Adjustable High Heels May Spare Women's Feet

Women and shoes. Shoes and women. The two belong together like peanut butter and jelly. Women's fascination with shoes is a deep rooted love that men are incapable of fully understanding. Playing dress up and clunking around ungracefully in mommy's heels, little girls learn to love the clicking of high heel shoes on a hardwood floor. The familiar click-click quickly becomes associated with fashion and beauty in a girl's mind.

Despite repeated warnings of negative effects on the feet, women of the world continue to wear high heels. The right shoes complete a gorgeous outfit. Heels add height to a woman's stature, while making the muscles of the calves look leaner and more defined. Most of all, women wear high heels because the shoes make us feel sexy and empowered at the same time.

Dr David Handel has invented a shoe that may give women's achy feet a break. Recently, Handel worked with a company that has designed 3+ inch heels that transform into shoes with a 1 inch flat heel in as little as three seconds. An internal steel rod inside the stiletto heel is designed to adjust the heel height. Thinking of safety as well as comfort, a locking mechanism prevents the rod from slipping out of the desired position.

A visit to New York approximately 20 years ago caused the inventor's wheels to start turning. He was amazed at the number of business women rushing down city streets dressed in suits and tennis shoes, while carrying heels in their bags. Processing this information, Handel felt a viable solution would have to be comparable to his son's Transformer robot toys. Transformer toys easily change from cars and trucks to robots with a couple of quick twists. The "transformation" of shoes would have to be simple and convenient, like the toys.

Enlisting his sister Lauren as an aide, the brother and sister team created the Camileon Heel. "For the first time, women will be able to combine fashion, comfort and convenience all in one shoe. The first thing I wanted women to say was, 'Wow, I love the style'," declared Miss Handel.

With nine choices available, women can choose from a range of styles, including the traditional shoe as well as slingbacks. The approximate $200 (USD) price tag includes high quality Italian leather on the uppers. The adjustable heels have six layers of paint which ensures minimal wear and tear and a lustrous finish.

The shoes were launched in the United States four months ago and is now available in Britain. Will this adjustable heel trend be the end of squished toes and aching arches? Doubtful that the pain will end, but perhaps reduced a little . . .