoes.”

Based on Martin’s recommendations, I chose a range of styles, including those with straps, platforms and general support. One pair, called ‘super high,’ even had a whopping five and a half inch heel. I’d previously struggled with just over one inch. Martin, of Clifton, Bristol, filmed me walking in the heels and used the footage to analyse my gait. Only at the end of our sessions did Martin show me it. I’d been deluded when I compared myself to John Wayne – he had style. I had clumped across the room with a wide-legged walk, nearly falling over a couple of times. But Martin worked with me to improve my posture, balance and grace. Each session was surprisingly hard work, leaving me red-faced and wore out. Martin also gave me exercises to do at home to strengthen my leg and bottom muscles.

He says: “The art of walking in heels relies on effective use of the buttock muscles. It’s similar to the way athletes will improve muscle control to enhance their performance.” I’d been given exercises by a physiotherapist in the past to treat runner’s knee. Back then I preferred to cut short my running days rather than carry them out. This time I was spurred on by vanity and the desire to wear such pretty shoes, which to my mind not only gave me the appearance of being taller, but also slimmer. One of Martin’s ‘workouts’ included the ‘dog poo shuffle,’ which involved rubbing my foot on the floor with force as if cleaning mess off it.

My bemused husband also looked on as I walked past him on my tiptoes – backwards. I slowly developed the ‘tightrope walk’ and moved more elegantly as a result.Following my final session, Martin played the before and after video and I was amazed by the difference. I walked much more gracefully and almost looked comfortable in heels. I tried out my ‘catwalk’ for friends and family, who were shocked by the difference. My mum kept saying I looked slender; I didn’t ask how I looked without the heels.

Martin says: “At the end of the sessions women are thrilled by the dramatic change to the way they walk. They feel much more confident and balanced.”

Photos by Loretta Askill, Noble Photos