adminis putting on the highest heel possible, they cannot be considered to be looking good. As far as most women today are concerned, high heels are synonymous with hot looks.
It is not completely crazy, however, for Zimbabwean women to have developed such a fascination for high heels because this same fascination transcends borders and colour.
A snap survey around Harare and its environs revealed that more women than before are now wearing high heels, at different functions whether informal or formal ones.
To see just how popular high heels are, all one has to do is watch A list celebrities walking the red carpet in Hollywood. They always wear high heels for these events and quite understandably so because one has to look their absolute best when appearing at such huge and glamorous events.
With huge photo moments and millions of eyes from all over the world watching, it would be unheard of for celebrities not to wear high heels at such glamorous events.
High-heeled footwear – often abbreviated as high heels or simply heels – is footwear that raises the heel of the wearer’s foot significantly higher than the toes. When both the heel and the toes are raised equal amounts, as in a platform shoe. Platform shoe is technically not considered to be a high heel; however, there are also high-heeled platform shoes.
High heels tend to give the aesthetic illusion of longer, more slender legs. High heels come in a wide variety of styles, and the heels are found in many different shapes, including stiletto pump court shoe, block, tapered, blade, and wedge.
According to fashionista and online shopper Kristina Halls, who is based in the UK, the pull of the high-heeled shoe is in its ability to instantly turn a woman into this super smart and sexy human being.
Another high-heeled fanatic, Harare-based Tariro Chikumbirike, who owns more than 100 pairs of shoes the bulk of them high heels, said high heels define her. She said everything, from posture, height to confidence, changes for her the minute she puts on a high quality high- heeled shoes.
Tariro, who recently splurged on a pair of high-heeled boots, which cost her US$550, says she is yearning for a red bottom Loubi which costs an average of US$1 500.
A visit to journalist and fashion blogger Lolo’s Facebook page Lolo’s Kloset will show that for every hot look she rocks, she has on a pair of killer heels. High heels are the look of the time we are living in and it is not unusual for women who are passionate about heels to own more than 150 pairs of shoes.
Tatenda Moyo, a lawyer who is based in Harare, said she loves high heels because they make her feel and look taller, they make her look instantly slimmer and bring out all her high points.
“When a woman wears high heels her body stance changes, the calf is more pronounced while the backside and chest automatically strain outwards,” she said.
Itai Daisy Mutinhiri, a model and Star FM news producer/presenter, says she wears high heels because they give her a good posture and improve her image and body not only in her eyes but in the eyes of those who look at her. As a model, she says heels are an absolute must while flats are a No No when one is out in public or at events.
For her, high heels are that special gift that were created to make women look more beautiful and sexy.
It then becomes understandable when some people own hundreds of pairs of of high-heeled shoes. Socialite and businesswoman Pokello Nare is said to own more than 200 pairs of shoes while several other Zimbabwean socialites own at least 50 to 100 pairs.
For the hot look that comes with heels women are willing to tolerate the downsides such as the discomfort that comes with certain heels and their close relationship with some accidents, not only for drivers but even on dance floors and on the street.
Imagine someone’s high heel poking into your naked foot on the street after they stumble into you on the road? We have all heard of cases where women’s high heels get caught onto the accelerator during driving leading to crashes.
Ironically enough, the same shoes have also earned the nickname 50-metredistance shoes, because most women often put them to attend a board meeting, luncheon and immediately remove them and wear some pumps during the whole day.
The same routine is repeated when one is leaving for home.
“I just wear them when I am going to my boss’ office or attending a meeting, but most of the time, they will be tucked right under my desk,” confessed a secretary with a big mobile company. High heels are not all about glitz but also have their share of pain that a lot of people have to put up with.
According to fashion bloggers, medical experts and women who have been scathed by some of the nasty experiences, there are some side effects that heel lovers ought to be aware of.
Most women who wear heels suffer from foot pain after walking with high heels. Because of high heels the entire pressure of the body is concentrated on the feet.
The entire weight of the body will be directed onto the ball of the feet and this can be dangerous especially for those who are overweight causing the ball of the feet to experience additional pressure. High heels can significantly affect one’s natural posture and the spine.
It has also been found that wearing high heels can dislodge the spine out of its natural alignment and also the spinal nerves can become pinched and pain, tingling and numbness can occur.
You can easily get ankle injuries, hammertoe or bunions if not wearing a comfortable shoe, even end up with a twisted ankle if the straps don’t fit properly, holding our ankle in the right place.
The higher the heel the longer the leg. But as the heel gets higher, so does the pressure on the front of the foot. Over long time periods this can lead to bruising and stress fractures of the toes.
And then there are those women who pick heels that are too high for them to be comfortable to walk in and they end up walking around as if they have something pinching their feet or are wearing small-size shoes.
Because there are different types of high heels it is important to wear shoes that make one comfortable.
Rather than wear the thin stilettos, which lift up the leg more leading to one tottering rather than gliding when walking, one can choose thicker heels which tend to have more balance no matter how high they may be.
It is also important to note that high heels must be maintained so that they retain their glamour. There is nothing as untidy as wearing high heels whose tips are worn out and which make a cluttering noise as one walks.
More often than not people come across some women wearing heels that their body type cannot carry such that the shoe looks in danger of coming apart.
There several women who wear heels they cannot walk in and by end of day, they would be literally hopping all over the show.
What cannot be underestimated, however, is that a pair of good high heels can glamorise any outfit from jeans, to a shift dress, an evening gown or even a pair of shorts.
What would women do without high heels?
Online Reporter
dyton mupawaenda