The business of heels

It is funny to note the symbiotic relationship between various businesses as we have them today and the apparent ignorance of the general public in helping them grow at their expense. Recently I went into a retail store and as I was strolling by, I noticed the section with all types of support pads for your feet. Nothing wrong with that. Everyone has a right to customize the shoe they bought the other day and make it more comfortable. But what caught my attention were the n number of products for making heels comfortable to wear for the women. Think of a cushion for any part of the feet and it was available. As I understand from my wife, wearing heels is not very comfortable so one would require these AND one looks very sexy wearing heels. I see the point in that argument but what doesn't make sense to me is the entire chain of events which happens once a woman starts endorsing heels regularly.

I've had the good fortune of holding a heel in my hand and analyzing its shape and form. I was amazed at the poor design of this product which was supposed to make a woman look sexy. First, the front of the heel is generally so narrow that the normal 4 toes have to literally fight for space. Unfortunately, the fight resolves only when the big toe agrees to twist in a weird way and land on top of the next toe. Have these fights and resolutions a couple of times and one can very well start to see the beginnings of bunion. Given the popularity of heels, its not surprising to see the increasing number of bunions. Wait, I have never heard a man with bunions. Perhaps we know the reason now! Secondly, the material on the inside of the heel (the portion where the foot rests) is just a piece of wood with a fancy fabric cover on it. As I felt the form of the material, I remembered the wooden footwear (khorom) that monks used to wear ages ago. I used to think that there was a universal consensus and shift to shoes that cushions your steps. But what I had in my hand was defying that universal belief. No wonder one would need extra cushions! Thirdly, the oh-so-sexy design of the heel makes it impossible to walk around wearing them for a long time. Can you imagine walking on your toes for a long time? That is what the posture amounts to when a woman puts on heels. So in comes a second pair of boring-not-sexy-but-very-comfortable shoes. One can find them without fail hidden inside the faithful purse that follows a woman everywhere. This completes my analytical tirade but I still haven't got to the business part of the story.

As I was standing in that retail store, I realized how the medical industry, insurance business, shoe industry and shoe accessory industry were having a feast together. Women are encouraged to wear heels to look sexy. But they get bunions as a result of wearing them. So they go to see their doctor who very wisely advises her to get proper cushions for her heels. Maybe getting a physiotherapy is also on the table. So another business avenue. Every medical advice costs money and that's what the insurance businesses are for. The shoe accessory business starts flourishing. But it is still not possible to wear these heels for long. So the not-so-sexy-but-functional shoe business picks up as a daily wear and also as a post-heel trauma wear.

Well, it may not be this simple but you get the idea about the connection. It is an endless loop because women will always want to wear heels with or without knowing the repercussions. It is sad that in such a design obsessed era, style and fashion are becoming synonymous with uncomfortable and non-functional designs. Any takers for the challenge to design comfortable and functional fashion? You can start with designing comfortable heels...