Novelty styles, like Balenciaga's towering silver gladiator stilettos, which require the control of a ballerina, are among the hardest to find. And the shoes will get even bigger for fall. Balenciaga's suede platforms top seven(emphasis added) inches. (From NY Times article, 4/13/2006)
A short post to ask some burning questions of utmost concern.
1. Do fashion designers really hate women?
2. Are women really dumb enough to wear shoes like this?
3. Does walking around on tip toes all day seem like a really fun thing to do?
4. Are podiatrists and orthopedic surgeons salivating at the sudden spike in business they'll be enjoying if these instruments of torture catch on?
At the risk of alienating the sisterhood, I'm going to go out on a limb here and declare that any woman who abuses her feet (and body) by wearing these fashion freakshow contraptions deserves the pain, agony, and broken bones she most likely will experience as a result. Ok, that's a bit harsh. But even tattoos and body piercing only hurt for a few minutes, or as long as the procedure takes. These stilettos are the 21st century equivalent of the gut, rib, lung crushing corsets that Scarlett O'Hara stuffed her poor little ole self into. I guess we haven't come such a long way baby, after all.
So sad.
P.S. (April 14)
It occurs to me this morning that only Chinese foot binding surpasses the cruelty to feet of these haute couture twin towers. Fortunately, foot binding is ancient history. These three fashion statements--foot binding, corsets, and stiletto heels-- ostensibly devised for making women more beautiful and attractive to men--cause considerable pain and discomfort. Coincidentally, they impair a women's ability to run from prey of any stripe. But, of course, that was never the original intent....
(posted by patti)
