Walking Tall

After featuring endless pairs of sky-reaching pumps, it’s only fair (and considerate) of me to also address the art of wearing them.

You can always pick out women who are wearing pumps from a crowded street simply because they stand out (literally) – they walk taller and look more stylish and elegant. Heels are such wonderful creations* that it is awfully sad to see so many women forgo them just because they’re either not confident or capable of walking in them.

*Naturally, like all things in this world there are pros and cons to wearing heels. But that’s your responsibility to find out ;-)

Of course it takes effort to look good; otherwise everything will look good – and bland. It will require some work to look like you were born to wear those heavenly heels and walk gracefully in them. What you need is (1) to find the right muscles (2) to strengthen your body (3) in order to carry your own weight correctly.

Let’s take it from the top shall we?

Abs
Your abs is your center of strength, a philosophy used widely in Pilates and in all forms of dance. Your abs holds together and coordinates the movements of your lower body and upper body. Even when you’re walking you’re using your abs – or you should be. Basic crunches will do fine as long as you do them regularly – 15 crunches / 3 sets / 3 times a week. Feel free to push yourself further.

Back
Besides your abs, your back is almost just as important. Experience will tell you that it’s essential to have a strong back to have good posture. Do the Sphinx position for resilience and agility. For strength, lie on your stomach with your arms stretched out like Supergirl and then lift up both your legs and arms at the same time, similar to the Mermaid Back Extension. Easy-peasy. And again, do them regularly (15 times / 3 sets / 3 times a week) and you will have a supple back in no time.

Calves, Ankles, and Metatarsals
Some of the most sensual things about wearing heels are that they accentuate your calves and push your metatarsals into that irresistibly desirable arch. Images of tone legs and sexy arches have inspired many (in)famous desires from the pinup girls and Hollywood ladies of the 50s, to the Chinese women with bounded feet, to the sexy Wolford ads. Strengthen and tone your lower legs with simple rises – place your hands lightly on a wall and slowly lift your body up until you’re standing with just your toes – not entirely en point like ballet dancers. Feel your calves tightening and your arch taking shape instantly. Repeat them regularly.

Once you’re ready, choose a well-fitting pair of pumps that are not too tight in the front and if possible, with some cushioning inside the front of the shoes where the ball of your feet will be. Be careful if you’re going to wear them with hosieries or socks, you don’t want to reenact the Prada SS09 show where models tumbled for having socks in their heels. And here's a little haiku to get things moving:

Breathe deeply and exhale, think confident.
Relax those shoulders and chin, keep the neck long.
Remember to look ahead, watch where you’re going.

If you’ve done everything correctly, you will experience a new sense of confidence and see things at a new level – literally. And who said you can’t run in heels? It’s so easy to run in heels – you sprint exactly as sprinters do – with just the ball of your feet.