kneehighs Posted October 12, 2006 Share Posted October 12, 2006 Thought some people might find this article fun to read: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/fashion/main.jhtml?xml=/fashion/2006/08/23/efshoes123.xml Walking is the last thing you do in five-inch heels… (Filed: 23/08/2006) Christian Louboutin's latest design: 'fit only for those with chauffeurs - or for the bedroom' High heels are back. To be honest, I hadn't noticed they'd gone away. But this season, to the concern of chiropodists and orthopaedic surgeons everywhere, they are high. Very high. Having worn heels virtually every day since I left school (where they were strictly banned), I was thrilled by the prospect of wearing a stunning pair of Christian Louboutins for a whole weekend. Then I found out that they were 13 centimetres high. As I usually think of shoes in inches - my favourite height is four - my initial reaction was shock. I was picturing a pair of shoes more than a foot tall and remembering Naomi Campbell's topple on the catwalk. Then I saw the shoes - all five inches high of them - and fell instantly, and almost literally, in love. In them, I am six feet tall. No matter that one friend thinks they resemble frilly knickers on stilts - I can see my 6ft 5in boyfriend's face properly for the first time. And it is not a disappointment. These shoes exude elegance. The platform sole meant my toes actually touched the floor and the whole design fitted the contours of my feet to perfection. There was just one problem: it was pouring with rain, and these delicate satin creations would not cope with a single puddle. Thankfully, the weather cleared up and I set out for dinner. My first few steps were rather tentative. The shoes may only be an inch higher than my usual evening pair, but that one small inch makes all the difference. My ankles were shaking. Walking was hard enough, trying to stand still was worse. Waiting at traffic lights, I had to shift my weight from one position to another, while avoiding the urge to start wind-milling my arms to stay upright. I began to curse the person who invented cobblestones. Then I neared Bond Street and caught a reflection of my feet in a shop window. The sheer elegance of what I saw - ankles thinner, feet smaller, legs longer, much, much longer - was worth every painful pigeon step. By the time I arrived at the restaurant, however, I felt exhausted. I had taken twice as many steps as normal and had also taken twice as long. I was late. I was flustered. And I would only be more so when I realised there was one final obstacle in store. Our table was in the basement, down a long flight of narrow stairs. Despite 10 years of ballet and regular wearing of four-inch heels in the most inappropriate circumstances, I clung on to the handrail for dear life. The new high, high heels might be beautiful, but don't try running, walking, standing still or anything much else in them. They are designed only for those with chauffeurs - or for the bedroom. Annunziata Rees-Mogg Feminine Style . Masculine Soul. Skin In The Game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy N. Heels Posted October 12, 2006 Share Posted October 12, 2006 What can one say to a lady whose boyfriend/lover is 2 meters tall (I assume he has 1" heels on). The lady is right! Centuries ago the aristocractic women of China had their feet bound and mostly had to be carried about by servants. The really royal ones also grew their nails to outlandish lenghts and literally had to be waited upon both hand and foot. One's inability to make do for one's self meant that servants had to bend to the tasks and thus one's physical limitations literally became a symbol of both wealth and status. Have we really progressed all that much in the last 400 years? 1 Keep on stepping, Guy N. Heels Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RPMindy Posted October 13, 2006 Share Posted October 13, 2006 very sexy shoes! and you know what.. i don't mind assisting my lady when she wears heels.. like parking closer to our destination.. offering massages.. makes the date cool. i don't however want her in 5 inch everyday though RPM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris100575 Posted October 13, 2006 Share Posted October 13, 2006 It seems a bit odd though that she found those so hard. They may be five inches, but they look to have a half-inch platform, so they're really only four and a half. Going from four to four and a half isn't that big a leap... Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy N. Heels Posted October 15, 2006 Share Posted October 15, 2006 It seems a bit odd though that she found those so hard. They may be five inches, but they look to have a half-inch platform, so they're really only four and a half. Going from four to four and a half isn't that big a leap... Chris I think somebody is developing a bad case of paralysis through analysis. She claims she found them them hard to walk in. I wasn't there and I've never tried on those shoes. Why not just take her at her word? Keep on stepping, Guy N. Heels Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris100575 Posted October 16, 2006 Share Posted October 16, 2006 I'm not saying I don't believe her, just that I'm surprised that a girl who's used to wearing four inch heels "virtually every day" found four and a half such a leap. They are nice shoes though. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy N. Heels Posted October 16, 2006 Share Posted October 16, 2006 I'm not saying I don't believe her, just that I'm surprised that a girl who's used to wearing four inch heels "virtually every day" found four and a half such a leap. They are nice shoes though. Chris Actually, DR1819 covered this same subject fairly well over on the For the Guys forum. But the short answer is that as you go up in height the less stable you become. The consensus of opinion, as I recall, is that once one gets to about 3 1/2" in heel height, even small incremental increases can have a very dramatic effect on the wearer. It may be that the gal (who, as I recall, was 6' tall) simply didn't balance very well on the higher heels. I could give you some engineering principles that apply, but DR1819 has a way of explaining it much better than I can. Keep on stepping, Guy N. Heels Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
new_look Posted October 16, 2006 Share Posted October 16, 2006 i have to agree with chris100_575 ive worn heels for a while in dribs and drabs, but nowhere near he frequency of a female who virtually lives in 4inch heels every day as the ariticle suggested. someone with this kind of wear would have ankles etc with the necessary flexibility to move slightly higher. myself i have worn 4.5in heels without a problem on the heelmeets all day, and find it hard to believe that a girl used to 4inch heels much more than me cant manage it. i believe the story was perhaps exaggerated a little Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jo Posted October 17, 2006 Share Posted October 17, 2006 Heh. Journalists. Why let the facts get in the way of a good story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vector Posted October 17, 2006 Share Posted October 17, 2006 I wish I could afford a pair of those shoes!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy N. Heels Posted October 19, 2006 Share Posted October 19, 2006 Heh. Journalists. Why let the facts get in the way of a good story. You really hit the nail squarely on the head! I never met a "Monday morning quarterback" yet who couldn't explain exactly why their team lost and how they could have/should have done it different. Never mind the fact that it was the TEAM that wuz out on the playing field getting pounded and not them! Keep on stepping, Guy N. Heels Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dr1819 Posted October 24, 2006 Share Posted October 24, 2006 Actually, DR1819 covered this same subject fairly well over on the For the Guys forum. But the short answer is that as you go up in height the less stable you become. The consensus of opinion, as I recall, is that once one gets to about 3 1/2" in heel height, even small incremental increases can have a very dramatic effect on the wearer. It may be that the gal (who, as I recall, was 6' tall) simply didn't balance very well on the higher heels. I could give you some engineering principles that apply, but DR1819 has a way of explaining it much better than I can. Thanks for the nod, but I think you said it very well! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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