Another Newspaper Article - but not the same old thing

[BobHH]

From The Orange County Register, Wed. Jan. 6th:

Title: "Want to look sexy? Stilettos are a shoe thing"

Some of the usual, some history of the last 50 years, but the following I thought interesting:

Most of the top designers of high heels are men, because they don't get preoccupied with a little detail such as comfort.

"When I interviewed men, they were all into the sexual side of the stiletto, and some, like (1970s designer) Terry de Havilland, got the whole 'power' thing," Cox says.

She does note that Jimmy Choo designer Sandra Choi's are as uncomfortable as the rest.

"A stiletto is always going to be uncomfortable; it's an unnatural angle. ... You don't want them to be as comfortable as a slipper.

"Then everyone would wear them and they'd lose their cache."

Well mine are not uncomfortable, but they are platforms with some cushioning. If everyone wore them, maybe we wouldn't want to? I think they would still be sexy, but maybe not? How many of the "top designers" try them on? Must be hard to design something you have never tried.

[Bubba136]

Well, comfort is usually directly proportional to the price and, most importantly, the fit. Expensive shoes are usually made using more expensive materials and more experienced (better) craftsmen. The lasts used in the manufacturing process are more true to size and width than those used by lower end manufacturers. My 5" stiletto heeled pumps are very comfortable mainly because they fit me like shoes are supposed to fit and are made from natural leather. I can wear them for 12 hours or more without discomfort.

[genebujold]

I've discovered through trial and error that a well-fitting heel has little to do with the price, but much to do with the material. As Bubba suggested, leather is by far the best material for construction. Not only does it breath (unlike synthetics), but it also absorbs moisture and perspiration, conforming to one's foot over time. My favorite pair of shoes arrived a couple weeks ago. They're a pair of black leather, lace-up wing tips with a block heel. Beneath a long pair of pants they're nearly indistinguishable from a men's shoe, despite a 3-1/2 block heel. The thing I like about them the most, however, is their old-school construction, which allows the shoe to conform to its wearer quite readibly, and with minimal fuss. After two weeks of wear, they're by far the most comfortable pair of dress shoes I've ever owned, with, or without, a heel.

[jo]

Wasn't it rumoured that one of the "high-end" male designers did actually road test most of his female designs? I also heard that Jimmy Choo's owner Tamara Mellon tried every style too.

[Bubba136]

Hearing that male designers of women's clothing (shoes) "test drive" their creations doesn't surprise me at all. After all, if you are going to design a good product, you really have to experience the performance to guage it's worthiness.