HOOFS AND HEELS

Hokitika Guardian, 7 June 1929, Page 8

HOOFS AND HEELS

Someone hits recently been advancing the theory that if women persist in wearing high-heeled shoes they will eventually develop hoofs! 'I he prospect is alarming! Whether or not this prophet is right, the fact remains that, psychologically at least, women’s footwear is far-reaching in its effect. Those critics of women and her ways who profess themselves uneasy concerning woman’s dwindling feminity should spend half-an-hour gazing into shops that exhibit footwear lor tho fair sex. The sight would rejoice their hearts.

The heel, on the whole, is more feminine than ever! 'I here may he a few sports shoes displayed with what are termed “sensible” heels, lint those are in a distinct minority. Even the fairly “sensible” euban variety—that compromise of a heel—seems to have gone out of favour, and heels that a man would regard as totally inadequate are the fashion. It would he entertaining to watch a mere mans efforts to balance himself upon such ridiculous supports! How could anyone wearing such a heel be other than feminine in her deportment? She might crop her hail and smoke cigarettes, hut her heels would save her from being a mere copy of man! For heels do most certainly rule heads. Not for nothing was die “blue-stocking” and the militant suffragette depicted as favouring lowheeled brogue makes her feel businesslike—gives her a hail-fellow-well-met attitude towards men. Never is she more masculine than when she dons such footwear, it would be sheer impossibility for her to play the trail woman’s part in brogues. Donning .the absurd monstrosity known as the “ Louis ” heel, she passes into a mood of luxurious feminity. Let her "eai the heel-less sandal, and she assumes the pose of Grecian grace and dignity. With the tennis shoe or the . dancing sandal she becomes the embodiment of lightness, litheness—motion poetry! The heels of women’s shoes a-e trifles in themselves, something occu.pying hut an inch in diameter, yel their power is tremendous, more potent probably because it usually passes unrecognised! And tho heel that is described as

“down”! Can anything he more potent to discourage and depress noth man and woman than this? The per son who is <! down at heel” fe» is “down” on his luck, “down ” in the world, “down” in everything! But apart from the psychological effects of heels, the physical ones are also important. • ’Whether or not t ic high heel will develop a hoof, it is certainly time that heels came in foi a little of that criticism which has -con so lavishly expended on knees and heads, for example!. More than is realised do temper and health depend upon footwear. Imliss that is absolutely comfortable a woman ,„« never be at her best mentally, morally, or physically. Gazing at the heels displayed m shop-windows to-day, our doubt about woman’s feminity may be allayed. Hei feminity remains sure enough. But wcat about her fitness?— Glasgow Weekly Herald.