The Broken Heel

If your new pumps suffer a heel snap within 30 days, you may have a defective shoe. Keep your box and receipt until you're sure the shoes are structurally sound - if not, it's back to the customer service desk for your flawed footwear.

If it's an old pair of your favorite high-heel shoes, as Groucho Marx said, "Time wounds all heels." Wear and tear on your shoe's heel will eventually cause breakage to be a potential emergency. Whether you're on the go or at home, heels tend to snap, so an emergency tube of glue in your purse may not be a bad idea when wearing older shoes.

Heels can break in two ways: detaching completely from the sole or snapping in pieces. If the heel detaches and was connected by nails, apply glue to the nail itself and the nail hole, letting the two reconnect and set as the glue dries. If the heel was originally glued on, scrape off the old glue and apply a fresh coat, holding the pieces together as they bond. Remember to be light in applying glue - if it oozes out the sides you've applied too much.