Dressed in a white Grecian style dress, and another pair of vertiginous heels, Gwyneth Paltrow attempts a rather precarious street walk across the cobblestones of a street in the historic city of Rome.

The Hollywood star looks to be on dangerous ground as she took pigeon steps across the uneven surface, in her six inch heels.

Higher and higher: Not only is she wearing six inch heels - but she walks across cobbled streets too

But Gwyneth’s walk of pain in the spindly-heeled stilettos was not in aid of yet another film premiere.

In fact Gwyneth, who has been credited with fuelling the trend for super high heels - now dubbed the ‘Gwyneth Effect’ - appears to be cashing in on her association with super-high heels, by appearing in a new advert.

In an ironic twist, the actress, who has been seen of late hobbling down red carpets in stilettos, is the star of an advert for Italian designer company Tods.

Gwyneth’s red carpet posturing in high heels is said to have provided a boost for Britain’s shoe shops, and clearly shoe companies to take full advantage.

In these shots, the star is seen carrying a Tods bag, although the heels she is teetering in are by Roger Vevier.

Retailers are dubbing it the “Gwyneth Effect” after they reported a surge in customer interest in heels as tall as seven inches.

The star hit the headlines day after day as she tottered from one pair of sky high stilettos to the next - with the net result that sales of vertiginous heels have rocketed.

Selfridges reported a 35 per cent increase in sales of super high heels in the past week and that these types of shoes were outselling flats by 5 to 1.

Harvey Nichols said that its sales have soared by seven per cent and are expecting the trend to continue with shoppers happy to spend as much £1000 on one pair of teetering heels.

And now it appears that Italian designers Tods are hoping to cash in on Gwyneth’s position as Queen of the Mean High Heel.

During a recent whirlwind tour to promote her new movie Iron Man, Gwyneth visited four countries in four days.

She appeared first in Paris wearing seven-inch platforms by little-know designer Pacini. The shoes were so high she had to be assisted down the stairs by her minder.

She then flew to Berlin and was snapped in a pair of brogues by Burberry and later the same day she wore a mini-dress with classic black Christian Louboutins.

The star appeared in sky high Giuseppe Zanotti platforms for a trip to Rome before flying to London.

She was spotted first wearing five-inch high Givenchy peeptoe boots during the day, and then changed into a pair of five inch Alexander McQueen court shoes for the red carpet.

Gwyneth in the various heels she wore to premieres around the world which have sparked a shoe-shopping frenzy for seven inch heels

However, Chris Steele,the resident doctor of ITV’s This Morning cautioned fans against following Gwyneth down the super-high heeled route.

He said: “The most likely result of wearing heels of this height is that people will fall over and most likely sprain or break their ankle.

“Only stars have minders to help them walk down the stairs or along the red carpet.

“Heels that are five, six or seven inches put a lot of pressure on the toes, which can lead to unsightly bunions or bone deformities.”

Source Daily Mail

But who’s going to submit my health insurance forms when I am laid up at Cedars, I wonder, during a Sunday afternoon primer on how to walk in high heels. The private instruction came about because Jazzmun — a transvestite performer and actor/actress — had recently taught 18 women how to glide atop designer stilts at a course offered by shoe boutique Il Primo Passo in Santa Monica. Owner Beth Whiffen expects to hold another one in a month.

“Women would come in and ask, ‘How do I walk in these heels?’ ” says Whiffen, pointing to a delicate pair of 5-inch satin Christian Lacroix sandals and gold Giuseppe Zanotti wedges that will add a half-foot to your view. “But the trend in the covered platform makes the shoes look even higher than they really are.”

Blame Gwyneth Paltrow for further igniting the craze. Recently, the mother of two has been mincing about in stiletto heels that would alarm every TSA agent at LAX. The 7-inch Zanottis she donned for a red carpet in Rome could double as shish kebab skewers. The 6-inch Alexander McQueen Languid pumps she wore in London last month, while promoting “Iron Man,” caused a stampede to Selfridges, where the $650 shoes sold out.

“You have to know your limitations in these shoes,” says Jazzmun, pivoting as gracefully as Alexander Godunov in 6-inch patent leather Buis. Jazzmun also recommends that you practice walking around the house before you test-pilot ultra-high heels. “If you’re walking on a lot of concrete, you need to carry an extra pair of slip-ons.”

So true. Even Paltrow doesn’t tackle asphalt city streets in heels. Last month in New York, she was spotted in Nike sneakers en route to her David Letterman appearance and wore sky-high Christian Louboutins on-air. I bet she took less than 100 steps in her stilettos.

No doubt, she understands the health risks associated with walking tall. The Mayo Clinic reports that joint pain, nerve tissue growth and stress fractures await high heel addicts. There’s even a deformity known as “pump bump” that is, in essence, a growth on the back of the heel caused by straps and the backs of certain stilettos. (Mayo podiatrists advise women to opt for a heel that doesn’t exceed an inch and one-half. Tell that to Carrie Bradshaw, doc.)

After just 20 minutes of gentle but firm instruction, Jazzmun has me swanning like a tipsy debutante in my platforms. I could never kick as high as Jean-Claude Van Damme, but my calves aren’t throbbing like a neon sign anymore. Jazzmun’s tutelage is more about empowerment than step-by-step instruction. You learn to fix your gaze on a point on the horizon to steady your balance and to thrust out your hip to ensure that you look sexy and confident. Oh, and be sure to distribute your weight equally on the toe and heel or you’ll fall forward or backward a la Charlie Chaplin. “After some Champagne, you will be twirling,” Jazzmun says.

Later, I read online that a Swedish scientist has linked wearing high heels with schizophrenia. He claims that high heels cause us to tense our calves in a way that hampers the release of dopamine, which is essential to mental well-being. Hmm. I click my 6-inch heels and laugh like crazy.

Source LA Times

A look at how flip-flops affect your feet.In fact, podiatrists say that summer’s favorite footwear is responsible for more health problems than any other type of shoes, even high heels.

“We became interested in flip-flops when we noticed an increase in lower leg pain when our students came back from summer and were transitioning back into wearing tennis shoes and street shoes,” said Prof. Wendi Weimer of Auburn University, who set up an experiment with her graduate students to look at how the foot hits the ground. Participants were asked to wear either sneakers or thong flip-flops.

Auburn graduate student Justin Shroyer explained that their test showed that people are “very concerned about stubbing their toes particularly as they swing their leg through.”

What we found is that people take shorter strides and that their ankle angle … the angle between their shin and the top of their foot … is actually increased … [We] attribute the change in ankle to protecting the toes as the foot swings through, but also to keeping the flip-flop on the foot so that it doesn’t fly off as they swing forward. And so they do alter their gait,” said Shrover.

With the average American taking between 10,000 and 20,000 steps each day, the small changes in one’s gait can add up to serious injury.

“The major shock absorption occurs back on the heel, and if the surface between the heel and the ground is not supported it does not allow the heel to absorb shock as well as it should. Which means the foot works harder than it should and people tend to develop overuse injuries such as tendonitis, or in this case, lower leg, knee, hip and back problems,” explained Dr. Rock Positano from the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York.

Fortunately for flip-flop fanatics, Positano says you don’t have to throw away those thong sandals quite yet.

“Look, this is not an attack on a flip-flop or a flip-flop like shoe. Once again, it has to do with when you wear the flip-flop. If it’s for hanging out around the swimming pool, or hanging out around the beach, or hanging out with your friends, they’re fine,” he said.

FASHIONISTA Paris Hilton signed autographs and posed for pictures in Montreal yesterday as she launched her new shoe collection.

The It Girl brought her tiny pet dog along dressed in a pink T-shirt and signed pairs of her new shoes for Canadian fans.

On her MySpace page the party princess said: “The Paris Hilton Footwear Collection is perfect for the fashion-forward young woman who wants to look and feel great from head-to-toe without spending a fortune.

“I love these shoes; they come in a range of styles that are totally chic and trendy – from sexy stilettos and platforms to must-have flats, wedges and boots. I personally chose the styling, design, materials and colors for the line and also wanted to make sure it was super comfortable!

She added: “Each shoe has a heart shaped comfort pad sewn into the inner sole, so you can dance all night long! I also made the soles of the shoes pink so no matter how you look at them, they are super cute!”

Source OK! Magazine

Why do women endure the discomfort of high heels?
High heels are uncomfortable and make walking more difficult. Prolonged use can injure the feet, knees and back. So why do women keep wearing them?

The short answer seems to be that women in heels are more likely to attract favourable notice.

In Sense And Sensibility, Jane Austen describes the character Elinor Dashwood as having a “delicate complexion, regular features, and… remarkably pretty figure”.

But Austen describes Elinor’s sister, Marianne, as “still handsomer. Her form, though not so correct as her sister’s, in having the advantage of height, was more striking”.

In addition to making women taller, high heels force the back to arch, pushing the bosom forward and the buttocks rearward, thus accentuating the female form.

“Men like an exaggerated female figure,” writes fashion historian Caroline Cox. The problem is that if all women wear high heels, such advantages tend to cancel out.

Height, after all, is a relative phenomenon. It may be advantageous to be taller than others, or at least not to be several inches shorter. But when all wear shoes that make them several inches taller, the relative height distribution is unaffected, so no one appears taller than if all had worn flat heels.

If women could decide collectively what shoes to wear, all might agree to forgo high heels. But because any individual can gain advantage by wearing them, such an agreement might be hard to maintain.

Source Daily Mail