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Waging a war on stilettos

As a little girl, the one thing I wanted to do on growing up was step into a pair of stilettos,” says Mariyam Mukadam.

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Purnima Sharma

As a little girl, the one thing  I wanted to do on growing  up was step into a pair of stilettos,” says Mariyam Mukadam. But for that she had to wait till the time she entered college. “After that, it was high heels 24x7 for me,” smiles the 48-year-old businesswoman, who now regrets not having paid heed to her mother’s reprimands for her love of  stilettos. “I started getting severe leg pain by the time I reached my late 20s,” she says. 

It was Bollywood that called the shots in Mukadam’s impressionable years. “Stilettos and platform heels were what fashion divas like Zeenat Aman and Parveen Babi flaunted. And that’s what it was for me too.” But soon health issues  not only forced her to change into footwear that she had hitherto thought was “unglamorous”,  Mukadam also became an ‘activist, waging a war against high heels.’


These were created for men 

It’s ironical that high-heeled shoes when originally designed had nothing to do with women. Going back to the 10th century, these were created for men, horse-riders rather, to give them a better grip in the stirrups. History states that it was only in the 16th century that women started donning heels — after a 4’9” tall lady called Catherine de Medici wore them to add inches to her height at her wedding.

Heels gained popularity in the last century when women were trying to be at par in the professional space dominated by men. According to model Mehr Bhasin, “High heels became synonymous with power dressing, despite the discomfort. However, with the changing times, women have realised the importance of comfort over competition, and so are now choosing to wear what they feel better in — flats.”


Since heels hurt

Delhi-based food expert Dipali Bhasin once enjoyed wearing high heels but now she’s shifted loyalties to flats. “I am 5’6” tall. But I wore heels to feel taller and more confident. With a husband who is 6’3, these became a necessity”, she says. However, Bhasin had to finally bid adieu to the stilettos for one simple reason: Heels hurt.

Talking about her stint with a domestic airline, Sanjana Sharma says high heels were a part of her dress code. “But when the aircraft was mid-air, airhostesses could slip into flats.” The 31-year-old never really liked the aesthetic of heels, “because wearing these even for a few hours made my toes ache and feet swell up”. That’s why, ever since she quit her job, Sanjana hasn’t touched her heels.

Anjoo Mohun was in the hospitality industry for long. She enjoyed wearing high heels because of the confidence and poise these gave her. “Fortunately, it wasn’t incumbent on us to wear these,” says the 52-year-old communications director in the education sector.

Barefoot warriors

Remember how in 2015 Julia Roberts cocked a snook at a Cannes event by walking barefoot on the red carpet? “It was an act of rebellion to give support to those women who’d been turned away for not being in ‘appropriate’ footwear,” remembers Shruti Kaul, who enjoys the experiments women are making vis-à-vis footwear. “It’s not just a Deepika Padukone or a Serena Williams who will sport sneakers with a long dress but people like us too attempting to go boho even in the most formal of outfits,” adds the Agra-based shoe manufacturer.

Japanese actress Yumi Ishikawa recently launched #KuToo, an online campaign against the job profiles that expect women to always turn out in high heels at the workplace irrespective of the discomfort caused to them. #KuToo has been derived from Japanese words  ‘kutsu’ and ‘kutsuu, which mean shoes and pain, respectively. The 32-year-old filed the complaint  after she had to change jobs when standing in heels for eight hours while training for a hotel gig became too painful for her.

To each his/her own, says Archana Singh, an avid traveller, who often gets invited to many formal events across the globe. She insists on wearing flat footwear. “This female torture device is not for me,” laughs Archana, remembering the time she was once getting ready and she realised that she’d left her formal ballerinas at her last hotel. “I had no option but to don my sneakers with my evening outfit. After the first few moments, I was completely at ease. Now, as I often look around, I see many women happy at being ‘grounded’,” she adds.

Doctor’s take 

Orthopaedic surgeon Dr Naveen Talwar would like nothing better than a greater number of women wage a battle on stilettos. “These are okay for an hour or two, but beyond that, it’s not worthwhile letting your feet bear the brunt of so much strain. High heels may look good but these also make women more susceptible to foot strains, foot-arch problems and fracture of the 5th Ray. Not to forget backpain among those who need to stand for long periods of time,” adds Dr Talwar, who has handled many cases of women suffering from fractures caused by  wearing stilettos. These are so avoidable and unnecessary, states a report by the American Osteopathic Association, for, heels force the foot at an angle that pulls muscles and joints out of alignment. And women who wear heels for extended periods of time could suffer lower back, neck and shoulder pain.

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