The 'stiletto whisperer' teaches NYC women how to strut their stuff

New York Post—July 18, 2013

Nekia Durant has been practicing her stiletto strut since she was 2 years old. Even so, she doesn’t have a clue how to walk in high heels.

“I’ve taken my life in my hands in heels,” admits Durant, a 30-year-old health-care worker. “I’ve had my heel stuck while crossing the street, with traffic bearing down on me.”

Which is why she signed up, with her mother, Peggy, for the class “How To Walk in High Heels New York City,” at a Chelsea dance studio earlier this month, alongside several other wobbling fashionistas.

The hourlong class, a group workshop that teaches women how to navigate the tricky terrain of Gotham, is the first of its kind, says instructor Victor Chu. For $50 at the Legwork school, a pupil will learn how to master uneven sidewalks, surprise subway grates and kryptonite cobblestones that send stiletto-clad ladies flying.

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And most women are willing to suffer for their success. According to a study released last month by the UK’s College of Podiatry, major pain kicks in after just over one hour and six minutes in high heels. And 20 percent of women report acute pain after a mere 10 minutes in heels.

All that pain is leading women straight to their doctors. Dr. David S. Levine, a foot and ankle surgeon at Hospital for Special Surgery, says he’s seen a spike in female injuries, and adds that narrow, ill-fitting high heels are the main culprit. He estimates two-thirds of his patients nowadays are women.

Read the full story at nypost.com.