'Tis the Season of Six-Inch Stilettos

How to wear the new sky-high shoes. And why women do

Dave M. Benett / Getty

"More hips, ladies, more hips!" scolds the cheerful instructor for the fourth time in as many minutes. Obligingly, my classmates and I traverse the dance floor like tragic auditioners for a hip-hop video. We, the participants in the High Heel Fitness Class & High Heel Walking Workshop, need more hips. We need to move our knees more. We need to tighten our core. We need to hold up our chests. We need, in short, to learn to walk again. This time in heels.

Of all the things for which women have an inexplicable affection--Matthew McConaughey springs to mind--high-heeled shoes are among...

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