Powerful Women in Painful Shoes

A slim majority of sanity and competence has returned to Washington: it’s time to put on some sensible shoes.

Among all the moving pageantry, the affirming speeches, the solemn moments, and, after the horrifying events of January 6, the enormous relief of January 20, one small, arguably trivial detail stuck in my mind: high-heeled shoes.

Why should Dr. Jill Biden have to walk down 15th street to the White House in pointy-toe, high-heeled shoes (and then wait awkwardly with President Biden for someone to open the door – they finally had to open it themselves – whoever fumbled that one is looking for a new job, I suspect).

Sure, the shoes were lovely, matching Dr. Biden’s stunning blue inaugural ensemble, but all I could think of was, “damn, her feet must be killing her.”

Ditto Vice President Harris, elegant in purple, perched on what appeared to be patent leather pumps with 4 inch heels.

And Speaker Pelosi, who has made a habit of high heels for as long as I can remember – this is a woman of mature, one might even say advanced, years, and yet somehow she still feels compelled to put on those painful, pointy, pin-heeled pumps.

I couldn’t really get a sense of Michelle Obama’s shoes, but that pantsuit with the long coat was stunning–and sensible.

All of these women worked tirelessly for years to earn their degrees, their positions, and the respect they are owed for their accomplishments (in contrast to a certain recently-departed-from-Washington stiletto-wearing woman who seems to have gained her place primarily by allowing herself to be photographed being beautiful while dressed in not much more than stilettos–and for marrying an utterly repugnant man.)

Let’s celebrate brains, not bunions. There’s too much important work to do, and to do quickly, to waste any time mincing around on tippy-toe.

Plus, it’s hard to run for cover in heels. Here’s hoping that tragic shitshow never happens again.

Feeling fit and fine in flats, I remain,

your “embracing-my-“maturity”-in-sensible-shoes,

Ridiculouswoman