Fashion Faux-Heel

I guess you could call me a girly-girl. I like makeup, clothes, and most anything pink. But, before you gag at my confession, my girly-ness comes to a screeching halt when it concerns high heels. I wish I could wear heels nonchalantly, but every step I take in any shoes with a heel higher than 2.5 inches is just unbearable (I have nearly flat feet).

Anyway, somebody once told me that designer shoes are supposed to be more comfortable because they're better quality. But since I don't have $400-plus to shell out on a pair of Louboutin's, I can't actually test this theory. Still, Carrie Bradshaw (pardon my outdated Sex and the City reference) wore Manolo Blahnik four-inched heels everywhere in New York City, so, it just has to true, no?

But something tells me that there's no way that these $32,000 pair of five-and-half inched heels (pictured below), designed by Briton Antonio Berdai, are anything but painful. I don't even know how you could even walk in them, but celebrities like Victoria Beckham and Gwyneth Paltrow own a pair and plan to make it work.

And these aren't the only pair of ridiculous heels I've seen on the catwalk, either. Remember Marc Jacobs' "backward" heel (from his Fall 2007 show) that had people scratching their heads in confusion? I didn't think I would see them off the runway but then actress Sophia Bush proved me wrong:

OK, maybe I shouldn't completely discount heels. After all, this study that claims heels increase your sex drive. I guess beauty doesn't always equal pain.