Driving in high heels: fashion over safety?

The other day I decided to get back to wearing heels, jumped into my car and drove to work. In my quest for fashion, was I bypassing safety?

According to AOL Autos, I wasn't alone. Up to 40 percent of women wear heels behind the wheel, according to a study of UK women. Experts say heels prevent a good feel of the pedals, making it harder to react quickly. While woman have been wearing heels for years, the recent sky-height heights and platforms are exasperating the problem.

And law makers are starting to take notice. According to the local, France's Supreme Court ruled that driving in heels violates the country's highway code. The case they ruled on was whether a woman who was driving in heels when she was injured in a car crash deserved insurance money. The court found that insurance was not liable due to her wearing heels.

Drag Queens Running Your Way in High Heels

Drag Queens, often in sky-high heels, took to the streets of Washington DC’s DuPont Circle to compete in the 25^th Annual High Heel Race.

The crowd packed the sides of the streets for this annual Halloween tradition.

The race took place at 9:00pm, but the festivities kicked up much earlier with the race participants parading around for spectators to view and admire their costumes.

Celebrities and Shoes: Thrifty Mayor Bloomberg only owns two pairs of shoes!

"it’s fair to say he’s not the shoe industry’s best customer" (WCBS 880, 2010)

The 2010 midterm elections are almost here, and things are heating up. Although he’s not running for re-election this November, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is discussing his footwear.

According to CBS New York, Bloomberg only owns two pairs of work shoes. He has owned these two pairs for the past 10 years. The pairs are both black and one is a penny loafer, while the other has tassels. To keep shoes so long, he has had them re-heeled and the soles replaced (WCBS 880).

As the world’s 23 richest person (Daily Mail, 2010), his shoe possessions, or seeming lack thereof, is quite surprising.

Walking In Her Stereotypical Shoes

“Walk a Mile in Her Shoes” is an international movement for men to show support for females and to unite against sexual assault. As the name suggests, the movement includes asking men to wear women’s high heels and walk a mile. This action is supposed to get the community discussing gender relations and sexual violence. Also, most walks raise money for local rape crisis centers. There are 173 walks planned for 2010 (Baird, 2009).

For men, walking in high heels is unusual and painful. Yet, as George, a participant at Milford, CT walk said, “We spend 15 minutes in pain. But the victims of domestic violence spend a lifetime in pain” (Ramunni, 2010). Thus, men participate because they feel the rewards are worth it.

Interestingly, what this walk suggests is that gender stereotypes can be used in a beneficial manner. According to Melissa Lytton (2010), “A bunch of men running around in high heels draws a lot of attention, which outweighs any negative effects of its cutesy nature. It’s simply clever marketing, and it’s marketing that’s finally being used for a great cause.” Instead of men being laughed at for breaking a stereotype, they are being admired. As Jesse, another participant at the Milford, CT walk said, “I went into the men's room and you can imagine the looks I got. A man walked up to me and asked `what are you doing,' and when I told him he took a $20 bill out and gave it to me (for the fundraiser).” Thus, the walk hopes to use the uneasiness people have towards men wearing high heels into a learning opportunity.

In the case of “Walk a Mile in Her Shoes,” shoes are the gender stereotype. While there are other stereotypic female objects, such as a purse, the organizers believed shoes would be a better object, partially based on the old saying, “You can't really understand another person's experience until you've walked a mile in their shoes” (Baird, 2009). This walk shows the power of shoes to affect others and to have a positive effect, helping to raise awareness of sexual violence.

Sources:

Baird, F. (2010). Walk a mile in her shoes. Retrieved April 25, 2010 from http://www.walkamileinhershoes.org/index.html.

Lytton, M. (2010). Race shows high-heeled men can help women heal. Retrieved April 25, 2010 from http://www.kansan.com/news/2010/apr/16/lytton-race/.

Ramunni, K. (2010). Some find it hard to "Walk a Mile in Her Shoes." Connecticut Post. . Retrieved April 25, 2010 from http://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Some-find-it-hard-to-Walk-a-Mile-in-Her-Shoes-453102.php#page-1.