[nagdu] Re heels (shoes) and guide dogs

[Elizabeth Rene]

I laughed out loud when I first saw this title, because it reminded me of my 
late guide Rafael, who had a terrible habit of chewing shoes.  No matter 
what I did to train or correct him around this, or where I put the shoes, 
Raf liked nothing better than to turn over a high-heeled shoe and chew on 
the heel!  Right in front of me, too.  Maybe he was telling me that I needed 
to come down "a peg."

I've worn high heels almost every day since I got my first guide dog in 
1977.

I try to avoid the true spike heel because it gets caught in gratings, and 
imagine being a dog getting stepped on with a spike heel!  Unthinkable.

I don't like heels higher than 2 3/4 inches, because climbing the hills in 
downtown Seattle in heels throws my posture off.  I do have a pair of tall, 
three-inch high, chunky-heeled dress boots, but I bought them hesitantly, 
and only because they fit my calves better than anything else I could find 
at the time.

I think that wedge heels are best for someone worried about getting heels 
caught on things, and I like them a lot.  Also, some wedge-heeled dress 
shoes I've found have toes that turn up about an inch, which makes them more 
comfortable to walk in and prevents tripping on cracks in the sidewalk.  I 
do really love these turned-up toes, and I think they're cute.

When I buy shoes, I obviously have my guide dog with me, so I walk with him 
in his harness as part of the trying-on process.  If I'm not comfortable 
guiding in the shoes, I don't buy them.

I also take shoes of various heel-heights with me to guide dog school to use 
on training routes toward the end of class.  That way, I add another 
dimension to my route, and see how the new guide and I will function in the 
real world for which I dress.  If the school won't support this idea, I 
don't go there.  This isn't about vanity.  It's about the school and me 
addressing the practicalities of what I'll actually be doing in life once my 
dog and I cease being trainees.  I want a school that will enthusiastically 
help me and my guide move seamlessly into our professional life together.

Platform shoes aren't entirely out for me, though the height of the platform 
should be low to moderate.  The construction of the shoe determines how well 
it lets me feel the terrain under foot, and some platform does protect (me) 
against impact fatigue.  I check out tactile sensitivity when I try on 
platform shoes.  And I check out sole construction and traction then, too, 
for any shoe.

SAS and Rockport make nice dress shoes designed especially for walking. 
These are usually loafers, dress flats, low wedges, or the occasional 2-inch 
heel pump.  These brands have soles with good traction, too.

Lastly, keeping high heels in good repair is essential.  Once the heel tips 
start to wear down, they're not as safe or comfortable to walk in.  If you 
walk as much as I do, it's easy to wear down heels, and it can get expensive 
to have them fixed all the time.  The best solution might be to walk 
outdoors in flats, then don the heels at the office, keeping them in the 
bottom desk drawer to be worn exclusively at work.

Elizabeth