High Hell shoes

For reasons too boring to explain I had a very rare look yesterday at the website of a well-known clothes retailer and was delighted at some unusual honesty in the description of their 'Pointed Toe High Hell Ankle boots'. One of the best typos I've ever seen. Look soon, before they spot it (select 'Talking Tweed' at the top and 'Easy Style' at the left).

It sent me out today in search of more high hell (the example above does not belong to the well-known retailer). Pointed-toed (who has pointed toes, for goodness sake?) and high-heeled footwear causes pain and constrains movement - a sort of Euro-American footbinding. The Chinese banned footbinding in 1912, a full hundred years ago. Although Europe was abandoning corsets (which made women faint by stopping them breathing properly) about the same time, we still have to catch up on crippling footwear. (Atrocious joke intended.)

In a very unscientific survey - biases exist in a preference for the status quo and a reluctance to criticise - the consensus on yesterday's flexible scaffolding was in favour of not cropping.

It fluttered into spotlight briefly, realised it didn't belong and fluttered out again. Thanks though! I found out while I was surreptitiously checking my phone during the first half of a concert this evening and I'm sure the news improved my singing when it was my turn to perform in the second half. (I know, I know, but I don't think I was as bad as the audience member who was unwrapping then eating a very noisy Mars bar, nor the man reading a crinkly paper.)