How about clopping high heels? 20-40-60 answers
YOU ASK…WE ANSWER…YOU DECIDE
Question: Dear 20-40-60,
I have noticed lately that more and more young ladies are wearing high, high heels which are attractive footwear; however, when they are walking (even on carpeted floors) it sounds like horses galloping through the office. Is there a proper way to wear high heels without creating a clopping noise?
A fan of your column
Callie’s answer: I LOVE my high high heels! What girl doesn’t love a pair of heels?
If you can’t walk in them though, DONT BUY THEM! Use the heel, toe combination when walking. Don’t just stomp around, step on your heel first, then your toe. That sound always has a nice ring to it, “The clacker” heard in the “Devil wears Prada.”
Lillie-Beth’s answer: I think I clomp in certain heels of mine, too, and didn’t realize that it might bother people. I’d like to hear from additional readers — how big a problem is this? In doing some research, it appears that some people like the sound a heel makes and others don’t, but there are tips to keep from clomping when you walk. Here are a few, although the list isn’t comprehensive:
1) Be mindful of your steps and adjust accordingly.
2) Don’t step flat-footed by slapping your foot down onto the floor. Step heel or toe first (opinions vary on which one is quieter).
3) Stay off of hard surfaces like wood floors when possible.
Usually women don’t buy shoes with the noise level in mind — we’re looking for style, fit and comfort. The noisy part comes later, away from the carpeted shoe store, when we actually have to wear them.
Helen’s answer: The pretty new spring shoes are very, very high heeled. Many of them also feature a platform or wedge heel and it may be hard to walk in them. If you do make loud noises when you walk, maybe you should avoid buying that style.
Women, and men, should try on shoes and walk in them around the store. I think you can tell if they make noise on the floor. Also, if the shoes do not fit you properly, they will make clopping noises. Even sandals can make a loud noise if they do not fit properly.
Hilarie Blaney’s answer: I am a shoe lover.
Most shoe purchases are made from a carpeted area and coupled with sauntering, not walking at a normal pace. I have shoes that clop on the marble floor in First National Center, never something I would have anticipated. Therefore, it all goes back to being AWARE of your actions and their impact upon others.
Really, being less self-absorbed is a component of good manners. Ask yourself, “are people comfortable around me?”
(Callie Gordon, a college sophomore, was a 2009 debutante and has been in many new social situations recently. Lillie-Beth Brinkman is a former debutante and currently the assistant features editor for The Oklahoman. Helen Wallace has written a social column for The Oklahoman for many years and has been on various local Ball committees. Hilarie Blaney is an Etiquette and International Protocol Consultant.
This group does not always agree (via age differences), but they ALL see the need for proper behavior.
Ask a specific etiquette question and you will get three answers…Then you decide for yourself how you would handle the situation. The answers have information for every age range….Callie is 20-ish; Lillie-Beth is 40-something, and Helen is 60-plus.
Please email us with your questions and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and daily blogs. We will try to answer your etiquette questions weekly on the Parties Extra! blog. Sometimes we will ask other people for their opinions.
Look for us!
helen.wallace@cox.net…lbrinkman@opubco.com… calliezok3@aol.com
If you enjoyed this post, please consider to leave a comment or subscribe to the feed and get future articles delivered to your feed reader.
Comments
No comments yet.
Leave a comment