How to Cope when Your Shoe Heel Breaks

Try to fall with care. The moment you feel your heel snapping from underneath you, quickly reach out to try to grab hold of a sturdy piece of furniture, or railing, or a strong person if possible. Most times it happens so quickly, you won't have much time to react, just fall! Forget about trying to be graceful, just be safety conscious. The moment you realize you're falling, avoid anything that might hurt you as you fall. Try to relax rather than stiffen. Be careful if you're grabbing someone; they might end up tumbling over with you! If you feel a heel wobble at any time, check your shoe! You may just save yourself the pain of toppling over. See How to Fall Safely for more tips.

Find the broken piece or pieces. If you can, retrieve the snapped heel or pieces of heel, in order to try to fix your shoe. It's advisable to always keep a tube of suitable, instant-drying, strong glue in your handbag if you're a regular wearer of high heeled shoes, just for such unexpected mishaps. Sit down and examine the shoe. In some cases, it may be possible to simply reinsert the heel back into the holes or slots it has eased its way out from. Check the alignment of nails and any other pieces and reinsert as best you can. Ask for help from someone stronger if you can't manage it alone. Don't push too hard though, as this may snap the heel or pieces of it. If you have instant dry glue on hand, try to mend it temporarily. Wipe off any dirt or dust, and carefully edge the heel back into place and glue back into place. Since glue takes time to strengthen (even instant glue), you'll need to be able to rest the shoe somewhere to dry for a short time, at least. Sit back and enjoy a drink or a chat with someone. When you wear a temporarily glued shoe again, try to keep the weight on the ball of your feet by leaning your foot forward, rather than leaning back on the heel. Take care if dancing though, as this will place a lot of pressure on the shoe. If you can't mend the shoe, proceed to the next steps.

Take off both your shoes. If it is practical, safe and hygienic to do so, the easiest way to remedy the situation in the short term is to go barefoot. This will immediately even up your stance and restore your balance, as well as enabling you to move freely again. Avoid removing shoes where there are hazards present such as broken glass, excessive heat or cold, unclean floors or pavements, potential for needle objects to be around (such as syringes in a toilet at a nightclub), or any other hazards. Don't forget the realities of other people treading or dancing onto your feet either! Keep your socks on if you're worried about dirt or germs and doing so won't create a slipping hazard.

Ask your host for help. Your host may be able to help you with an adhesive to reattach the heel temporarily, or even to provide you with a temporary pair of shoes. This will depend on where you are when the heel snaps, but don't be too shy to ask for help.

Dash out and purchase a new pair. Obviously, this option isn't open to you if you're deeply embedded in a posh dinner party or dancing away at 4am in the morning, but sometimes it might be possible for you to get away and purchase a "this'll-do-for-now" pair. Choose something cheap and basic, especially if you're in a hurry and likely to toss them away at the charity store afterward, and rush back to the event. Late night stores might be open in the vicinity of where you are. Ask your host for advice. Even a pair of cheap sneakers or sandshoes can often be purchased from all night supermarkets or drugstores; these can be good enough to get you home soundly! Better still, find a "repair-while-you-wait" shoe repairer. You can have a laugh about what happened, catch up on a bit of news and return with your heel intact.

Deal with the embarrassment. A big part of the shock of a snapped heel comes with the feelings of embarrassment that you've taken a tumble and might have ended up in a pose that wasn't that flattering. Laugh it off – laughing at the situation is the absolute best way to deal with it and set everyone else's minds at ease. This shows everyone that you're not harmed and that you're happy to make light of it. Remember that if you really need to cheer yourself up, you can buy yourself a new pair! Keep in mind that you falling to the ground is a concerning moment for your friends and an awkward and uncomfortable moment for everyone else. For a split second, nobody knows what is happening; for all they know, you could be having a heart attack or an aneurysm. Reassure people before laughing it off, to ease everyone's tension. It isn't a pleasant experience but it shouldn't spoil the rest of the event if you're out partying, dancing, dining, etc. Continue enjoying yourself; after all, it's happened, you can't go back but you can move on and have a great time! If you swap to wearing a spare shoe and it doesn't match your outfit – it doesn't matter. What matters is that you're comfortable and safe.

Get a taxi home. If you were planning to walk home or catch public transportation, treat this as an emergency situation that requires you to go home in a safe way. A taxi can be called by your host, and you'll only need to hobble to and from the front doors and taxi. See if someone you know can give you a lift home if you can't afford to take a taxi, or don't like catching one.

Take a temporarily repaired heel to a professional shoe fixer for a decent fix. If the shoes are not worth the cost, buy a shoe repair kit for an at-home fix-it job. If the shoes are worth it (expensive, sentimental value, etc.), the shoe repairer is the best option for long-term strength and reliability.

Carry a pair of folding ballet flats. This new product comes in a little drawstring bag, is compact and is now sold at drugstores and grocery stores. These can also come in handy if your shoes cause your feet to hurt and you want to keep dancing!