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SUMMER MONDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2012 P9 EDITION www.theaustralian.com.au Arts I Commentary I Mind Games Below, left to right, IMF managing director Christine Lagarde; Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire; US first lady Michelle Obama; and Prime Minister Julia Gillard losing HIGHON a shoe POWER Why heels survive in the post-feminist age SIAN POWELL when I reached the bottom,’’ clack, in those heels of power. But fire-engine my high heels,’’ Dati once told a knees, toes and indeed the whole Raethel says, laughing. now she seems to resent those red, peep-toe journalist. ‘‘Well, I never wanted to foot; they warn of potential ham- Despite the drawbacks, Raethel shoes. ‘‘For men who get to wear stilettos with wh- do that.’’ She didn’t lose the heels, mer toes, torn ligaments and irri- likes wearing heels. She thinks flat shoes all day, every day, if you ite piping, which I but she was booted out of the table bunions. they make her stand taller and all wear a heel it can get embedded in used to traipse around French ministry, and now she’s in Sarah Jessica Parker,whose Sex her clothes look better when she is soft grass,’’ she told reporters at the Sydney in when I wor- the difficult position of suing a for- in the City character Carrie Brad- wearing them. ‘‘But being a practi- time. ked for Channel 7. They mer boyfriend to force him to ad- shaw was addicted to high heels, cal sort, I always have a pair of flats ‘‘And then when you pull your were entirely unpractical, mit paternity of her child. He has says the shoes have damaged her and a bus ticket handy.’’ foot out, the shoe doesn’t come, sexy as hell and I miss them. counter-claimed she had as many physically. ‘‘I used to spend 18 to 20 HIGH heels give a kick to New Famed shoe designer Christian Forget flak jackets and bullet- as eight lovers at the time of their hours filming in heels,’’ she has re- Year’s Eve parties; their wearers Louboutin’s heels can reach proof helmets, women know liaison. She was faithful to the portedly said. ‘‘I’ve totally de- sashaying through a night of cock- heights of 12cm, and those are the heels are much more powerful.’’ heels though, which she wore stroyed my body by running and tails and canapes. Worn at wed- styles without a platform sole. American cartoonist Bob through her pregnancy. dancing in heels. My knees are dings and wakes, to summits and Women should enjoy wearing his Thaves once tipped his lid to Heels have a habit of revealing shot.’’ (Not so shot, though, that to war-rooms, heels are the event high heels, he has said, because Ginger Rogers and her dancing the inner politician. Former she couldn’t wear a pair of stylish wear for women who are stepping they force feet into an arch that partner, the nimble Fred Astaire. foreign minister Alexander Dow- black super high-heeled Manolo out. But after decades of elongat- mirrors the arch of their feet when Who had the power? ‘‘Sure he was ner made a tactical error when he Blahnik pumps to a Barneys win- ing women’s silhouettes, length- they’re having an orgasm. great, but don’t forget Ginger wore dangerously high leopard- dow opening in New York last ening their legs and occasionally Regardless of Louboutin’s sex- Rogersdideverythinghedidback- skin print stilettos and fishnets for month.) tipping them over, could the high ual wisdom, the advent of closer- and then the wards . and in high heels.’’ a Variety Club fundraiser in 1996. So why persevere? High heels tideofhigh heelsfinallybeebbing? to-the-groundshoestylescanonly rest of it is as you Germaine Greer, it seems, be- He wore them a little too well, and can make a woman look slimmer, Flat shoes have been striding be good news for women in power, saw.’’ Gillard refuses lieves women can lose the heels the image just refused to die. and her legs look longer. Worn through the pages of uber-glossy especially those who battle with to be worsted by the andstillruletheworld,nottomen- Current federal minister Kate well, they can add a note of grace fashion magazines, making a their heels nearly every day. heels; bravely exposing her- tion dance. ‘‘If a woman never lets Ellis (responsible for childcare, and elegance, and that’s enough stand on catwalks and adorning In a modern variation of the self to yet more ridicule should she herself go, how will she ever know early childhood and employment for those womenwho remain loyal the feet of current and former first Cinderella moment, Julia Gillard fall again, and rejecting a safe but tle with heels, sticking to practical, But in reality, Clinton how far she might have got?’’ she participation) posed in sky-high to the heel. ladies, France’s Carla Bruni and lost one of her shoes when security ignominious retreat in low-heeled solid footwear. By way of contrast, has a bob both ways. has famously asked. heels and a slinky black leather Sarah Wilkinson, an Australian the US’s Michelle Obama. Flats agents bundled her away from a shoes. former Ukrainian prime minister Sometimes her shoes are ‘‘If she never takes off her high- mini-dress for Grazia magazine in executive based in Bangkok, used are on the move. But it will be a rowdy demonstration in Canberra Yet even the heel queen and Yulia Tymoshenko (now jailed on lowish and very practical, heeled shoes, how will she ever 2010. This photo-shoot, which El- to love her high-heeled pumps. long, weary march; regardless of in January (the shoe was seized fashion designer Victoria Beck- the dubious charges of ‘‘abuse of as Lagarde’s sometimes know how far she could walk or lis said she enjoyed and which pro- ‘‘They make your legs look longer the pain, high heels are simply too and even listed on Ebay, but it was ham has recently been seen in de- office’’) was known for the long, are, and then, if the occasion so how fast she could run?’’ duced images of a young, slim, and I love the sound of click, click, flattering to give ground easily. finallyreturned,withoutanyfairy- signer flats. Suave enough for blonde plait wound round her warrants, she hauls out the stil- Long-term and experienced model-tall politician showing a lot clack when you are all dressed up ‘‘The thing about heels is how tale prince). high-powered corporate and poli- head, her designer outfits and her ettos. It’s like international diplo- Australian heel-wearers, though, of leg, was apparently a misguided and feeling special much time you spend carrying Then, in Sydney in August, the tical meetings, the meme of sculp- extreme high heels. macy; everything is negotiable. insist they can walk a long way in attempt to address Australian ‘‘Perhaps the clicking is a call of them around in your handbag Prime Minister lost one gleaming ted flat shoes has been embraced AsUSSecretaryofStateHillary Aela Callan, an Australian tele- their heels and even run in them if women’s low self-esteem regard- ‘‘look at me, I’ve made an effort’’, while you do the actual walking in high heel walking up the steps to a by the likes of Giorgio Armani, Clinton said at a Time magazine vision journalist who covers viol- they have to — and they would if ing body image. The Canberra she says, while conceding that flat shoes, and how much time you stage at a Customs House func- Manolo Blahnik, Marc Jacobs and function this year, women have ent uprisings, poverty and devel- the alternative were giving up press gallery considered it an these days sometimes reality in- spend skulking in doorways tion. She laughed that one off, even the master of heel elevation, proved they can sprint to the lead opment in the backblocks of Asia, heels for good. oddly clumsy career low for the trudes. ‘‘We are off to Aberdeen (in changing them over,’’ says Ste- more or less. Louboutin, whose new collection wearing heels. ‘‘I do want to give a finds that her job calls for practical French politician and former South Australian politician. Scotland) today for a week and I phanie Raethel, a Sydney-based Worse yet, in October she had a features flats with studs, no less. shout-out to Angela Merkel and footwear — ‘‘chunky jungle boots’’ justice minister Rachida Dati may High heels and power — it’s a am packing my three-inch heel digital media executive. spectacular face-first fall at the Margaret Thatcher, the one- Dilma Rousseff (president of Bra- — but she loves her heels. not ever know how fast she could killer combination, and a meme boots. Not at all practical, ‘‘You need time to wear heels, Gandhi Memorial in India, when time Iron Lady of Britain, wore zil),’’ she told the guests, ‘‘and Por- ‘‘Classic killer heels are effort- run because she won’t buckle to that has found a fond home in fet- particularly if the cobbled streets dashing about is not an option. one of her heels got caught in the heels with aplomb, although there tia Miller (PM of Jamaica), Chris- less and an essential way to stand any expectations about her shoes. ishists’ imaginations. There’s no are icy, so I will probably wear my ‘‘And stairs — don’t get me star- lawn. Her graceless sprawl was is a photo of her with shoes kicked tine Lagarde (IMF chief), who are up straight and look fate in the ‘‘I was told by my predecessor (at doubt that wearing heels can be attractive rubber-traction-heeled ted about fire drills.