For many women, an outfit isn't complete without high heels. In his short documentary, Atlanta director Adelin Gasana looks at the way women have traditionally worn heels to enhance their femininity. Instead of a narrator, he includes excerpts from a speech by art historian Lisa Small about the origin of heels. Around the time of Louis the XIV, Small notes, men wore heels as a sign of wealth and stature (both literally and figuratively). Women started wearing them for similar reasons, but by the early-18th century, men abandoned heels for more masculine styles. From the petite women's shoes of the Sun King era, heels would take on other shapes and sizes throughout the centuries to reflect the changes in women's status, like the platform heels associated with the women's movement of the 1970s. In addition to Small, actresses, models, stylists, designers, influencers, and aerial performers explain why they find heels so appealing.
For many, heels make them feel sexy and powerful, though plus-size model Nzinga Imani regrets that they're seen as necessary to achieve this effect. She doesn't go into detail, but her comment implies that she would prefer to wear something more comfortable. Medical professionals also talk about the ways heels can cause foot pain and back strain. Cheree Eldridge, a podiatrist, cites specific issues, such as bunions, neuroma, and joint degeneration. Kerstin Halstead, a chiropractor, cautions that heels can make women vulnerable to injury and to arthritis. In addition, Byron, a master cobbler, demonstrates how he repairs heels, and Linda "Pearl" Fils-Aime, a modeling and leadership school founder, explains why she teaches young women to walk in heels. For her, it isn't just about glamor, but about projecting confidence. Gasana adds further context through news and talk show segments about the pain, pleasure, and dangers of heels.
All told, he offers an entertaining introduction to the subject, but the limitations of his budget are apparent in the variable audiovisual quality of the interviews and the lack of notable figures most closely associated with heels like designers Manolo Blahnik and Christian Louboutin or actress Sarah Jessica Parker, who made them the defining characteristic of Carrie Bradshaw, her stylish Sex and the City character. There's also no mention of drag and burlesque performance in which heels have always played a central role. RuPaul, who launched the RuPaul's Drag Race franchise, would surely have had a lot to say, particularly about the way heels enhance the femininity of anyone who wears them, whether male, female, or non-binary. High on Heels isn't without merit, but a broader scope would have been ideal. An optional selection. Aud: C, P