R Review From Scalp to Soles 113
As a former soldier, “well-heeled” takes on another meaning
for me. Anyone who spends hours every day running and hiking in
boots understands that they are the most important part of your
outfit. Your feet are everything.
Contrast that with the argument that sacrificing comfort for
style can be so psychologically rewarding that the mental pain of
wearing “good ” shoes (that is, good for foot health) is devastating.
The psychological comfort is more important than the physical com-
fort. A pointy-toed Manolo Blahnik may indeed, as Newman says,
be a “corset for the foot,” but I’m told that a woman who wears it
can experience a kind of euphoria. She quotes Madonna as saying
that Manolo Blahniks are as good as sex and “last longer.”
Shoes can also become the symbol of one’s core identity. You’ve
met the person who is a runner and wears sneakers all the time,
everywhere—from the garden to church. Running is her life and
the sneakers are her anchor. They say, “This is not only what I do,
it’s what I am.”
And now for the man’s perspective: A word about cowboy
boots is in order. I’ve worn cowboy boots—really good ones—and
sneakers, and sneakers are more comfortable. I wear boots in an
airport, even though I know I will have to go through the exercise
of taking them off for security and then putting them back on. What
does that say about my willingness to sacrifice comfort for style?
My point is that, if you are uncomfortable in your clothes, you
will be demonstrably less confident. Your body language will bleed
that discomfort.