High Heels in the News

High Heels in the News (Continued)

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A 50,000-mile checkup for your feet
(dated June 19, 2001 at www.msnbc.com )

[ARTICLE IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE "http://www.msnbc.com/news/589093.asp?cp1=1"]

This article was derived from the Today Show on NBC television in which podiatric surgeon Suzanne Levine, MD spoke to host Ann Curry talk about foot health. Dr. Levine seemed to imply that more women are wearing fashionable mules and slides.

Some Commuters Don't See The Need for Civility
(dated June 21, 2001 at washingtonpost.com - Washington Post Newspaper)

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This article discusses civility for pregnant women and was expanded to include women in high heels. Would you give your seat up in a train for one of them?

Putting women's health last
(dated June 22, 2001 at www.suntimes.com - Chicago-Sun Times Newspaper)
[ARTICLE IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE "http://www.suntimes.com/output/plys/cst-edt-plys22.html"]

In regards to last year's story about Las Vegas cocktail waitresses, this Chicago Sun-Times editorial commentary mentions that the Nevada legislature threw out the bill for Las Vegas cocktail waitresses. See original article dated February 11, 2000.

This article also includes more information about problems caused by high heels, including stress fractures of metatarsal bones. If any toe bone feels like it may break while standing or walking, then it may indeed fracture or break. This may be due to the poorly fitted shoes, lousy design, poor construction, standing or walking too much especially outdoors, missteps, etc..

If a particular high heel shoe style does not feel fairly comfortable while standing or walking, then do not buy them. If you brought them, get rid of them anyway you can. Same goes for poorly fitted shoes.

Use of Altered Celebrity Photo OK, Court Says
(dated July 7, 2001 at www.latimes.com - Los Angeles Times Newspaper)
[ARTICLE IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE "http://www.latimes.com/news/state/20010707/t000055772.html"]

This article reports that a federal appeals court in San Francisco has ruled in favor of a Los Angeles magazine for using a computer-altered image of actor Dustin Hoffman in a dress and a pair of Ralph Lauren high heels. Supposedly, this is ok because it was done for an article rather than an advertisement.

If this ruling stands, wouldn't it be cool to have every picture of every actress altered so that they are wearing high heels?

Designers Bet Their Boots on Autumn
(dated August 2, 2001 at www.washingtonpost.com - Washington Post Newspaper)

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This article reports on Fall fashion for 2001. If all goes well, this might turn out to the Year of the High Heel Boots.

High heels still biggest cause of women's foot pain
(dated 19 September 2001 at www.ananova.com Online Newsreporter)

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This article reports on results from yet another survey. It mentions calluses and heel pain as the most commonly reported problems, but does not directly attribute them to high heels.

In regards to calluses, my book mentions using ball-of-the-foot cushions or platform soles to help prevent calluses, when walking outdoors for more than a few minutes. As for heel pain, my book mentions avoiding the use of mules and other loose fitting shoes that "slap" the feet, when walking outdoors. Also, one should try to find the cause of heel pain the very first moment she feels any and correct it immediately. Heel pain could involve or lead to fractures to the heel bone or inflammation of the plantar fascia tissue underneath.

Better than sex
(dated 14 November, 2001 at www.theage.com.au - The Age Newspaper)

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This article is about Sarah Jessica Parker, star of Sex in the City, and her Manolo Blahnik's.

Women, work and high heels
(dated December 1, 2001? at www.vboudry.com - a Photojournalist's Web Site)

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This excellent article appears on photojournalist Valica Boudry's own web site. It contains some very interesting information about wearing heels in the business environment.

There is only one point in this article that I really like to comment on. Before you read the article, note that (as I have written in the past) nearly every problem that is usually associated with high heels also happens to men and women who do not wear high heels.

Valica's story centers around a 45-year old woman named Kris Jones-Lyle, who has bunions. A bunions is a condition in which the big toe becomes crooked and painful. Valica associates bunions with high heels, specifically "two-inch, narrow toed high heel shoes".

First, two-inch heels are mid-heels, not really high heels. It takes nearly a 3-inch heel to excite me. Second, high heels do not cause bunions, but they can aggravate bunions by putting some extra pressure on the toes. What is really triggering Kris's bunions are the shoe's "narrow toes". Kris would still probably have bunions even if she wore flat-heeled shoes with pointed toe boxes that were too narrow for her feet.

This is not just my opinion. See http://www.footphysicians.com/footankleinfo/bunions.htm

In regards to tight shoes, professional surveys consistently indicate that many women wear shoes that are too small for their feet. Also, men get bunions. If you want additional information about bunions with a diagram, click here to see facts about bunions from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

If Kris wore properly fitted heels (even, heels higher than her two inch ones) that had toe boxes big enough for her feet, she probably would not have gotten serious bunions. High heel shoes are available with bigger toe boxes including round, baby doll, and square ones.

While not as sexy as regular pointed toe boxes, these bigger toe boxes are still pretty with high heels. The height of the heels and the higher arch/instep count much more towards making shoes pretty and sexy.

The Real Heal Deal: High Spikes Aren't Toe Good
(dated December 23, 2001 at www.nypost.com - New York Post Newspaper)

[ARTICLE IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE "http://www.nypost.com/living/37272.htm"]

This article by Karen Robinovitz with Sarah Dolgen quotes Dr. Stuart Mogul, a Manhattan (New York City) foot and ankle surgeon, as saying "[High] heels cause the heel to contract and tighten, which may lead to tendinitis," and "Some women who have been wearing heels their whole lives are not even capable of fully placing their feet on the ground because their Achilles tendons are so tight."

For information regarding "permanently shortened calf muscles and Achilles tendons", see my Problems web page.

Killer shoes worked for Romans, but were no match for Bond
(dated December 27, 2001 at www.nationalpost.com - National Post Newspaper)

[ARTICLE IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE "http://www.nationalpost.com/home/story.html?f=/stories/20011227/968822.html"]

This article mentions using high heels as weapons.

Hero of the Day - Beauty And Brains
(dated February 17, 2002 at www.goodnewsdaily.com - Online Newreporter)

[ARTICLE IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE "http://www.goodnewsdaily.com/hero.asp"]

On February 17, 2002, Erin Brockovich was selected as GoodNewsDaily's Hero of the Day for her legal work against Pacific Gas and Electric in California. The article involves a story originally written in 2000 about Erin.

It is reported that "She only wears high heels." Also, Erin is quoted as saying "I can walk for eight to nine hours in these," referring to 3-inch high slides. Julia Roberts who portrayed Erin in the movie "Erin Brockovich" also wore a variety of high heels throughout the movie.

Just wait until the next pair
(dated May 18, 2003 at www.nola.com - The Times-Picayne [New Orleans] Newspaper)

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This article refers to a previous newspaper article written "about a pair of high heels that costs a million pounds? That's $1,594,505 in American money." They are ruby slippers sold at Harrods in London, United Kingdom.

Killer-shoe story
(dated June 9, 2003 at www.nysilynew.com - New York Daily News Newspaper)

[ARTICLE IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE "http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/90870p-82533c.html"]

PALS SAW SHOE SLAY COMING
(dated June 9, 2003 at www.nypost.com - New York Post Newspaper)

[ARTICLE IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE "http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/719.htm"]

On Monday, June 9, 2003, New York television, radio and newspapers reported a Brooklyn woman killing her ex-boyfriend with her high heels. The woman is Anna Rhinehart (40 years old, 5'9" in height, 220 pounds and wears size 12 shoes). Apparently, Anna sat on top of her victim Roosevelt Bonds (51 years old, 5'9" in height and 180 pounds) and clubbed him to death with one of her high heel shoes.
Later, a grand jury decided not to indict Anna Rhinehart because of self-defense. She had a bloody mouth with some teeth knocked out.

Arthritis all-clear for high heels
(dated 28 September, 2003 at news.bbc.co.uk)

[ARTICLE IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE "http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3143240.stm"]

This article reports that wearing high heels is not a factor in causing osteoarthritis of the knee. Furthermore, wearing high heels may reduce the risk of getting osteoarthritis of the knee. The research was conducted by a team at Oxford Brookes University .

So pretty it hurts
(dated September 29, 2003 at www.sunspot.net - an online feature of The Baltimore Sun Newspaper)

[ARTICLE IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE "http://www.sunspot.net/business/bal-shoes092903,0,2115333.story?coll=bal-business-headlines"]

This article, originally written for the Wall Street Journal, reports on high heel shoes with pointed toe boxes and the problems associated with them. Most surprising in this report is the story of one woman who had surgery on some of her toes and can now wear pointed toe pumps all day.

A stiletto state of mind
(dated September 29, 2003 at www.sunspot.net - an online feature of The Baltimore Sun Newspaper)

[ARTICLE IS NO LONGER AVAILABLE "http://www.sunspot.net/business/bal-shoesside092903,0,4404582.story?coll=bal-business-headlines"]

This article reports on several women who wear stiletto high heels at work in Baltimore, Maryland.

Court: High heels an excuse for failing sobriety test
(dated September 21, 2004 at www.usatoday.com)

This article reports on a "driving while intoxicated" case in which a women wearing 3.5 inch high heels failed to walk in a straight line for a sobriety test.

Scientists calculate how high heels can go
(dated March 19, 2004 at http://www.eurekalert.org/)

I don't know whether this report is factual or written for amusement only.

Falls

According to reseachers at the University of California at San Francisco, who examined over 300 incidents of falls, "Fall risk was nearly double in persons wearing shoes with a heel height of 2.5 cm or greater, and risk was found to diminish steadily at sole/surface contact area of the shoe increased." This confirms what I wrote in my book regarding falls and the need to be careful while walking in high heels. Falls can be devastating and negatively impact the health of the person falling for years. (Also, reported in Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.)

Russian women race in high-heels
(dated July 29, 2005? at http://usatoday.feedroom.com/?fr_story=FRsupt207383&rf=sitemap)

USA Today News reports on a women's race in high heels in Russia (St. Petersburg?). There is another video available on You Tube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERj43anMs1Y for another race in Berlin, Germany (added on August 25, 2006 by hhheaven).

The only women that I have previously seen running in high heels was in movies. As I reported on my MOVIES web pages, Melanie Griffith in Shining Through (1992), Laura Elena Harring in Mulholland Drive (2001), Rie Rasmussen in Femme Fatale (2002), Diane Lane in Unfaithful (2002) and Jessica Alba in Fantastic Four (2005). Jessica Alba runs in high heels better than any other woman that I have seen so far and is the only woman who made a turn around a street corner.

However, as I have previously reported, it is dangerous to run in high heels. If you fall face-forward, one of the knees will usually hit the ground first. So, you can break one of your knees. The higher the heels, the greater the impact. Also, the faster you run, the greater the force of the impact.

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This page was last edited on august 31, 2007.
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