Up to 100 runners, men and women, from the Marikina suburb of Manila in the Philippines competed in the whacky annual race, Tour of Heels.
Competitors scrambled along a 500-metre track in heels at least three inches high in an unusual test of balance and endurance.
Tour of Heels takes place to celebrate the shoe festival in Marikina, which is known as the shoe capital of the country.
Men and women were kept separate during the event to prevent any injuries as they raced to the finish line.
Runner Karel Blances admitted: “It is difficult having to tiptoe and I salute those women who wear high heels. It definitely hurts to wear them.”
Up to 100 runners, men and women, from the Marikina suburb of Manila in the Philippines competed in the whacky annual race, Tour of Heels
Competitors wore a range of flamboyant outfits to match their stilettos in a bid to win the “shoe-perstar award” for the most glamorous runner.
Glendolly Sumait wore her bridal dress to try to claim the award and finish first. But she was let down by the bulkiness of her dress.
She said: “It is easier to run with rubber shoes because you can easily run fast, instead of wearing heels where you need to look sexy while running.”
Cash prizes were awarded to the quickest and best dressed runners of the race.
Gerald De Asis, who fended off competition to be crowned the winner of the men’s division, said the secret to his success was willpower and technique.
He said: “You have to balance yourself so you won’t trip and don’t think about what you’re wearing. Just keep running.”
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Power flat is proving to be strong competition as the go-to shoe for female executives who have had enough of sore feet while trying to keep up with their male counterparts.
Christina Binkley, from The Wall Street Journal, wrote: “Long stuck in the purgatory of casual wear, flats are suddenly being promoted for polished occasions.”
Although power heels create height, lengthen the legs and arch the foot just so, they also slow women down.
So flats that are sleek enough to be dress shoes are now taking women from the boardroom to the bar with the same attention and authority.
Women, who often spend the day changing in and out of uncomfortable power heels, usually lag behind the fast-paced strides of male colleagues, teetering over cobble-stoned streets and dodging sidewalk cracks.
They have long lugged around over-size handbags just to carry a pair of walking shoes, so they can awkwardly change into stilettos for their next big meeting.
Or, they simply spend enormous amounts of wasted income on cabs thanks to sore, pinched feet from four-inch heels.
However, this season flats are commanding attention just as much as the highest heel, a sign perhaps that a woman’s average day is becoming more demanding, faster and busier than ever – jugglinglong days at work, families, trips to the gym and active social lives.
Power flat is proving to be strong competition as the go-to shoe for female executives who have had enough of sore feet while trying to keep up with their male counterparts
Luisa De Paula, Buying & Merchandising Director of My-Wardrobe.com, explained: “Today’s woman has an ever busier lifestyle.
“Walking or even running to a meeting or to the school gates means practicality. It doesn’t mean scrimping on style, it’s a modern chic and very 60s look, which is very key for next season.”
Pointy toes, metal toe caps and embellishments like spikes, studs and gemstones; as well as strong colors, materials like snakeskin, tweed and patent leather are some of the details that give these flats their powerful edge.
While masculine Oxfords were all over the fall collections, pointy-toed flats and smoking slippers are on the agenda for next spring – and none of them hold the quintessential casual image that often comes with flat shoes – such as ballet flats.
At both Marc Jacobs and Giorgio Armani, flats were paired with tailored suits and eveningwear.
Power flats are an especially welcome alternative for the many executives who are unable to wear heels for health reasons. And working women have taken note.
“We have seen a significant increase in sales of flat shoes against last season and what we term the <<statement flat>>,” said Luisa De Paula.
“Key sellers have been glitter, studded and patent styles by Marc by Marc Jacobs, Lucy Choi, Sam Edelman and Red Valentino.”
But how to wear the new angular flat? Christina Binkley advised: “Think of the way Carla Bruni-Sarkozy has worn them since marrying her much-shorter husband, the former president of France.
“Often with slim pants or a trim skirt or dress that elongates the body.”
Christian Louboutin has admitted he does not care whether women feel pain wearing his sought-after heels.
Instead, Christian Louboutin claimed most women had a “quasi-masochistic experience” with their stilettos – and that anyone struggling to walk in his creations should ditch them altogether.
The French cobbler has single-handedly transformed the six-inch stiletto from Cabaret prop to closet staple.
His iconic red soles are also responsible for a plethora of podiatric ailments.
Rather than feel any regret for inflicting pain on many a discerning fashionista however, Christian Louboutin has adopted a “take it or leave it attitude”.
Among his long-suffering fans is Coleen Rooney, who last week was spotted wearing Louboutin heels to the Grand National at Aintree. On Sunday, however, the 26-year-old tweeted a photograph of her wearing trainers, saying: “Loving my Converse, just what I need after three days at the races with sky high heels on.”
Victoria Beckham has also reportedly experienced severe bunions and a slipped disc by wearing Christian Louboutin creations.
Christian Louboutin, 49, says he feels little sympathy for those who suffer while wearing his designs, describing the relationship between a woman and her heels as a quasi-masochistic experience.
Christian Louboutin says he feels no sympathy for those who suffer while wearing his designs, describing the relationship between a woman and her heels as a quasi-masochistic experience
He told Grazia magazine: “I really have not so much sympathy. If Tina Turner and Prince’s back-up band can perform on stage in them for three hours, you can’t tell me they are impossible to walk in.
“High heels are pleasure with pain.
“If you can’t walk in them, don’t wear them.”
Celebrating his 20th anniversary, Christian Louboutin’s high-end label is the subject of a an exhibition at the London Design Museum next month.
He has also released a coffee-table book, a weighty tome that marks two decades in fashion and his path from intern to A-lister.
Christian Louboutin’s journey as a cobbler began at Paris music hall Folies Bergere, where he first worked and was inspired by the world of Cabaret – a theme which still features heavily in his collections today.
So much so that he recently accepted a role as “guest creator” at Crazy Horse.
But he credits his breakthrough moment to Tina Turner, who wore his designs at a concert ten years ago.
With a stellar career behind him, it’s hard to imagine what would be next on Christian Louboutin’s to-do list.
But it appears he has his sights set on a new genre of clients.
Christian Louboutin said: “If I could do shoes for anyone it would be a special project for the Queen of England.
“She and the Pope are the ultimate clients.”
