Women and High Heels

Why do Women Wear High Heels?

High Heels and the reasons why women wear them have been a topic of fascination and controversy since 1533, when they were (allegedly) first created, in Florence, for the wedding of Catherine De Medici. The debate continues as to whether women who like their high heels high in the true sense (i.e. around 13cm or 5 inches without platform) wear them primarily to make themselves tall and assertive, to make their legs look longer, to make them feel fragile and graceful, to feel efficient and aggressive, to accentuate their vulnerability, to make them walk in a certain way, and so on.

Scientific research confirms that a woman's femininity and physical appeal to the opposite sex is quantifiably increased by the enhanced posture, shortened step and greater hip rotation caused when wearing high heels. It would seem highly unlikely that the wearer would be unaware of this. This suggests that her main motive is to enhance her own sensuality. She wears heels not only to influence how she presents herself to the world but also how she feels while doing so.

An opinion often expressed by anti-heel feminist writers is that the stereotypical male has somehow contrived to compel women to wear high heels so that they cannot "run away". This, we are informed, is symptomatic of Male Oppression.

But in fact, assuming Olympic levels of performance are not the intention, most women who regularly wear heels can run perfectly adequately in them if their fit well enough - and men love to watch them go! Seeing all those smartly-dressed women hurrying for the bus or train in their tight-to- the-knee pencil skirts and high stiletto shoes has for decades been the high point of the daily commute. It would be a sad day indeed if women were to abandon running in heels!

It is, of course, almost impossible to run in the ill-fitting flip-flops, flat or backless birkenstock favoured by the anti-heel lobby, but this fact undermines the gender politics, so it remains unmentioned.

If a need to "run away" has arisen, standing one's ground and delivering a coup de grace with a (as opposed to a soft slap from a flip-flop) may be a more effective option. One other valid motive for wearing stiletto heels may therefore be that of self-preservation.

High Heels of one sort or another are universally considered fashionable for women and are therefore socially correct for formal, business or evening wear. They are selected as the de rigeur smart option by women who wish to appear well-dressed and to feel elegant. It is all incredibly simple. There is, to the fashion-conscious woman, absolutely no need to delve any further into the psychological motivation or the "Language" of clothes - or to make high heels into any kind of political issue. However, the real reason why some women choose to go that little bit further and wear unusually (even inconveniently) high heels may even be a mystery to the wearers themselves.

The Balancing Act

Extremely high heels undeniably make walking more of a challenge. Until - sometimes after - a woman has come to terms with and mastered the way her heels tell her to move and behave, she may encounter the odd difficulty or embarrassing moment. Even the most revered diva or accomplished dominatrix may occasionally topple from her sky-high stilettos.

It is obvious that the exaggerate length of leg bestowed on the wearer by her high heels must come at the cost of some stability. The illusion of a disaster-defying, high- wire balancing act is essential to the eternal appeal of the woman poised atop her soaring stilettos and is a key element of the fantasies conjured up in the imaginations of those individuals who are obsessed with fetishistic images of women's bodies contorted by anatomically impossible heels. Nevertheless, walking in very high shoes must surely look to the outsider more difficult than it really is, or far fewer women would be able to accomplish it.

Exactly how much conscious "balancing" is taking place when women in real life walk on high, slender stilettos? Perhaps less than you would suppose. The heel of the serves mainly as a prop to stop you falling over backwards (as any woman who has worn stiletto heels on soft grass will have quickly discovered.) For most practical purposes on firm ground, the heel may be as thin as the heelmaker can craft it, assuming it is strong enough. It contributes little towards the wearer's ability to balance laterally, which is achieved, mostly instinctively, at the front of the foot.

Women do not therefore walk around actively contemplating how miraculous it is that they are able to balance on their own heels. They just do it. Out of sight, out of mind. Most women probably never give much specific thought at all to the heels of their shoes as they stride along, which is why the perennial and, one would have thought, predictable problem of catching a stiletto heel in a gap in the paving always comes as such a shock to the wearer.

As designers and sellers of shoes, we have discovered that no matter how much we emphasize the exact measurement of our heels, and even though just one centimetre of heel height can represent, in some cases, the difference between wearable and unwearable, there will always be customers who have no idea whatsoever of the maximum height they can manage or of the exact height of the heels in their wardrobe.

Performing in Heels

Sometimes we may see a female celebrity delivered right to the door of a venue in a limousine or cab because her heels are so high she can barely walk. She may be inaccurately criticized by the media as a "fashion victim". But a high heel exponent of exalted status probably cares little for fashion trends and is certainly no victim. She exudes a potent aura of decadent exoticism, like some Femme Fatale or society courtesan, carried along on a litter or in a sedan chair in a bygone era. She sacrifices her ability to function normally in favour of an extreme enhancement of her personal image.

She may be rendered almost helpless on a physical level by her towering , but the rewards she gains from her boosted charisma and status give her the power to control the paid minions on whom she depends for support - both figuratively and in some extreme cases, literally. Female fans emulate her and male admirers desire her. Her daringly high heels are an integral part of her image as a performer. She is fully aware that, without them, she would be a lesser divinity.

The unenlightened (and perhaps envious) onlooker may choose to ridicule any woman's willingness to risk public embarrassment and inconvenience as she slowly and cautiously crosses a cobblestone-paved street in impractically high shoes. But those who approve of and understand such dedication to the wearing of high heels, even in difficult circumstances, find these little events inspirational and almost feel like applauding the performance - for that is exactly what it is.

The Inadvertent Bondage of Elegance

We have become accustomed to seeing women dressed to the maximum for an evening or formal occasion. They often have a little difficulty coping with the extreme height of their fabulous heels. We once coined a description for this - "the inadvertent bondage of elegance". It's a phrase which describes items of women's apparel which, common sense tells us, are obviously in some way difficult to wear or restricting, but which popular taste finds perfectly acceptable and a sign of being well dressed. High heels are the obvious example but the world of fashion offers us many others.

Over the years, possibly ever since Eve fled from the Garden and covered herself with something no doubt entirely inappropriate, there have been so many little fashion details and trends adopted by women which complicate their lives in some way. Frustratingly for the wearer, these seem to be the very things which are found to be interesting and attractive. At this point there are two choices - either you refuse to play, or you agree to abide by the rules of what can be a very enjoyable and mutually entertaining game.

Vivienne Westwood has said, when justifying a particularly challenging new creation, it's essential to wear clothes and accessories which require conscious attention and exercise the mind. It's also good to see this in action. It's wonderful to see a group of stunningly dressed women making their way carefully and precariously along the street. These ladies enjoying a night out in their highest heels, tightest skirts etc. may outwardly be giggling at themselves and at each other for their apparent lack of common sense, but they are fully aware why they perform this ritual - because it feels good, looks good and sets them apart from the safely-dressed majority. Embracing a little risk in their lives puts them at the centre of attention and firmly in control.

Of course, not everyone will agree. The sight of women teetering delicately and almost helplessly on their highest platform-sole heels across an unexpectedly awkward bit of urban terrain is currently a familiar one. Many love to see this, but it's a controversial sight which will have just as many votes in favour as votes against. Men tend to be fascinated, aroused and tempted by the way women in high heels perpetually oscillate beteen "Femme Fatale" and "Damsel-in-Distress". It's a dichotomy which is at the very heart of the appeal. Conversely, observers of a more puritanical frame of mind utterly disapprove of women making spectacles of themselves in extreme heels and like to voice disapproval. They have chosen not to take part in the performance - or to join in the fun.

I Can't Walk in These Heels!

If you're new to ultra-high heels and feel embarrassed that you cannot walk properly in them, you should immediately abandon any fears of getting it all wrong and simply get on with it. "Keep Calm and Carry on." Nobody can walk properly in high heels. It's an act. None of the other women around you can do it either, but they have learned how to adopt that ultra-cool thousand-yard stare and walk on despite the difficulties.

We sometimes read advice in women's magazines and on newspaper fashion pages that women should avoid heels which are too high if they don't know how to walk in them. We are advized that this looks unattractive. This is nonsense - genuine high heel connoiseurs love to see a woman looking a little precarious on her heels, as if she is still learning to wear them. The self-consciousness of a debutante heel wearer is irresistible.

Remember, it's perfectly OK to hold out your hand or take someone's arm for support when you feel like it. Just do it with authority, giving the impression that this is completely normal. You have every right to wear impractical shoes to make you look and feel special and you have every right to expect respect and sympathetic treatment from those around you.

We are told by some "experts" that the knees should be straight, and if this is impossible, your heels are too high. Not true - it looks more elegant if your knees are slightly bent. Not too much - just gently, to give an air of slight fragility. It looks much better. The cliched, stiff-legged "power strut" is less attractive.

Self-conscious movement and slight unsteadiness are essential attributes of the high- heeled woman. This is why men watch with bated breath as you wiggle and sashay along the street. It's more like dancing than walking. When developing the correct way of wearing heels, you must learn to harness and exploit this, not attempt to avoid it. Slight trip-ups should be accompanied by a knowing little smile to reassure anyone who may have caught sight of your stumble that it's all part of the act. This is guaranteed to make most men far weaker at the knees than you may feel in your unaccustomedly high heels.

Trying to walk too normally is an accident waiting to happen. Even if you succeed, you gain nothing by appearing sturdy and secure on your heels. If you make it look too easy, as any circus tightrope walker knows, it loses much of its entertainment value - and it probably means your heels could be considerably higher.

Remember - learning to walk in the highest heels may well be difficult - but nowhere near as difficult as trying to look sensational without them. Heels Are Dead - Long Live Heels

To those of us for whom the topic of very high heels has significance, it comes as a relief to discover that, despite the efforts of clueless anti-high-heel bloggers who would have us believe that 2-inch heels are quite high enough, online newspaper articles from sworn enemies of the high heel questioning its very right to exist in the modern world, inept journalists in women's magazines "putting high heels to the test" to prove their complete unwearability, hysterical propaganda from self-styled "foot health experts" warning women that their offspring will be born with three heads if they continue to wear high heeled shoes, and psycho-babble from pseudo-intellectuals attempting to account for the fetishization of the high heel, women continue to voluntarily wear them - and probably always will.

Nevertheless, we occasionally read in one magazine or another that High Heels are not going to be "In" for the coming season. At the risk of upsetting trend analysts everywhere, this is not how it works. Women who are known for their prowess on heels and who love the feeling of wearing them will not be interested in "coming down in the world". Those who attempt to dictate what women wear on their feet should tread extremely carefully, especially during recessionary times. Shoe sales peak when styles become most extreme. Women start to experiment and play catch- up with their friends, which means more shoes are purchased. Women will accept a higher price tag on a higher heel - which is just as well as they cost more to produce.

Although we have yet to analyze statistics on the subject, it seems quite possible that removing frivolous, exotic high shoes from shop windows during economically unfavourable times in favour of something safely conservative, more practical, and less attractive, may substantially contribute to financial recession, on the basis that "what goes around, comes around". It also lowers public morale and adds to the general mood of depression.

Women who have finally perfected their ability to wear super-high heels and are accustomed to being though of as tall, with legs which are up to seven inches longer, are not going to take kindly to the fashion industry suddenly trying to condemn them to wearing flat shoes or kitten heels. Goddesses will not (and should not) accept being told to become frumps. They should be encouraged to continue their investment in looking like goddesses.

There has only ever been, and there only ever will be, one Audrey Hepburn. No-one else, save the occasional ballerina, comes anywhere near rivalling her gamine style in flat shoes. They do the figure no favours whatsoever. It is unlikely that even the late Princess Diana wore those notoriously influential flat formal shoes voluntarily in the 1980s. She abandoned them as soon as the opportunity presented itself - i.e. when her own height relative to that of the heir to the throne was no longer an issue. Not until she did so did her legs become legendary.

Flat ballet pumps and flip-flops have their place of course - nobody would argue that they can make a walk home after a night's clubbing safer for the young, inexperienced and quite possibly inebriated heel wearer, especially if the heels she has been wearing are cheaply made from synthetics and have made her feet sore. Ballet in particular have been selling by the thousand - mainly because they wear out very quickly indeed. They were not designed for outdoor wear. But here is an interesting fact; when we had our retail shop in Brighton, England, the ratio of women falling over, usually in wet weather, on the badly maintained public walkway outside our door was approximately ten to ZERO - in favour of those wearing FLAT shoes. We used to monitor this closely. Women wearing high heels do so mindfully and take care to look where they're going. Women in thin flat shoes are an impending disaster.

If the shoe industry should ever again harbour serious intentions of dictating that flat or low heels be worn as "high fashion", women will no doubt vote with their feet. If this does happen, on a purely business level, we look forward to it very much. Our heels will remain high - and even more desirable.

Falling for High Heels. True or False?

Although it may not be strictly correct to include the Norita Takehana shoes favoured by Lady Gaga in our discussion, as they have no heels at all, there have been two widely reported occasions when she was described as falling because of the height of her shoes. One at Heathrow airport, the other while filming in a New York street, near a hot dog stand. At Heathrow, her fall was not caused by her shoes but because the long leather skirt she was wearing caught around her feet, tripping her. It was apparently inadequately lined, so the nap side of the leather dragged on her , instead of sliding across them, bringing her stride to an abrupt halt and pitching her forward. A false economy on the part of her dressmaker, perhaps, but definitely not the fault of the shoemaker. On the other occasion in New York, she decided to lower herself to the ground to enjoy a hot dog - either because she wanted a rest or for the photographer to take a shot. She did not fall on this occasion either, although settling down on the ground in 12" platforms is not the easiest thing to attempt.

YouTube presents us with many video examples of models falling catastrophically from their high heels on the fashion runway. This phenomenon seems to have begun in 1993 when Naomi Campbell fell while wearing an unfeasibly colossal and ill- balanced pair of Vivienne Westwood platform shoes with which she had not had time to rehearse. The subsequent media furore generated by this incident triggered a plethora of copycat celebrity "accidental" tumbles, on and off the catwalk (but always, you will note, in view of the paparazzi cameras.) Many of these ludicrous falls are contrived in a manner even less convincing than that displayed by a "diving" Premiership footballer. But are all these women throwing themselves to the ground just because their agent has briefed them that "any publicity is good publicity" or is there another, more sinister side to this issue?

There is evidence that paparazzi photographers consciously and cynically cause disorientation and consequent accidents with their flash cameras in order to obtain and sell pictures. As the video footage which accompanied press photos of British "soap" actress Helen Flanagan's recent stumble (July 2013) proves beyond any doubt, it is extremely difficult to walk out of a well-lit restaurant into the dark night, descend a few awkward steps and walk across an uneven pavement, in any kind of shoes, even when sober, if you are being rudely shouted at by photographers and your eyes are being deliberately dazzled at close range by their flash cameras. If you take a companion's arm for support and guidance to help you through the chaos, you are accused by the media of being too drunk to stand up. It's strange how, in the accompanying news articles, the factor of flashbulbs blinding the victim is never even mentioned. By the time the story appears, it has been dumbed down to "attention-seeking actress wears shoes so high they make her fall over". Well, who, we are informed, designed the shoes worn by Ms. Flanagan on this occasion, knows better. So do we - and so should you.

The Press are, for reasons best known to themselves, merciless in their desire to knock down those Special Ones whose fame they have built. Both metaphorically and physically. At least one notorious paparazzi photographer allegedly sets out to collide with celebrities on his bicycle in order to get a good picture as they lie sprawled on the floor.

We would advise any high-heeled celebrity who has suffered a fall while being targeted by paparazzi to use video evidence (which will clearly reveal the flashbulbs exploding) and sue for assault.

By the way we were pleased to see photographs of Ms Flanagan out and about in the same shoes a short time afterwards - this time in broad daylight - looking perfectly stable and none the worse for wear. Well done Helen!

Walking Tall in High Heels

It must be said that of all the various shapes and sizes of women who wear high shoes, the typical "new-born giraffe" supermodel type is the least likely to do it well. Average-size women who view these models' often bizarrely incompetent efforts on the catwalk and decide that "if professional models can't walk in the damn things what hope have I ?" should not be despondent. They are far more likely to do well in very high heels than those poor Lowry-esque supermodels, many of whom seem to be so lacking in basic experience, physique and coordination that they are barely able to walk at all, even without shoes. Let alone borrowed shoes which are the wrong size and have sticky tape on the soles to stop them getting scratched because the shoe designer wants them back after the show.

The efforts of these wispy ingenues to keep their balance in some of those extraordinary - and often untested - designer creations can look cute, in a "Bambi on ice" sort of way. But let's be honest - they are often little more than children. An experienced and dedicated heel wearer could do it so much better!

So, one wonders, if being tall is sufficiently important that fashion designers always select this physical type to best represent their products, do women only wear heels to conform to this ideal? The answer is, of course, no. It's much more complicated than that. It also has to do with the wearer's gait, her posture, her sensuality, her sense of eroticism, her innate elegance and the total effect when her high heels are combined with her outfit.

This is why a woman who refuses to wear heels because she is worried they make her too tall is missing a lot of the point. It's really not about your height, it's about how good you look - and about how sophisticated you feel. The sky's the limit (well, perhaps the door frame.) The converse is also true - a very petite woman who won't wear the highest available heels because she thinks her desire to increase her stature will look too "obvious" is missing a lot of fun (and some wonderful shoes at clearance prices, as the smaller sizes are usually the last to sell out.) Say, for example, you're only around five feet tall. With our Platform Stilettos you'll be five foot six, which is a perfectly respectable height for a woman. Never mind how you did it - the fact is, you did. There you stand, looking the world straight in the eye. Little Mae West fooled the world for years, hiding her huge platforms under her long skirts. Add a beehive hairdo and you're a six-footer!

Practice makes Perfect - Work those Heels!

In previous eras, women wore high heels more often during the day, either to the office, just to have fun or to do a bit of shopping. This happens less often nowadays, especially among younger wearers who stubbornly remain rooted in flat pumps, flip- flops or training shoes throughout the day, only venturing out in high heels when darkness falls. They regard this as being more sensible. Unfortunately, this nocturnal approach means that many wearers are hopelessly out of practice when it comes to surviving a night out in their high shoes - especially when the effects of the social evening have taken their toll on the equilibrium.

With the resurgence of platforms (and the consequent elevation in the public eye of Mesdames Beckham, Paltrow, Gaga, Kardashian et al) heels are now higher than ever, although computer-aided design and component construction has made high shoes far more stable, reliable and anatomically accurate than the monstrosities of the 1970s ever were. It is therefore doubtful that the shoes themselves are to blame for any problems faced by the inexperienced wearer. It is a simple lack of training and preparation. When a woman has to suddenly re-adjust her centre of gravity, changing from the paper-thin ballet slippers she has worn all day to six or seven-inch platform heels for the evening, it is not surprising if she has the odd difficulty. It's too much of a shock to the system.

Medium-high heels for daytime around town, highest possible heels for evening has always been the heel-wearer's common-sense rule. When stilettos first ruled the world "Flatties" were used only for walking in the countryside. Sometimes not even then.

We would, of course, advocate more general and widespread usage in order to strengthen the necessary muscles and develop the necessary skills. Bearing in mind that all the world is a stage, seeing high heels around town in the bright sunshine makes for much better "street theatre". Looking fabulous to cheer the place up a bit should never be underestimated. It universally boosts the morale - of both wearer and onlooker alike. The sight of multitudes of otherwise attractive people trudging dismally around the town centre in dull, shabby, flat shoes can quickly become a vexation to the spirit. Every so often a well-dressed woman in vertiginous heels will teeter past and heads will inevitably turn in admiration. Our advice is simply this: be that woman!

Male Oppression? Historical research tells us that high heels, far from being a means of oppression imposed on women by men, as some psychologists have theorized, are chosen - even craved - by women themselves, right from that day in childhood when they try on Mum's shoes for the first time and clatter down the garden path.

Women embrace their gorgeously seductive but treacherous footwear - and have done so consistently since the lavishly decorated, seriously elevated platform shoes known as "" or "zoccoli" became a cult fashion in 16th century Venice, causing much controversy and tut-tutting among the "Daily Mail readers" of the day in their passing gondolas.

Travellers and traders returning to Venice, seafaring gateway to the exotic Orient, would doubtless have mentioned the high wooden Japanese - twelve-inch black lacquered wooden clogs - worn by the most prestigious "" courtesans (as distinct from ) walking slowly and provocatively in procession through the city streets to attract business and confirm their status. This spectacle can still be seen in Japan today, though the "courtesans" who perform the curiously stilted figure-8 ritual Oiran walk for the tourists nowadays are little more than a "tribute act".

Centuries ago, disapproval was widely expressed in Venice - mostly by male commentators - at the way many wealthy women (apparently not only the courtesans) were so overtly dedicating their lives to impractical, costly, luxurious and conspicuously erotic fashions that they required servants (modern high-heeled celebrities would call them "minders") to help them to walk and to catch them when they fell from their towering pedestal-shaped shoes.

Despite the dubious theory that these beautifully decorated, fabric-covered high shoes may have been worn for a practical reason - to raise the wearer above flood water level - it must be pointed out that the narrow streets, waterways and innumerable footbridges of Venice are possibly the environment least suitable for the regular and prolonged wearing of such super-elevated footwear. Anyone who has attempted sightseeing there in heels will confirm this. Nevertheless, researchers inform us, the alleys and passageways were often blocked by groups of women proceeding together slowly and unsteadily on their ridiculously high shoes, climbing laboriously in and out of water transport and obstructing the path of unsympathetic men impatient to be about their business. Not much different from many a tourist hotspot of today, you may conclude - except that those Venetian ladies were probably making their precarious way to Mass at the Piazza San Marco to have their sins forgiven, not tottering off to the nightclub on a Saturday night.

In modern times the female-driven obsession with achieving height, elegance, a sexy image, or all of the above, at the cost of near-immobility continues. It's true that a husband or boyfriend may sometimes risk being branded "a bit kinky" by encouraging his partner to wear her highest high heels in order to look her best assuming that dressing to please each other is an accepted part of their relationship, but this is the sum total of any "male oppression" currently known concerning shoes. There is far more oppression occurring when the male is made by his wife to wear an uncomfortable for a formal occasion. There are, nevertheless, still allegations that male dominance compels Modern Woman to wear her High Heeled Shoes. This has been idiotically claimed in some quarters to be on a par with the hideously cruel and hopefully extinct practice of compulsory footbinding in . The comparison conveniently ignores the fact that high heeled shoes can be removed if you wear them for too long and your feet start to ache. Chinese girls' feet were condemned to be bound for life.

Sisters in High Heels

The fact is, in the 21st Century, it's women who derive the greatest pleasure from High Heels and who comprise the majority of true shoe fetishists, often accumulating vast collections of footwear to suit their varying moods and requirements. Shops would not have high heeled shoes for sale if women neither wished to buy them nor found them sufficiently comfortable to wear. It is unlikely that designers would have any desire to create styles for which there is no market. Not if they wish to eat.

The great trick any shoe designer likes to pull off is to create something which looks impossible but which is actually quite wearable, even comfortable. Quality of construction and of materials is crucial with extremely high heeled shoes. This is what drives messrs Blahnik, Louboutin, Zanotti, Lorenzi and all the rest who manufacture for the luxury end of the market. Perhaps, for inexperienced fashion commentators who don't understand enough about the intricate, scientific craft of shoemaking, the illusions performed by the top designers are sometimes too complete. Fortunately, those women who can afford to buy and wear such creations are more adventurous and more knowledgeable than those who merely get paid to write about them. Like the "glamorous female assistant" who happily agrees to being sawn in half on stage by the magician, clients trust their favourite designers to know their business.

I would suggest that we cast aside any suspicion that there are faceless, manipulative males operating behind the scenes of the fashion industry who are somehow sadistically forcing women against their will to wear painful shoes. This is nothing but a cliched journalistic myth. It has been dreamed up by militant, paranoid (and, quite obviously, non-heel-wearing) writers to shock us all and increase readership of books, blogs, magazines and newspapers. It is complete hogwash.

Yes, you will obviously need to get used to wearing high heels if you haven't worn them before. That said, if an experienced wearer finds heels painful, it is either because they are poor quality chain-store shoes or because they don't fit properly - or both.

There is no mystery tyrant coaxing women into undergoing excruciating pain and agony while wearing high heeled shoes. He doesn't exist - the psychological profile is quite wrong. Any intelligent man of good taste would prefer the woman in his life to buy excellent quality high heeled shoes which she is proud to be seen in and which not only look glamorous but feel comfortable - because then, logically, he is likely to see her wearing them happily, more frequently and for longer periods of time. It reflects better on him and it makes far more sense.

It is no surprise that, just as aesthetically-aware women can appreciate the styling of high-quality luxury items traditionally accepted as being of male interest, many men find beautifully-made women's shoes interesting simply as artifacts. Exellence of construction and visual elegance are not gender specific. It is also undeniable that the curves and lines of successful women's shoe design can awaken inner desires because they echo and enhance the contours of the female figure, often drawing inspiration from erotic imagery. However, there is no misogynism or sexual objectification involved when men express a preference towards seeing women in high heels, merely the hope that women will continue to realize how special they can look in stunning shoes and to take advantage of the work of those shoe designers who celebrate the Feminine. Desirable shoes never fail to work a certain magic on their wearer.

The final decision, to wear or not to wear high heels, belongs to women themselves. Men have little or no say in the matter. Fortunately the new reality where Women and High Heels are concerned, is that "Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves". If men enjoy watching, so much the better. If not, women will continue to teeter on regardless - because they want to.

These, of course, are merely my thoughts. Whatever the truth may be concerning Women and their High Heels, a growing number of stiletto devotees and their appreciative admirers have been delighted to try something the regular shoe suppliers cannot offer - by discovering our exclusive, limited production, retro- flavoured RoSa Shoes high stiletto heel designs . We, in turn, are equally delighted to welcome them to our worldwide clientele.

© Roger Adams (RoSa Shoes) August 2013