Never mind the much-photographed celebrities who make walking in heels look like child's play. (We're looking at you, Kate Middleton: You worked those pumps for the cameras yesterday, just 24 hours after delivering the royal baby!) We real women know it requires serious skill.
And for those of us for whom it doesn't come entirely naturally, one New Yorker has launched a class to help. Victor Chu's new “How To Walk in High Heels New York City” program, run out of a dance studio, aims to build experience and confidence for ordinary women interested in strapping on stilettos, according to a report in the New York Post.
The class costs $50, and teaches about navigating obstacles, taking long strides, perfecting posture and movement—and even stretching properly for the, ahem, sport. Chu attributes his know-how to his stint as a shoe designer and to his development of a high-heel fitness program called Legworks.
“Women think heels are sexy because men think they’re sexy,” Chu told the Post. “But you see women wear this pained expression and shuffle. I’ve seen guys giggle at them—it’s not sexy. Bottom line is, you need to be fit to walk in heels with stability.”
Now, as we said, we're the first to admit that walking in heels is hard—and often painful. (Right, Julianne Moore?) But we also think, if you need a class to get the fundamentals down, maybe your money is better spent on a great pair of flats instead.
But what do you think: Would you take a class to learn how to walk in stilettos?
Alesandra Dubin is a Los Angeles-based writer and the founder of home and travel blog Homebody in Motion. Follow her on Google+ and Twitter.
A version of this story originally appeared on iVillage.