Member-only story
Heel No!
Why teetering around on high heels now strikes me as weird
A funny thing happened on the way to the White House: Stiletto heels!
A bunch of Boomer Zoomers and I were talking about the wonders of the inauguration celebration. The extraordinary young poet Amanda Gorman absolutely wowed us all. Jennifer Lopez sounded powerful. And Lady Gaga inspired at least one woman’s tiny granddaughter to sing a roaring anthem of her own creation while donning voluminous yardage of sparkling pink froufrou.
We celebrated whip-smart lawyer Kamala Harris as Vice President, Dr. Jill Biden as First Lady, and the indomitable Nancy Pelosi as Speaker of the House. If the year were a mathematical equation, it could be: Girl to the power of 2021!
But did you look at their feet? Stiletto heels everywhere. Our old dogs ached at the sight.
Let me confess: I wore stiletto heels throughout the 1980s. I sashayed countless city blocks to and from New York City fashion shows while covering the beat as a regional journalist. Sometimes with the added weight of a baby conveniently stored inside my body or, less conveniently, in a color-coordinated carrier.
I’ve fallen victim to many a trend in the name of fashion.
