to limp
蹩 centers on impaired walking: to limp or move with difficulty due to a foot or leg problem.
蹩 combines 敝 (worn-out, ruined) with 足 (foot), suggesting a damaged or impaired foot that causes limping. The exact historical development is uncertain, but the component relationship is consistent with the meaning.
A worn-out (敝) foot (足) makes you limp. Picture a tattered shoe on a sore foot, forcing an uneven gait.
For ヘツ, imagine a limping person saying 'hets' with each painful step: hets -> ヘツ, the sound of a labored limp.