High Heel Friendly Sidewalks Are Now a Thing Because Feminism
Sweden might be giving its 16-year-old girls copies of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s feminist manifesto, but New York City’s hot on the country’s heels—quite literally—when it comes to promoting gender equality.
During a press conference announcing the progress of construction on a portion of Manhattan’s subway system, an MTA representative noted that the infrastructure work would make commuting less complicated for all — but especially for women in stilletos. “In order to be easier to navigate for those wearing high-heeled shoes, the sidewalk ‘high-heel friendly’ grates are made with slip-resistant surfaces and the openings between the cross-bars are only ½ inch wide.”
For non New Yorkers and even those without an intimate understanding of how troublesome the ventilation grates are, here’s the gist: they cover 39,000 recessed sidewalk spaces and the metal openings are much wider than a heel, leading to lots of zigzagging and making an already perilous journey (seriously, anyone putting on a pair of heels should sign an waiver) even more so. The framework is a necessity but that hasn’t stopped those who have taken a spill from suing the city.
Before the MTA stepped in to make the change, there were services available to protect heel fans. For $50, the class “How To Walk in High Heels New York City” offered at a Chelsea dance studio teaches women how to tackle the tricky terrain. The instructor, Victor Chu, a former shoe designer for Ugg and Reebok, started the class after seeing women literally fall through the grates. “I’ve taken my life in my hands in heels,”one woman told the Post about walking the city in heels and he reasoning for signing up for the lesson. “I’ve had my heel stuck while crossing the street, with traffic bearing down on me.” For those without the time to commit to a class, there are also clear plastic covers for $9.95 made to increase a heel’s surface area.
The city’s grates have actually played a part in Gotham’s pop culture. The 1954 film The Seven Year Itch featured one of Marilyn Monroe’s most memorable scenes when she stood over a grate and her white halter dress flew up from the below ground air pressure. “Oh, you feel the breeze from the subway,” she says. “Isn’t it delicious?” Ben Stiller’s Along Came Polly also gives the grates a shoutout. The actor plays an insurance agent who tells his date, Jennifer Aniston, as they’re strolling that there’s “a one in 46,000 chance of falling through the city streets.”
Consider those odds lowered. Your move, Sweden.
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