No, this post isn't about released Guantanamo detainees. It's about high heels being declared "torture chambers" by none other than Andre Leon Talley, editor-at-large of Vogue magazine. Well, if he says it, then it must be true!
Of course, Talley's not really the first one to say it. Many feminists have deemed high heels to be a device of female imprisonment. But to hear it from the fashion industry itself is quite remarkable.
Talley write, heels are "poorly designed for the well-being of the foot," and make women look like "herd of fashion beasts, aping one another in impractical shoes."
He makes another astute observation: "Men, fortunately, don’t have to think beyond a brogue, a monk strap, a moccasin, a flip-flop, a lace-up, and for extravagance and height, a tango heel on a cowboy boot."
Apparently hard times call for practical shoes. But hopefully flats are here to stay!
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What always bothers me about this sort of thing is that clearly no one is getting the right pair of heels.
Currently my most comfortable pair of shoes are three-inch heels. I work in a dungeon, and spent most of yesterday hanging out in a pair of incredibly sexy six-inch heels so comfortable I forgot I was wearing them.
Incidentally, I just bought a pair of adorable flats from H&M and comfort-wise, I'd rather be wearing the six-inchers.
That said, I'm glad Andre Leon Talley can acknowledge that heels are often impractical, and I really wish the shoe industry would put more effort into making even their high high heels comfortable. It's not impossible.
I was just saying that I don't like my toes being put into a shoe that comes to a point, something I think no human foot does. Also, comfortable or not, heels cause shortening of calf muscles which later in life can make it difficult/impossible to wear a shoe without a heel. So flat shoes with a square toebox is just right for me, thanks.
I don't think I've ever found pointy-toed shoes that were completely comfortable, but I really don't like the way they look so I haven't exactly been hunting.
If the state of your feet is your prime concern, stay away from any shoes that don't offer good support. Flip flops are also terrible for your feet.