Allright, Ladies! Who's ready to run a marathon? In heels!

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 7/23/08 at 12:31pm

From Nerve.com:

Ladies, we have to give it to you-- there's no way we'd be able to walk around in those things for more than thirty seconds without massacring an entire post office full of people in a blind rage. They probably look as uncomfortable to us as they are to wear.

That being said... what in God's name is going on with this new trend of street races in heels? We were hoping the one sponsored by Glamour in March was some sort of sick marketing scam/joke, but whatever it is, alas, it's catching on...

Apparently this isn't even the first time. The middle photo is from 2006-- in Russia... and sponsored by Glamour Magazine.

A girl attends a high heels race in Moscow, capital of Russia, July 8, 2006. Girls took part in the race wearing high heels with required minimum height of 8 centimeters to compete for a total bonus of 100.000 roubles (3,726 dollars). The race was held by a Russian fashion magazine.

This year, it went up to a minimum of 9 centimeters. NINE CENTIMETERS! Ladies, would you take 100.000 roubles, excuse us, three thousand bucks to run in heels? Oh wait... nope, no more prize money... it's just...

This year it took place near the GUM store by Red Square. The closeness of shops seemed to have raised the participants' spirits, as the main prize was a shopping certificate.

A crowd of onlookers gathered at the event scene to support the competitors who had spent more than two hours preparing for the race and making sure they look glamorous enough. Whilst some girls were queuing up to get fashion stylist’s service, more experienced racers were taping their shoes to their legs.

Some of the runners fell down and dropped out of the race just three seconds after the start. For the leader, however, it took only 12-14 seconds to reach the finish line.

Luckily, this year no heels were broken.

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 7/23/08 at 12:33pm

I'd do it.

No, really, I would.

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 7/23/08 at 12:36pm

They shoot glamour girls, don't they?

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 7/23/08 at 12:40pm

I don't care, that's a year of college tuition right there.

[clever name]

Posted: 7/23/08 at 1:15pm

You would be amazed what we can do in heels.

[KrissySim]

Posted: 7/23/08 at 1:46pm

I'm not surprised that's it's from Russia. I lived there following the collapse of the Soviet Union and got a job in a textile plant working a hand loom making blankets. There were still many factories there at that time that made everything by hand.

All the floors were concrete. The young women would always wear heals. Sitting at a loom was fine, but next door there was a printing plant where everyone stood at their machines all day, on concrete, wearing heels. Women ran the industries of the USSR. They fixed the machines, did the majority of the work, they were the doctors, the lawyers. Men would often come to work carrying bottles of vodka in their coat (and their breath!) and could not always be relied on to do the work.

What impressed me is how these women in high heals could navigate the ice sheets outside in winter. Sidewalks were often sheer ice, but they would just stab their heels at the ice and walk like it was a lovely day in springtime.