High Heel School

[onyourtoes]

This story was inspired by a couple YouTube videos I saw recently. They were about schools that trained models in the techniques of walking down the fashion show runway.

I've been wanting to write a story recently and it struck me as a topic that hasn't received much coverage here in the story forum.

Unfortunately, I do tend to overexplain things, so the result came out a bit longer that some may like. The really bad news is that this 6,000 word epic tale IS the shortened version. Also some may be disappointed at its G rating.

The advice on techniques is my own, based on 47 years of experience and may turn out to be bad advice for some.

I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

On Your Toes!

High Heel School

by onyourtoes

I. A Day at the Office

When she heard the staccato tap-tap coming down the hall, Helen looked up as the sound passed the doorway.

She turned to her office-mate and said, "Oh, my God, Janet. Did you see those heels on Jessica? They must be over 4 inches high."

Janet replied, "I saw them earlier," then continued in a stage whisper, "But she really doesn't walk very well in them, does she?"

Helen turned back to her paperwork. "She certainly walks better than I could. The last time I wore heels, I walked like a parody of a man made to wear them. For that matter, I've never seen you wearing heels either. I guess we both missed that day in school."

Janet smiled, "I'm not sure they even taught it in my town. But last weekend changed that."

"What happened last weekend?"

"I am now a proud graduate of the High Heel Institute," and she stood up and strode confidently across the office.

"What do you think of my new shoes?"

Helen looked stunned. "Why those must be at least 5 inches high, and they're beautiful! I thought you were joking about some institute, but you walk better in those than I do wearing loafers. Tell me about it."

Janet explained, "They're 5 ½ inches; a couple weeks ago I wanted new shoes so I searched the Internet for ballet flats hoping to find a good store in the area. There were a few store ads, but another ad popped up as well. It said something like 'Looking for Flats? Wish you could wear Heels? We can teach you to wear the highest confidently and comfortably.'"

"I clicked the link and they're right here in town and the tuition, which included these leather shoes, was only $250."

Helen said, "Maybe I'll try it, too. I guess I'd better start practicing."

Janet wagged a finger at her, "Oh, no. Don't do that. Leslie, the teacher, doesn't want us to come in with bad habits and says we should wear flats for at least a couple weeks before the course."

Helen wasted no time visiting the school's web site and signing up.

"Dear Student," the email started, "Thank you for choosing The High Heel Institute. You are enrolled in our weekend class which starts in June.

"Please read these instructions so you can come properly prepared:

"First of all, and most importantly, do NOT wear any sort of heeled footwear for at least 10 days before the class begins. Our best students are those who have never worn heels at all, because they haven't developed any bad habits. If you do wear heels, then please give your body a little time to forget how it currently handles them.

"Please arrive on time so we can start promptly at 9 am.

"On Saturday, please wear comfortable, loose fitting clothes – dress like you would for a yoga class. Wear flat lace-up athletic shoes. We will provide the necessary footwear as the training progresses.

"On Sunday, please wear a skirt, preferably narrow, hosiery, and flat heels. The Sunday half-day class starts at 1:30 pm."

"Once again, thank you for enrolling in The High Heel Institute.

"Leslie Williams, President"

II. The Institute

A few weeks later, Helen arrived at the school and rode the elevator up to the 4th floor. The Institute occupied a large office suite at the end of the hall.

She knew she was in the right place because there were about 10 other women in loose fitting clothing sitting in the waiting area.

A young receptionist wearing a name tag that said, Carol McAdams, greeted her and checked her name on a list. She sat down and silently waited with the others.

There were a few more arrivals, then they were all ushered into a large classroom with a raised runway running down the middle, with a whiteboard and projection screen on the front wall.

A blond haired man who looked about 30, bounded into the room and stood on the runway at the front of the room. "Good morning! Are you ladies ready to work?"

There was a murmur of assent from the group, and the lights dimmed and a computer projected slide appeared on the screen.

"Institute of High Heels, Leslie Williams, chief instructor"

He began, "In this first part of the course, we'll be going over the history of high heels, why we like heels, why so many women wear heels so poorly, and how to do it right. Are there any questions before we start?"

A couple hands went up.

"Yes, you up front, please tell us your name."

"I'm Barbara Finch. How high will the heels be? I've never worn over 3 inches."

"It will vary depending on your foot size and to some degree on how fast you learn the Institute way, but nearly everyone will be wearing at least 5 inch heels by the end of class tomorrow.

"It looks like you're going to need a dunce cap for me."

"Every time someone says that, they end the class complaining that our heels aren't high enough.

"Yes, you over there."

"I'm Arlene Farland. Isn't our teacher going to be Ms. Williams?"

"Oops, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Leslie Williams."

"But you're a man, I mean you're, well men don't, I mean how can you? Well you know what I mean."

Leslie smiled and said, "I'm sorry if some of you feel deceived, but how many of you would have signed up knowing I'm Mr. Williams?"

Two hands went up.

"Thank you for your vote of confidence, and I hope I can earn it from the rest of you. And, please remember our money back guarantee. If you are dissatisfied, either now or after the course, you can get a full refund. I might add, We've had over 100 students so far, and have only had one refund request. Oh, and five of our graduates are male."

Helen heard one of the women whisper, "At least it ought to be entertaining. I'm staying."

Helen replied in a loud voice that everyone could hear, "I'm staying, too. If a man can do it, so can I!"

The room burst into a voice of agreement, then a short round of applause.

"Thank you all. Let's begin with a brief history of high heels.'

He clicked his remote for the next slide, which was an oil painting of several man and women standing in a ballroom wearing fancy costume during what appeared to be the middle-ages.

"This is 15th century France, and you can see the men are wearing the heels in this picture."

He spent the next 10 minutes taking the class on a quick journey through the centuries, and finally ending up in the present.

The next slide asked, "Why do we like high heels?"

He called for answers from the group.

"They make us look sexy."

Leslie replied, "Yes, nearly everyone agrees on that, but why? Anyone?"

"They make our butt stick out."

"They make our legs look longer."

"We wiggle when we walk and men like that."

"My calf muscles curve, oh, so nice."

"They make us look feminine and helpless."

Leslie responded, "Perhaps you'll look helpless, but you won't be helpless when we're through here."

Everyone laughed.

"That just about covers it, though nobody mentioned how just the sound of heels works some magic.

"Now, why don't we like heels or find them difficult, anyone?"

"They pinch my toes."

"They burn the bottoms of my feet."

"Forget stairs!"

"Spike heels are too wobbly. My ankles get tired and I feel like I'm going to fall over."

"I do fall over!"

"It's tedious needing so many steps to go someplace."

With no more answers coming, Leslie spoke up. "So people agree, they're uncomfortable and hard to walk in, but that first list, ah, the one where every other word was sexy, wins.

III. An Experiment

"It's time for a little break, the ladies room is across the hall, and there's coffee, juice, pastry and fruit in the reception area.

"During the break, I'd like you to try a little experiment. Whenever you're standing or walking, get up on your toes like a little girl pretending to wear high heels. Please don't feel embarrassed or worry about looking silly. This is important, and I'll get us started."

Leslie got up on to the runway and stood up very high on the balls of his feet, and walked up and down in a prancing motion.

"Come on, ladies. Follow me, and staying on his toes, he jumped down off the runway and walked, surprisingly smoothly, out of the room."

Feeling a bit silly, Helen was the first one to her feet and on her toes. The rest awkwardly followed along and headed for the refreshment table.

Leslie came into the room and poured himself a cup of coffee and while still on his toes, walked over and joined one of the groups without spilling a drop.

He raised his voice so everyone could hear, "I see a few of you aren't on your toes anymore. The Miss America judges are out in the hall and want to see long sexy legs."

Everyone raised themselves up a bit higher, but after a few minutes it was obviously becoming quite an effort for them, and a few started to sink down again.

Leslie called them back into the classroom, and they gratefully sat down. Several rubbed sore calf muscles.

Leslie, rock steady and showing no signs of tiredness, finally lowered his feet to the floor.

"So, was that easy or hard?" he asked.

Nearly in unison came the nearly unanimous reply, "Hard!"

"Why was it hard?"

The answers came quickly, and Leslie wrote them on the white board.

"My calf muscles got tired holding me up."

"It was hard to balance on just my toes."

"All my weight was on the balls of my feet."

"My sneakers wrinkled at the toes and hurt."

"It felt unnatural and weird walking on one point instead of heel-toe. Steps felt incomplete."

Leslie said, "Great observations. That's the complete list, so here's a problem to solve."

"Walking on your toes makes you taller, accentuates your calf muscles and shape, makes you look graceful, makes you take short lady-like steps, and in general is a desirable thing to do. BUT, it's tiring, hurts, is uncomfortable, feels wrong, and it takes a conscious effort to remember to stay that way.

"Well, there's a couple solutions. The first one is to not walk on your toes, just lace up your sneakers and clomp your way through life, and I think you know the second answer and that's why you're here," he motioned towards the assembly.

They all shouted back, "High heels!"

"Right. Walking on your toes is desirable, but really hard to do, but heels change this.

"Instead of thinking of those heels as a hindering inconvenience, picture them as wonderful, helpful, supports that give you a way to walk on your toes without strain to your calves and also something to rest your heels on for balance."

IV. The Four Cornerstones

"And that is the first cornerstone of the Institute's course foundation. Let me write that down. '1. High heels support my feet so I can be graceful.'"

He pointed to the list he wrote earlier. "Looking back to this list, adding heels fixes the tired muscles problem and having to balance on just your toes. The wrinkled sneaker toes problem goes away because the toes are made bent on high heel shoes, but we're still looking at the balls of your feet getting sore."

He held up a high heeled pump. "With low or no heels, most of your weight is on your heels, your toes mostly bear weight when you take a step, and that's just before your foot leaves the ground. But, as you all are painfully aware, as the heels go up, your feet naturally shift downhill and most of your weight ends up on your footpads."

"These pumps cost $15 at the local discount department store and I guarantee they'll hurt," he smiled, "I know, because I wore them, ouch"

The women laughed and he continued.

"The soles are thin and the insoles are a piece of paper-thin vinyl. They might as well have no soles at all, and they're not leather. That means they'll never stretch out in any tight places. If they pinch or rub today, they'll pinch and rub 5 years from now."

He picked up another shoe. "Although these shoes are also mass-produced, they're leather, made on accurate lasts, and have well padded insoles. You'll wear them until they wear out, then you can have them resoled and wear them some more. I walked 4 miles one morning in these, then wore them for the rest of the day, and all the next day, too. Quality doesn't come cheap, but at $85 these shoes are a real bargain."

"As you probably know, a good fit is essential. I'm sure we all agree on the misery of shoes that are too tight, so should we maybe just buy them a little loose?"

Many of the women in the room nodded their heads in agreement. Others sensing, perhaps an unintuitive trap, shook their heads.

"If you thought big is better, that's one reason why you don't like heels. Just think, because the forefoot area is too wide, your feet slide forward and get pinched in those pointed toes; then sliding forward with every step rubs and you get blisters on your footpads; maybe you get blisters on the backs of your heels from the shoe sliding partly off with each step; and your feet get tired from trying to not walk out of the shoes."

He turned to the board and wrote, "2. Well made, well padded, properly fitted leather shoes are essential."

Next he held up a knee-length mannequin leg which unlike most store mannequins had a movable ankle joint. It was wearing a flat heeled Mary-Jane style shoe.

"This is Sally, at least that's what the sign said in the store," and he held up a small cardboard sign that said "Sale!" in big red letters.

Smiling at the class's groan of appreciation, he continued. "She stands with the sole of her foot at a right angle to her leg. If she stands on her toes," and he bent the foot down, "the angle increases. Some women can extend their ankles so the bottom of the foot is almost in line with their leg – a range of motion of nearly 90 degrees. Without stretching practice, most women can go about two-thirds of that.

"Now watch how she walks," and stepped the leg and foot across the table in a walking motion.

"The leg swings out and then down. The heel strikes the ground, and then two things happen. Watch carefully."

He illustrated with his motions as he explained, "The foot starts to hinge down on the heel and the toe goes towards the ground, this motion straightens the ankle into a slight toe pointed down position. But, at the same time, Sally is starting to move forward over her foot and bending the ankle back to a more flat footed position."

"Easy enough, we've been doing it since we took our first baby steps. Now let's see what happens when Sally puts on high heels."

He slipped a black oxford with about a 4 inch heel on the foot and laced it up. He walked the foot across the table again.

"Well, first of all, it sounds a lot nicer, doesn't it? But now there's a complication. She starts a normal stride swinging her foot towards the ground. Her body can do it all day without her even thinking about how she does it. Then her heel hits the ground 4 inches too soon!

"Now her ankle bends too far, too fast, and she has to bend her knee to compensate and get her toes to the ground before she breaks either the shoe, or herself."

He then got up on the runway and illustrated, still wearing sneakers, by taking extremely wide steps, and coming down with bent knees to compensate for the reach required of his ankles.

"You've probably seen women walking this way with heels, where their knees are bent, and every step looks like the heel was a surprise.

"Does anyone have any suggestions on how to overcome this problem?"

A thin blond in the back spoke up, "Well, you have to remember you're wearing heels, and try taking smaller steps."

"That's right, a piece of advice your mother probably gave you. Stop clomping around and take lady-like steps. Another thing is, with practice, you'll be able to extend your ankles farther so you can lengthen your steps and look even better on heels, keep everything equal, but with higher heels.

"Leading up to our third cornerstone, we discover that high heels make us bend our knees, shorten our steps, and extend our ankles."

He wrote on the board: "3. Adjust your length of stride to match your heels and capabilities."

"There's just one more cornerstone to our high heeled foundation, which we'll be taking care of after lunch."

Leslie turned and wrote on the board, "4. Do ankle extension exercises."

He looked at his watch. "Lunch time is upon us. I'll see you all back here at 1:00. There's a microwave and cold drinks off the entryway, and if you didn't bring lunch, there's a deli across the street.

"When you get back, we'll be doing some relaxation and ankle exercises, and after that, we'll put this morning's lessons into practice."

(continued in the next post)

[onyourtoes]

V. Final Preparation

When they got back from lunch, Leslie led them into the another room.

It was a dimly lighted and there were yoga mats laid out on the floor. There was a faint scent of incense in the air, and Carol, the receptionist, was sitting cross legged on a mat facing the others.

She began, "Please be seated on the mats so we can begin. I'm Carol, and I'm a certified yoga instructor.

"We've found that many women fail at high heels because they've heard so much negative information, that they're afraid of failing so they try too hard.

"We're going to start the next learning phase with some yoga exercises which will concentrate on relaxation, then while you're relaxed and loose, we'll work on those ankles."

One of the women said, "But I've never done yoga."

A few others echoed the same. Carol said, "Don't worry about that. We're not going to try to become pretzels or to levitate. This is really easy stuff and very relaxing."

The next 40 minutes were something many of the women had never experienced. They started out with simple breathing exercises to help them relax and focus. This was followed by a series of easy yoga poses designed to loosen up their joints, with an aim to increasing their range of movement.

Of course, much of the training was centered on the ankles. They stretched their feet out, rotated their ankles, stretched some more, and stood on their toes. All the while, with Carol reminding them to listen to their bodies and respect their limits.

"This isn't a contest to see who can stretch their feet the most. You can't expect to undo a lifetime of limited motion in a half-hour. Practice these ankle exercises at home or while you're sitting at your desk."

Finally she had them lie on their backs and guided them through a relaxation tour of the body.

When they were done and Helen stood up, she couldn't believe how loose and relaxed she felt. Many others commented on that, too.

Leslie appeared at the door and called, "Come on Ladies, let's go to a shoe store!"

He led them through the reception area to another room which had a display of shoes, foot measuring devices, benches, and a shoe sales stool with a slanted footrest where the salesman ties your shoes and checks fit. One wall had several long shelves stacked with shoe boxes.

As they filed through the door, Leslie handed each a new pair of knee length stockings.

"Put your sneakers in one of the cubbies over there, and put on your stockings. If anyone needs their size checked let me know."

When there was no response, he continued, "Who wears size 5 1/2 or smaller?"

There was no response. "Ok, there being no Cinderellas here, how about 6, 6 1/2 or 7?"

He handed out a few boxes, and everyone crowded around when the first boxes were opened.

"Oh, my God, those are beautiful!" was the first response, followed by much agreement and also some concern about the long, long, stiletto heels.

He continued through the sizes and when there were no takers for size 11, he asked if everyone now had shoes.

A woman raised her hand. "Um, I'm Mary Johnson, do you have size 12?"

He handed her a box and said, "We've got size 16 if you need it."

The woman looked at the shoes, then looked up with tears in her eyes. "My mother always told me I was too tall for heels and they didn't make them that big."

Leslie said, "I hope you'll leave today knowing there's no such thing as too tall. Just a lot of beauty, and you prove it, Mary."

"Thank you. I can't wait to see my mother's face the next time I visit her."

Leslie called for attention, "Ok, now put the shoes on, and stand up. I'm going to come around and check fit and heel height."

The women stood up, some quite unsteadily, and he walked down the line.

"These are too big, there's a visible gap behind your heel."

Carol had just come into the room and asked the woman her size. While she was exchanging the shoes, Leslie continued his tour.

Helen couldn't believe she could actually stand comfortably in heels that high, but she felt she was managing nicely.

Leslie confirmed this. "You're standing tall and steady, that's great."

Another woman was standing with her knees bent. "Can you straighten your knees?"

"No, my ankles must be too stiff. Does this mean I failed?"

"Goodness, no. You'll develop the flexibility you need. Carol, exchange these for lower heels. Just a quarter inch, and if that doesn't work, I'm sure a half inch will be fine. You can come back and exchange them for higher ones when you're ready."

A couple women were having a hard time standing steady. Their ankles kept bending in and out.

"You'll need to work on strengthening those ankles. Do the exercises every day. You can wear boots today, just lace them up snugly and you won't wobble. Carol, boots over here, please."

"Now everybody, carefully make your way into the classroom. Take very short steps and don't rush."

VI. Practice

He met them back in the classroom. "Well, that certainly sounds better."

Helen noticed he looked taller and realized he must be wearing high heels, too.

He got up on the runway and pulled up his pants leg to reveal a pair of black patent leather pumps with extremely thin heels that looked to be nearly 6 inches high.

"Now we're each going to walk up and down the runway. Try to find the best length of stride for your ability.

"I'll begin," Leslie strode the length of the runway. He demonstrated how bad it looks to try taking too big steps, then showed how steps that are too short are tedious, but OK.

He pointed to the tall woman who had never worn heels before. "Why don't you try it first, Mary. Remember everyone, we're all here to help one another learn to walk on heels. If I tell you you're doing something wrong, I'm not a 7th grade teacher yelling at you. I'm trying to help everyone here."

The tall woman started down the runway. At first she looked very nervous and self conscious. She wobbled badly a couple times and almost fell forward.

Leslie said, "You're trying too hard. Stop. Take a couple of the relaxing breaths you learned earlier, then try it again."

Mary closed her eyes, swayed unsteadily for a moment, then apparently maneuvered her center of balance directly over her feet. She took a few slow deep breaths and visibly relaxed, then she started walking.

She started out with very small steps, then with amazing control, gradually lengthened her stride. When she realized it was too long, she shortened her steps a bit and walked with a surprisingly smooth gait.

Amazed, Leslie applauded her, and the rest of the group joined in.

"Mary, how does it feel? You're such a natural for heels."

Mary said, "It feels wonderful. I feel really feminine for the first time in my life!"

"Uh, Joan, would you like to be next?"

Joan, who was wearing a pair of knee high, lace up boots, with 5 1/2 inch heels stepped up.

Nervous at first, she too wobbled and tripped her way the first few steps, stopped, took a few breaths, and looked towards Leslie.

"Don't forget Joan, the heels are there to help and support your feet. You're trying to come down like your wearing flats and the heels are a surprise with each step. Think like you're walking on your toes like this morning. Let your feet try to pretend they're wearing heels – they are, you know."

Joan took a few steps exaggerating what she was trying to do. As her foot stepped forward, she purposely pointed her toes down and after the first few steps, her steps came smoother and faster.

Suddenly she yelled out, "I can do it! Look Mom, I'm taking lady steps."

When Helen's turn came, she used what had become known as "The Joan Method," to make her feet land correctly. She didn't think she had done as well as some of the others, but Leslie gave her high praise.

They worked their way through the class. A couple women really looked unsteady so Leslie held their arm and walked alongside them, having them match their stride to his. After a couple trips up and down the runway, both settled down to a steady, unaided, walk.

Leslie commented, "You just need a little practice. Nobody can acquire a complex motor skill like walking on extreme heels in an hour. Walk just a few steps at first, eventually you'll be able to walk for miles."

Once everybody was seated, Leslie said, "Everyone, that was wonderful. You're all naturals and with a bit of practice, you'll become true experts.

"Tonight, do your ankle exercises, then practice walking for 15-30 minutes. Tomorrow morning, do the same.

"For now put on your sneakers, and we'll see you back here at 1:30. Wear a skirt, nylons, and low or flat heels, but don't forget your 'real' heels."

VII. Sunday

Helen wore a narrow skirt that had always made her walking feel restricted in the past. She reasoned that since high heel steps were shorter, the skirt wouldn't slow her down. She found this to be true during her morning practice when she tried it for a few steps.

When she arrived just before 1:30, she saw that nearly everyone had made similar skirt choices, including Leslie.

He was wearing a trim navy blue pin-striped suit jacket, a white shirt and tie, and a slender matching skirt that ended just above his knees. He was wearing sheer hosiery and black pointed toe pumps with full 6 inch stiletto heels.

All the women complimented him on his tasteful outfit before going into the classroom.

He had them change into their heels then called the class to order.

"I see everyone decided to come back, hopefully not to demand a refund. I guess everyone at least returns to see if I'm going to wear a skirt, too.

"We're going to start on the runway so you can each learn to handle the heels with a skirt."

He got up on to the runway and walked the length and back while commenting, "You may find that with a skirt, you have to take even shorter steps than with the heels alone."

He lengthened his stride and noted, "Now I'm letting the skirt limit my stride – what does it look like?"

"Like your skirt is too tight."

"Like you're in a hurry."

"Like you're trying too hard."

"Like a guy wearing a skirt and high heels!"

When the laughter died down, Leslie said, "Well, I never heard that one before. You're all correct. Done perfectly you can look like a very determined woman going someplace to assert herself, but usually it looks awkward."

He demonstrated the best looking walk, and then invited the women to give it a try.

Mary, the tall woman, tried first. Like the day before she quickly found her stride and looked beautiful.

Leslie said, "Once again, you leave me speechless. I hope you don't decide to open your own school. I'll be out of business."

One by one, the women took their turns. A couple had to be reminded to pause and relax, and one of the women who had started with boots, tried it in shoes, this time successfully.

Helen found herself trying to take too big steps at first. Leslie walked with her and helped her find the right stride. She commented that it seemed impossible to go any distance with such short steps.

"Yes," Leslie said, "short steps can be tedious. A tight skirt and extreme heels like you're wearing should be saved for those times that you know the distances will be reasonable. In time you'll find you can speed up your steps, too."

He demonstrated by walking nearly twice as fast as before. Helen thought his steps were so fast that they sounded almost like a woodpecker.

The class practiced for another hour before Leslie had them sit down and take off their shoes.

Carol came in and showed them how to give themselves a foot massage.

"Keep a ball or soda can in your desk. If your feet need a break, roll it under your foot for quick relief. If you've got nothing else handy, don't forget your shoes. You can rub your soles with the back of a heel – provided your heels are high enough."

Leslie stood up. "Let's all take a 10 minute break then we'll meet back in here."

Helen was standing in the break area and deep in thought about a project she was doing at work. She was idly glancing around and unconsciously noting how all the women in the room were wearing extreme heels.

Her reverie ended abruply when she realized that she, too, was wearing heels nearly 6 inches high.

Jane, a woman she had sat next to much of the time said to her, "What ever are you thinking about. You're smiling like you just won the lottery."

Helen pointed to her feet and said, "I guess, I just did."

VIII. Conclusion

They filed back into the classroom and saw that Leslie was standing at the front of the room, dressed in a black graduation gown with a mortar-board cap.

The room was decorated with balloons, and there was a big sign that said, "Congratulations, High Heel Institute, Class # 11."

Leslie began, "Well, class. You did it. You worked hard, practiced well, and I hope you will enjoy your newly developed skill.

"Unfortunately, our graduation speaker is unable to attend today's ceremony, but I'm not sure Mr. Blahnik would fully comprehend the level of skill you have all attained in such a short time.

"Please remember to do your exercises, remember the cornerstones of our foundation, and practice. You can't undo a lifetime of bad habits in a weekend."

He turned to a nearby table and picked up a stack of envelopes.

"When I started this school, I thought of giving awards to the best students, but once my first class was in progress, I realized that it's a rare student indeed, who doesn't make great, uh, strides in their abilities.

"So, it's time to give out the diplomas. When you receive your diploma, take a walk down the runway and back to show us what you learned."

He then called the women one-by-one and gave them their diplomas. Each in turn received her diploma, and received a round of applause as she completed her runway walk.

"Everyone please look in your diploma envelopes. Inside is a coupon for 50% off the price of any of our shoes in the shoe store, and they won't all be black this time."

He then drew a ticket out of a fish bowl. "Who has coupon number 203?"

A short woman with brown hair, who had said very little over the weekend, stood up. "I guess that's me."

Leslie bent down and picked up a long box and handed it to her. "This is for you."

She fumbled with the lid and whooped in delight as she held up a pair of sleek, shiny white, over-the-knee boots, with incredibly thin 6 inch heels.

"Really, I won these?"

"Yes, see me on the way out so you can have the right size and pick the color you like."

Everyone laughed when she said, "I'm not sure I want to let go of them."

"Ok ladies, one more ticket. This time number 182."

Helen realized with a jolt of nervousness that it was hers. "It's mine."

"Sorry there's only one pair of boots. This coupon replaces your 50% off coupon with 100% off."

"Thank you!"

Leslie said, "You've been a wonderful class. Come back and visit us and tell us how you're doing."

As the women filed out of the room, he shook their hand and gave each a hug.

Epilog

On Monday morning, Helen proudly strode through the office wearing a white blouse, black pencil skirt, and her "100% off" red, 5 3/4 inch spike heeled, Mary Jane style, pointed-toe pumps.

Some of the sneakered women gasped in surprise as she effortlessly strutted by them.

She took a spin around Janet's desk, and Janet whistled and said, "You're better than I was on Monday morning, for sure! I gather you just spent a weekend with Mister Leslie."

Helen, in her best imitation of Janet's slight Canadian accent said, "Leslie, the teacher, is so good at what the school teaches. Leslie this, Leslie that, but never HE."

They both had a good laugh over their initial reactions to realizing their great feminine skill was to be taught by a man.

Janet stood up, "Oh, by the way, there's a new school in town."

Helen realized that Janet looked awfully tall. She suspiciously said, "A new school?"

Janet quickly walked around her desk and stood on one leg while holding her other one out for Helen to see.

She was wearing a pair of knee high boots, in a style which Helen would never have guessed existed.

Helen stammered out, "How in the world can you even stand up in those. They're like toe shoes with heels."

"Well, like I said there's this school. Mr. Joseph, he's a man, too, really has a great teaching method. Want to see me run?"

As Helen wrote the name of the school in her address book, she quietly said to herself, "Here we go again."

The End

[Rockpup]

Great story, would'nt mind spending a weekend at the school

[nyenor]

As a new member, but a person who has been visiting the site on a fairly regular basis, may I say how much I enjoyed the story. To be honest, it was a refreshing change to see a female orientated story posted after a rash of male orientated ones. What are the chances of hearing of how Helen fares at the second school that opens?

[onyourtoes]

Thank you for your kind words, I'm flattered to be the subject of your first post. I'm a precise technical sort -- I went in for an MRI exam recently and was told I'm the only patient that has ever asked what the field strength of the main magnet is. Being like I am, a story that explains in detail how to do something is what I do best. Yes, I intentionally created an opening for a ballet heel school, but I'm hoping someone who can actually walk in them will write that story. Although I did write Trapped Again (also on this site), it doesn't say anything about how the main character gained skills other than sink or swim practice.

[sven torvald]

Hi onyourtoes. I also enjoyed your High Heel School story with its literary detailed way of telling a story. My engineering attention to detail appeared when I had a CT scan recently. I wanted to know what kind of image sensor it used. Please spin some more stories to inform and entertain us in your own special way. sven

[new_look]

was cool!

[Tallinheels]

Great Story and an Excellent school

[nyenor]

Those videos you mention in the introduction, they weren't the ones where the models were trained by walking in heels on one of those narrow beams that the gymnasts use were they? On second thoughts, I don't think they were on you-tube. No takers on the ballet heel story? If not would you consider giving it a go yourself?