Run baby run

There are many wondrous things that gets one going, "How the hell do {something} ?". One of my current curiosities is literally a lot more down to earth - how the hell do women run in heels?

A few of my lady colleagues wear heels to work and not all of them do it consistently except for one from next door. There are times when I would be observing at her feet (there are more to see than the feet but let's not go there), wondering how the heck could she walk so fast while balanced on a small triangle of contact to the ground with the heels elevated.

I once put my feet onto a pair of my mom's when I was much younger out of curiosity and the feeling was like a constant sensation of sliding forwards. Suffice to say my balance was crappy on them, so walking a few steps wasn't easy, let alone pacing.

On the tele and the cinema we watch women running in heels all the time but seeing it with your own eyes is not something that is easy to believe. A slight slip or twist of the steps would send them hurtling forwards and possibly sprain the ankle, yet they do so like athletes in sneakers or jogging shoes. I earnestly hope nothing like that would happen, but aside from admiring how some women actually look good on them, there's always a little feeling of uneasiness that I can't shake, magnified by the height of their heels above ground.

I once joked that they're good to throw at dogs but how about outrunning them? Her reply was in a matter-factly manner - 'can'.

"I can even chase the bus", she added.

I really didn't know what to say to that.