Looking at the season’s glamorous shoe line up from Jason Wu it appears that sexy curvaceous heels are getting skinnier and higher! I watched women in San Franciscio treck up and down the endless hills in these stilletto babies. We are quite the resillient sex. Bravo!

Browsing around the net for pretty shoes I was drawn to a photo of these Lanvin stilettos worn by Gwyneth Paltrow at her Country Strong premier. When I clicked through to the image I found it was part of an article about how unwearable they are! The article by Glamour says:
“Last week, Lanvin designer Alber Elbaz confessed to WWD that the flat shoes on his spring 2011 runway weren’t actually meant to be a fashion statement, but a last-minute effort to save the poor models who were stumbling around “like alcoholic girls” in the titanium heels he originally intended everyone to wear. But a few pairs still made it into the show, and it turns out, they’re as torturous as he feared.”
Gwyneth Paltrow told People Magazine “I’m in pain. I feel like I’m in a torture vice.” But it’s okay because you looked pretty Gwyneth~!

For women with nerve endings and a long commute on foot (like myself) we need good SOLES.
Unless you have knee or back complaints, it’s not really the height of the heel that hurts but the fit. Here are a few tips on how to choose your 4″ killers wisely.
- It has to fit your feet right. Everyone’s shape is different so when you try them on, make sure the shoe cradles your foot properly at all these pressure points: last joint of your little toe, first joint of your big toe and your Achilles. If it fits right and it’s just the leather that is a bit stiff you can always oil and stretch, with time it’ll be broken into. But if the shape is off it’s going to hurt and you’ll break your feet before you break in your shoes.
- Be sure there is room for your toes so they aren’t smooshed but not too much so they blister from rubbing against the material. Soft leather also helps.
- Pick shoes with ample padding on the soles and the ball of your foot. If the shoes are hard on the bottom buy half a size bigger and insert padding yourself. The foamy drug store padding for $3 works just fine. If unsure bring a set of padding to the shoe store and try it on together. I’m sure the clerk won’t mind.
Beauty doesn’t have to painful. Brands like Seychelles, BC Footwear and Jefferey Campbell consistently make sexy stylish shoes with soft leather uppers and walkable soles; which is why we love them!