Grant continues:

Friends tell me that they keep their heels in a drawer in the office, in case they have to look smart for a meeting or a lunch or are going out after work. Women in the City have said that they need heels to look their male colleagues in the eye, but they are getting to work in flats. Few are able to negotiate public transport in the shoes that are being sold in the shops. Wobbling on to a fast-moving escalator during the London rush-hour in 6in heels? Running for a bus? Taking the children to school?

New York living is hard on the sole. Lots of walking, uneven sidewalks, cobblestones. Even though I lust after heels, I find that I'm always in the market for a great flat. Grant mentions that in the '80s and '90s, women who are in their late 20s today were children and teenagers. "What did they wear?" she asks. "First they wore [sneakers], and then they wore clumpy shoes. Only the re-emergence of the ladylike shoe, and the colossal influence of Sex and the City in introducing us to the shoe wardrobe, convinced that generation to get into heels." Even though I'm beyond my late 20s, I think this is somewhat true: In high school, college and even in my first jobs, my shoes were cool, but generally flat: Hip sneakers, Doc Martens, menswear-inspired oxfords. I wanted to be fashionable, but I needed to be mobile. And I was! I needed to dance, run errands, hurry down subway stairs. And I could!

But recently, I'm convinced I'm not "dressed up" unless I'm wearing heels. I put them on for events, suffer for a few hours, and end up taking a cab home even though I'd rather walk — just to get off my throbbing feet. I have one pair of glittery stilettos that are so painful I've never made it out of the house with them on; I call them my "phone call shoes," because that's all they're good for: Wearing while lying down and talking long distance.

So how did I get convinced that in addition to the comfortable flats I love, I "need" high heels? Maybe because that's all one finds upon shoe-shopping? Grant writes:

This total disconnect between fashion and what people actually wear, seems to have passed almost unnoticed. Magazines continue to show us ever more crazy shoes. Fashion has decided that there can be nothing in between the 6in heel and the flat.

I, for one, would embrace the return of the kitten heel, or at least a move away from stilettos. In the meantime, I'll agree with Grant, who says: "I love the extra height heels give me. I like being able to look men in the eye. I like the look of beautiful shoes, but until the manufacturers start including a sedan chair and two attendants with each purchase, I shall wear ugly shoes." At least for running errands.

Real Women Wear Flat Shoes [Guardian]

It's a great example of how quickly fashion standards can change. Today I'm pretty sure most, if not all, of these shoes would be considered old-fashioned and wouldn't be marketed as sexy. Our ideas of what constitutes a "sexy" woman's shoe today includes a higher, thinner heel, meaning they're also in general less stable, harder to walk in, and worse for your feet than shoes with a chunky heel like these.

All of this is true. But we should also remember that in 1969, skirts were pretty short; these shoes were paired with a lot of leg. Check out this picture of Jane Birkin in 1968, or this "Young New Look" of 1969.

Still, compare the shoes of 1969 to what Donatella Versace — known for doing "sexy" — showed in Milan in September.

Or the perilous pumps seen on the runway of Nina Ricci in March.

While these high-fashion runway shoes aren't reflective of what the average woman wears on the streets, they do say something about what designers think is "sexy." And when asked to picture a "sexy shoe," chances are you think of a stiletto. It almost seems like today's shoes are an exaggerated version of "sexy;" stretching out the leg cartoonishly (forcing the breasts and butt out at the same time). 1969's shoes seemed less about contortions and more about… well, walking. Of course, in the '70s, blocky wooden platforms entered the picture, and ankles suffered.

Since fashion is cyclical, maybe in forty years, spindly Louboutins and Jimmy Choos will look terribly old-fashioned and decidedly not sexy.

As for these anthropomorphic Alexander McQueen heels, "sexy" isn't exactly an adjective I'd use.

Changing Fashion Standards: Sexy Shoes From 1969 [Sociological Images]

Earlier: Versace: Tough, Edgy, Sexy
Alexander McQueen: For The Futuristic Interplanetary Mutant Alien Queen In You
Have You Seen Nina Ricci's Stupefying Shoes?

The Times tackles the Eternal Question, soliciting opinions on why, for women, impractical (and in cases, wildly impractical) shoes not merely persist but thrive. Of course, there are the sociological explications, the design perspective, the killjoy podiatrist listing a mind-numbing range of foot injuries. We all know the drill: to Greer, it's servitude. To Bradshaw, it's self-indulgence. To many, it's inexplicable. Fashionista versus frump, under all flags.

The range of comments following the article is equally representative, from those who just think they're beautiful, to those who feel empowered, to the superior woman who declares, "Never have and never will wear high heals. Happily married with no lack of lovers previously. Why would anyone want to wear high heals? If you need these to get attention maybe you need to look at the kind of attention you seek." (Sexual healing, maybe?) Others invoke the irresponsibility, given the health-care debate, of courting avoidable injury. And someone else declares that high heels

make women appear to walk like helpless little girls who can't walk or run away ( i.e. make choices) from men...These women look like they need a man to carry them because they certainly can't circumnavigate the world on their own. Run for a cab in those? Teach class in those? Take the stairs in those? Fight for your client in those?

And so the debate rages on: the sensible versus the defiant. Because there's no justifying heels; it's like smoking, only moderately less hazardous to those around you. And people wear them because they don't have to, in defiance of sense and economy. Now, we're primarily talking "fashion heels" here - although, come on, the McQueen shoes and their ilk are hardly representative any more than is a full-body lace suit sans undies. It's the runway.

But it's still a valid question, and shoes have become absurd. Why do we wear heels? I can only tell you why I do: I'm short. They make me look taller. I went through most of my life looking up to people, with companions having to walk in the gutter. Then I realized I could wear a pair of shoes and look people in the eye. That simple, and I'm sorry but that's a good thing. Men don't have the pressure to torture their feet? They also don't have the option of increasing their height. Well, not without a hefty side of ridicule (and the time poor teenage uncle D bought elevator shoes still looms large in family lore.) But that said, I make no claims to moral superiority, and I'd add to this that wearing heels is like riding a bike: don't do it if you don't know how. It's dangerous and stupid-looking. It's like heavy makeup - you only notice it when it's bad. There are plenty of us striding around comfortably whom you don't notice because someone's teetering by further down the block. I'm not saying you should run in heels - ankles etc. etc. - but I can, most of us can. Of course, I choose my shoes with care - for walking, chunky heels and, whenever possible, good engineering like the estimable Faryl Robin's. "Fashion heels", yes, but not just any! Sure, good ones are pricey, but it's not an area where you want to compromise, and if we're gonna come down hard on anything, surely it should be budget do-mes, with their lack of cushioning and flimsy heels! Caveat emptor, sisters. But for non-heelers: Don't like it? Don't do it. I understand that there's pressure still in some professional environments to don a heel (although surely fewer and fewer) but for most of us, it's a choice. Sometimes, in this world, we want to control our risks for a few hours. The further things move from necessity, the more closely they approach decadence and I suppose for the naysayers, Nero's fiddling as we blithely toss away the gains of our mother's generation. But there's something to be said for reclamation. And you know what? Some of us like the option of riding roller-coasters occasionally. Or, you know, appearing in surrealist operas.

Why We Love The Shoes That Hurt Us [NYT]

I love that even though Kim didn't go — and wasn't invited — to the event, she was still the topic of conversation.


Do you recognize "Mika"? That's the gay guy that NeNe and Lisa befriended in L.A. He flew out for the event and appeared in drag.


Lastly, what the hell is up with Dwight's junk? I don't understand it.

According to the Telegraph, Lorraine Jones, of the Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists, says female shopworkers, airline cabin crew and other employees must wear high heels as part of a dress code — but male employees do not. Jones, a practicing podiatrist says: ''This is not a trivial problem. Two million working days are lost every year through lower limb and foot-related problems. We are not trying to ban high heels - they are good for glamming up but they are not good for the workplace. Women should have a choice of wearing healthier, more comfortable shoes.''

Sounds great, right? Not according to Loraine Monk of the University and College Union, who opposed the move, arguing: "This well-meant motion will see the union movement portrayed in the media as the killjoy fashion police… Let's stop telling women what to do."

The Guardian reports that a Tory Member of Parliament, Nadine Dorries, wrote on her blog:

"I'm 5ft 3in and need every inch of my Louboutin heels to look my male colleagues in the eye. If high heels were banned in Westminster, no one would be able to find me."

Mary Turner from the British Trade Union has fired back: "If you need to wear high heels to stand up to men than I feel very sorry for you."

In any case, this case is not so much about banning high heels as it is about making sure employees aren't forced to endure a health hazard. BBC News notes that "where they are found to be hazardous, they should be replaced with sensible and comfortable shoes." The problem, of course, is that for some women — especially those working in retail — high heels are part of a "look" to represent a brand. Some women do feel more powerful, more confident in heels. But can you be plucky and self-assured when you've got a twisted ankle, bunions and tendonitis?

Unions Take 'Stand' On Stilettos [BBC News]
Women Should Not Have To Wear High Heels At Work, Says TUC [Guardian]
High Heels 'Should Be Banned At Work' [Telegraph]

The Frisky's Leonora Epstein writes,

You wear your new super hot, strappy high heels and the next day your feet look like they've been in the boxing ring. Then, the only way to wear your shoes again is to protect your wounds with band-aids that slip out of place, or you end up taking them off anyhow because they're so unsightly and you're wincing every time you take a step.

Foot-boxing actually sounds kind of fun, and a better reason to get a foot injury than ill-fitting shoes. But no matter, the solution to all podiatric problems is ... Nexcare Clear First Aid Tape! Yes, just tape over those seeping wounds and strap your hot high heels right back on again. The Frisky calls this "tip" (originally from Teen Vogue) an "amazing insider fashion secret."

Of course, this "insider secret" can be found in any drugstore, but more to the point, if your shoes make your feet bleed, just don't wear them for a while! Or do as I did the last time a pair of peep-toe flats made my feet an oozy mess (damn you, Paris Hilton Collection!), and recognize that they don't actually fit you, and by a different pair. This is easier if, like me, you only buy $40 shoes.

Or, for a more radical solution, try never wearing shoes at all. Scientists studied the feet of people from South India who "walk barefoot throughout life, mostly for spiritual or financial reasons." Their feet were a different shape than those of shoe-wearers, and pressure was more evenly distributed over the soles. This means shoes probably change the way our feet work, and not in a good way. However, they do protect us from hot asphalt and broken glass, which would probably necessitate more Nexcare Tape.

How To Wear High Heels Even When You Have Blisters [The Frisky]
Footwear Alters Normal Form And Function Of The Foot [ScienceDaily]

[Tel Aviv, July 16. Image via Getty]

A participant (R) trips and falls as Israeli women compete during the 'Race on Heels' near the beach in Tel Aviv on July 16, 2009. The competition came to Israel for the first time after being held in Amsterdam, New York and Berlin. During the race all women are asked to run on heels above 7 centimetres on a 50-metre track. AFP PHOTO/JONATHAN NACKSTRAND (Photo credit should read JONATHAN NACKSTRAND/AFP/Getty Images)

[North Hollywood, June 11. Image via Flynet]

The "Walk For Women" ad above, seen on Sociological Images, promotes a charity event for the Women's Center Of Wake County, which began "as a grass roots movement to meet the needs of women re-entering the community from prison." The center has now shifted focus to address the issues of homelessness for women with children and single women. A worthy cause, and one that deserves attention and zippy marketing tricks — but what do high heels have to do with anything?

According to a site promoting the walk:

On June 6th, women (+ men!) will endure some high heel induced agony for a good cause. The Walk for Women will be a one-mile high heel strut through downtown to benefit the Women's Center of Wake County… Can't wait to which men decide to step up to the challenge and experience the pain we ladies get to each day. There will even be prizes awarded like "Best in Shoe" and "Best Man in Heels". It's a fun event for a wonderful cause, so get out and show your support to help make walking in some women's shoes a little less painful.

Sure, it's for charity, and it's just for "fun," but as Sociological Context's Gwen points out:

What type of awareness is it raising? Is walking around in high heels supposed to increase a person's understanding of some of the problems women face? What are bystanders supposed to get out of it?

Also associated with the Walk was a "Beauty Blitz" at a local salon, where people could get services and have a cocktail. Gwen notes, "So the event is this strange mixture of helping women by using the trappings of femininity (high heels, beauty care). And I just find it kind of odd."

"Walk for Women": High Heels as Activism [Sociological Images]

In the magazine, the "middle-aged gentleman" recounts sitting in Central Park and watching women hobble by in these newfangled monstrosities. He wonders:

Will the day ever come when this last citadel of fashionable distortion of the [female] body will be captured and razed, and when women will get over the notion that there is beauty to be achieved by wearing on the foot a leather harness designed expressly to throw it out of position, destroy its beautiful mechanical efficiency, cripple it in and out of action, and make it look from in front as much as possible like a hoof?

As it has been 80 years since this article was written, we're guessing the answer is "not anytime soon." [Modern Mechanix]

• Two women have been charged in the murder of a British couple honeymooning in Antigua and Barbuda. • The Maricopa County Sheriff in Arizona has violated a ruling that he is not allowed to require female inmates to receive a court order before they are granted an abortion. • In (somewhat) related news, there is a new program at the Ohio Reformatory for Women that allows inmates to raise their children in their cells and in in-house prisons to keep the bond between mother and child tight. • More than 80% of women in the Air Force in Iraq reported persistent fatigue, difficulty concentrating and nearly 20% reported one symptom of PTSD. • Meanwhile in the region, a man has been arrested in Jerusalem for helping beat, threaten, and rob a divorced Israeli woman under the self-proclaimed title of "chastity guards." •

(Filmed by the one-armed Alex Goldberg.)

Earlier: We Challenge A Man To Walk A Mile In Our Heels
Making It With Makeup: How To Get A Great Night Look
Making It With Makeup: How To Get A Great Day Look

(Filmed by the one-armed Alex Goldberg.)

Earlier: Making It With Makeup: How To Get A Great Night Look
Making It With Makeup: How To Get A Great Day Look
Benny The Tech Geek Gets A Bikini Wax