May 29, 2006

Ladies Business Shoes

For a brief time my wife worked as a leasing agent. She was on her feet most of the day, walking around the apartment community, showing the property, the models and the hauling sandwich boards around parking lots. She wore three-inch heels. And she came home in absolute pain every day.

So I have to wonder, why does society cripple our women? High heels make ladies' legs longer and more shapely, but how does that showcase business acumen? It's ritual foot binding. Like a form of gender slavery. Really.

Jill would come home hobbling and whining, sticking her feet in a portable cleaning, vibrating heater thing. Then ask me to rub Pied de Pepper (cinnamon smelling) pink lotion (yes, more LUSH stuff) on her soles and legs.

When she quit that job, I really think it was more about saving her feet than anything else. I'm happy to not hear the complaints. After all, I work at Microsoft and get to wear tee shirts and flip flops to the office if I want.

I apply these comfortable clothes rules to business travel. It's all about my personal comfort. I make a better worker when I am not in physical pain.

When I see women traveling in hose and heels I have to wonder if there are appropriate cost benefits to this torture. If in retirement, high-powered business women can't even walk anymore.

Way to go, modern culture. Bravo.