Want to read in Dutch? Click here
On my Dutch blog Prettybusiness, I published an article about newsreaders. The question being whether they should be required to wear high heels when working. I received a wide variety of responses. Some of you ladies replied saying you love wearing high heels, others hate them and many of you feel they are bad for your feet. The latter point we cannot ignore.
Someone also mentioned that you get ugly feet from constantly wearing heels. People are normally slow to comment on such statements, but one reader was not having any of it. She replied saying she has worn high heels at work for over 40 years and has not only experienced no problems with her feet but says feet have remained beautiful. Say what? Problem-free 40 years working in high heels? I wanted to know more! Time for an interview with Ineke de Graaf, high heel lover.
To go straight to the article in question, was it compulsory to wear high heels at work?
“No definitely not. I was twenty when I started my career in retail and from that moment on, I worked in high heels for the next 40 years. Wearing high heels makes me feel feminine and confident. My posture also changes.”
How high are the heels you wear, and can you wear them all day?
“The height of the heels varied greatly. I’ve worn 10” stiletto heels, but also wider heels of about 7 centimeters. My personal favourite is the stiletto heel. Give me a dress and a pair of black stilettoes and my day will be perfect. You do have to keep walking when wearing heels. The minute you stand still you feel the pressure on the balls of your feet. But pedicures exist for a reason”
Is that your secret? A good pedicure?
“I happen to be a pedicurist myself. But I go or a pedicure every 6 weeks for a pedicure to keep my feet in top condition. For me this is very important, they are not forgotten about with me. I think about 90% of the population does not properly care for their feet. Even though our feet have a lot to endure. Perhaps the reason I have been able to high heels for so many years is that I take care of my feet. High heels do tend to cause calluses which I also pay attention to. I also massage my feet with a cream every evening. This is not only good for feet but also prevents you from getting ladders in your tights. And you get wonderful tingly feet.”
Do you also get people commenting that heels are bad for your feet? If yes, how do you reply?
“If it is friends or family passing comments, I simply show them my feet. They look healthy and I explain that it is simply a matter of looking after them. But I understand it is not practical for everyone to walk in high heels every day.”
Wow, I am impressed that Ineke can do this. I am also a fan of high heels and wear them a lot but I don’t think I will be matching Ineke wearing stiletto heels for 40 years. I must admit I do take care of calluses but am not so diligent about massaging my feet with cream. Maybe I need to start doing this more often…….
Greetings,
cool post. I just stumbled upon your post and wished to say that I’ve really enjoyed reading your blog post. After all I’ll be subscribing to your rss feed and I hope you write again soon!