Fashion Friday: Cooking in Heels

By Lindsay Geller

As the mayor of Munchkinland, I love (and need) to wear heels. However, what I don’t love about them is how long and painful it is to break in a new pair. Let’s be real—there are two types of women in this world: women whose feet hurt when they wear heels and dirty, rotten liars. I don’t care how many Dr. Scholl’s inserts you’ve got crammed under your pedicure, if your heels aren’t broken in, you are dying. I cannot count the number of city blocks I have walked or blisters I have incurred because of painful, yet beautiful heels. Luckily for me (and now for you), I can forget about the count because, courtesy of my best friend Pinterest, I have a new way to break in heels.

Not only is this way super convenient, it’s totally vegan, at least in my house. I pull a Donna Reed. For those unfamiliar with the 50s sitcom (or the Gilmore Girls episode from which I derive my limited knowledge) Donna Reed was the classic mid-century housewife. She made her family three square meals a day, all dolled up in a New Look dress, pearls, and of course, high heels. When I want to quicken the break in process, I put a modern twist on the perfect housewife routine. After donning a pair of thick socks, I slip into my virgin pumps. Then, I hobble downstairs into my kitchen, laptop and charger in tow. Most of my vegan recipes are from the internet, so my laptop is, oddly enough, one of my culinary essentials. And that’s all I do—bake, stand, and watch endless episodes of The League. (Donna Reed, eat your heart out.)

The constant standing combined with the added bulk of the sock stretches out the shoe in the same way that miles of walking would. Weeks of shoe taming are attained in two hours or less. Of course, I would recommend doing this at least twice to achieve the most comfortable results. Not only is this method efficient, but it’s also a semi-workout with a delicious reward. My vegan treats are usually pretty healthy, but if you really want to keep your calories in check you can do leg lifts while waiting by the oven. Squats and lunges work well too. Your feet (and the rest of your body) will definitely thank you.

Still, this isn’t the only way to break in a new pair of heels; what are some of your favorites?