Well readers, it’s time to grow up and start wearing high heels to work.  At least, so I thought this morning. 

The shoes were new, fairly conservative leather sandals with three inches on them.  They were comfortable and very reasonably priced (besides being privy to all things cultural in DC, your intrepid blogger is also an extremely saavy shopper). 

Now, this may not be obvious to everyone, but wearing high heels and walking in high heels are not the same thing.  At all. 

As I walked to work in my fabulous shoes, I noticed that what I had gained in height and badass legs I was losing in stride.  Heels cause the wearer to take smaller (read: teensy) steps and to concentrate more on the act of walking than she (or he) otherwise would.  As my close personal friend Manaol Blahnik says,  ”People walk differently in high heels.  Shall I call it suggestive? Shall I call it sensuous? You walk in a sensuous way. Your body sways to a different kind of tempo.”  Which is all well and good, Manolo, but this is real life and we have places to be.

In regards to health and posture, heels have been the subject of much debate.  Studies have shown a connection between wearing heels and degenerative joint disease later on.  Wearing heels all the time can even reshape the musculature in the legs, causing pain when not worn (eep!).  All this to say, what are we thinking? 

I’ll tell you what I’m thinking–moderation in all things.  Wearing heels sometimes is wonderful.  It’s like getting a great haircut.  People notice and you pay more attention to your appearance than the day before.  Which we can only get away with in moderation. 

Of course, in DC the women who wear suits (WWWS) seem to pull off the I-wear-heels-everyday-and-think-nothing-of-it look.  I’m not there yet.  Maybe when I take cabs everywhere I could be, but while I’m a Metro patron, I’ll be rocking the flats.