If you’re not a part of the British royal family that sports the tallest of heels even when they’re nine months into pregnancy, it’s likely you don’t smile graciously through long periods in them. Unless you’re a fashion-magazine editor on duty (stylists, makeup artists, photographers work in the most comfortable gear) — but then you don’t need to smile.
#KuToo has made us think (again) about why we’re wearing super-high heels in the first place. Reuters reports that the movement is a play on the words kutsu, or shoes; and kutsuu, or pain, in Japanese. A social-media campaign, with an online petition, the movement demanded that the government ban companies requiring women to wear heels on the job, either in their policies or because of social expectation. Ishikawa, a 32-year-old who works a part-time job at a funeral parlour, spearheaded the petition. The government refused.
Luckily for us in India, no one is fussed about what we wear on our feet. It’s a different matter concerning other parts of our body, but the feet are spared. Thankfully. Because if you believe WebMD (and we do), a US-based podiatrist says heels are getting higher and higher, and it’s just shoe-icide. Okay so docs need a better sense of humour, but she’s right. High heels cause everything from blisters, bunions, and back aches to bone and nerve inflammation, even hairline fractures.
What will make us stop pretending that it’s okay to be uncomfortable? That looking good can come at the cost of our health? That pain is just fine? I’ve never seen men massage their feet after an evening in dress shoes. Why do we subject ourselves to this? Habit, perhaps, from seeing a previous generation do it. Following a lead, maybe, from observing our mentors — even those who stand for feminist ideals (Sheryl Sandberg, Oprah Winfrey, JK Rowling). Peer pressure, though it sounds ridiculous coming from a 40-year-old, to find ‘other women’ at a party wear them.
Have you ever worn heels that are as comfortable as sneakers? I haven’t. So god bless the people (fashion and sports brands) that made products we want to wear. And god bless the many women (Sara Ali Khan who is the new face of Puma, Bobbi Brown who has stopped wearing heels) who have made them look good. It legitimises my need to feel comfortable and stay healthy. I feel all grown up now, in sneakers.
