A friend of mine gave this to me the other day. She said she wasn't sure if it was real or not but it was cool anyway. This is the text version. I'll upload the original Word document (with the embedded pictures) when I get a chance. If this woman is for real, somebody stop me!!! - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - The other day I read an article on the WEB by a young woman explaining the fascination and allure of high heel platform shoes. As a woman who enjoys wearing platforms, I started thinking about the things she wrote about and felt it might be a kick to put down in words my feelings about the subject.

-How it all started- I remember admiring those girls in the ’70s who wore their platforms to school. Back then the primary styles were wedgies and those wooden platforms with the thick sculptured heels. There was almost no end to the variety of platform styles. The tops were made of all kinds of leather, the soles were cut from various types of wood and coated with some kind of high gloss polish. The variety of heels on these shoes were to numerous to mention. The only thing that stood between me and my pair of platforms was my mother. Mom said they made me look lanky, the shoes looked silly and flat refused to buy me a pair. My desire for platforms continued right up to the time the style died out. Now that I was an adult and could buy and wear what ever I wanted, I had to settle for the next best thing to platforms. I had acquired a sizable collection of high heels in a multitude of colors, materials and styles. There was one common factor which was clearly evident. A majority of my heels were 4 ½" high. I was now a woman whose traditional attire was always accented by an exceptionally high pair of heels. I had become satisfied with my fashion footwear until a couple of years ago. I was on my lunch break and decided to walk around the block instead of eating. Half way back to the office I stop to rest my feet. I turned around to looked for a place to sit and noticed I was standing in front of a delightful little shoe store. To my surprise, I discovered that they specialized in unique and hard to find styles. So there I was, looking in the window at a wonderful pair of black patent leather platforms. The wide straps across the toes were nice but the wide ankle strap was what caught me eye. I entered the store and immediately requested to try on a pair like the ones in the window. The salesman brought them out, removed them from the shoe box and laid them at my feet. He then guided my feet into the shoes and buckled the wide ankle straps. From the moment I slipped them on, I knew I was in love. I gazed down at them and admired my feet in a whole new light. I felt as if I were back in high school and my feet felt like they were right at home. I quickly stood up, still admiring the shiny black straps running across my toes and around my ankles. "Would you like to take a look at them in the mirror?" the salesman asked. "Oh yes!" I exclaimed. Looking up from my feet for the first time, I started to say something when I realized I was now looking down at the top of clerk’s head. Mom’s voice reminding me that young ladies are supposed to be shorter than men rang out in my head. I stood there for a moment looking first at the shoes and then the top of the man’s head. It seemed like I stood there for an eternity. The salesman broke the silence and asked if I wanted to try on something else instead. I told him no and proceeded to walk to the mirror. As I stepped onto the marble disk lying in front of the mirror, I noticed that the platform soles made it much easier to walk than regular high heels and my feet didn’t hurt as much either. In fact, all I felt was the puffy softness of the shoe’s insole. My feet were virtually shielded from the harshness of the ground and they made my legs look great. As I turned around to tell the salesman that I would take them, I notice that he was just standing there admiring my feet. That’s when I realized that platforms were much more than just another pair of high heels.

-At the office- After my discovery, you could pry me out of my platforms with a letter opener. They are so comfortable, easier to walk in than regular high heels and they make my legs look great. One thing still had me concerned and that was the height factor. Standing high atop 5 inches worth of shoes, I find myself looking over the heads of most guys in the office. I was sure that my stubbornness would earned me a life of TV dinners or a booth for one at coffee shop. But much to my surprise and delight, the platforms acted as men magnets. They have attracted guys from all over the building. Men from other floors come visit me and have meaningless conversations in hopes of catching a glimpse of my feet peeking out from under my desk.

As the head of the computer support department, I sometimes help out by answering the telephone and walking end-users through their spread sheet and word processing problems. Occasionally, I might have to actually visit a user at their desk to better explain what I was talking to them about on the phone. Most other times, I’m either at my desk or browsing around the computer room for software some tech had borrowed and didn’t return. So I normally wear platforms that aren’t necessarily the easiest things to put on and take off. The straps hold my feet firmly in place. That makes me feel more sure footed then most other shoes I have worn.

There are times that my boss, the telecommunications manager, will call me up and tell me to dress casual for the next couple of days. This usually means we’ll be crawling around under desks and I should wear some jeans and sneakers. I’ll definitely will show up in the jeans but I only wear sneakers when I go jogging. On those days, I’ll wear platforms that are easy to get on and off. Mules or spandex slip-ons seem to work the best for me. When I do have to take them off, it’s never for very long and they are rarely out of my sight. For some reason, I get so many guys watching me work and telling me what a great tech I am. I might be a little over protective, but a keep getting the feeling that if given the right opportunity, my shoes would follow some guy back to his desk.

And of course, every business executive today has one or two power suits. I am no exception. The big difference is I don’t have any power ties. I do, however, have a pair of power heels. A pair of shiny black patent leather pumps with a staggering 7 ½" heel. I have found them to be most effective in negotiating with the CIO. While he’s busy trying to figure out how a 5 feet 8 inch women is now face to face with him, he’s agreeing to almost anything I want. I know that’s not true but he was stunned the first time he saw me in them at a meeting. But most of all, I love joking with my boss. I’ll stand right next him, resting my arm on his shoulder and ask him when he’s going to stop shrinking. He turns real red and tells me to get back to work, but I think in a way it turns him on.

-Rain Who Cares-

Without a doubt, the girls in the office all want to know where I buy my shoes on those rain days. I have a great pair of patent leather boots that keep my feet nice and dry even when I’m standing in an inch of water. Of course, everyone reminds me that my feet would never get wet even if I were wearing a pair of my sandals. Boots are not my favorites. They make my feet hot. Maybe I have just become use to sandals. I like my toes peeking out of the shoes. For what ever reason, I’m just so very glad it doesn’t rain much here.

-Out on the town-

For the most part, dating didn’t change much. O.K. I take it back. Dating, in some ways, got much better. Guys are first attracted by my shoes. Then they make some cute comment like "isn’t the air really thin up there" or "would you like me to climb up there and give you mouth to mouth". But after they’ve gotten past their insecurity of talking to a woman who is apparently taller than them, a normal conversation starts to occur. Dinner and a movie is soon offered and things go pretty normal from there. I love to dance. Dancing is like public foreplay to me. Things cool off a bit when the band starts plays those slow songs. You know, that height thing again. Guys tend to get weird when they have to rest their head on my shoulder or chest.

There have been many times my girl friend has hooked me up with someone for a blind date. She’ll say "he’s really a great guy, you’ll like him a lot and could I please wear some normal shoes". Red flags go up everywhere. That’s her way of telling me that this guy is going to be a card carrying member of the macho men’s society. I’m not proud of it, but the little demon takes me over and I find myself bringing out my scare-wear. This is my special collection of footwear that I use for dusting the cob webs off of the ceiling so I don’t have to use a step stool. Boosting me to well over the 6-foot mark, believe me when I say that only the real men can handle having to stand on their tip toes to kiss me goodnight. That’s the test that definitely separates the macho-mice-men from the men who are self assured, confident in themselves and have no hang-ups about old world stature taboos. If they pass that test and he asks me out again, I drop back down into my normal platforms with the 5 inch heels.

-Behind closed doors- If you are waiting for me to tell you about some steamy under the covers interlude, don’t quit your day job. The time I spend with a man in the privacy of the bedroom is my business. But because this is an expose on my life in high heel platforms, I will tell you that there are many times we have not made it to the bedroom. Those guys who haven’t run away like little boys fleeing from the evil giant queen have discovered some pretty interesting things. One of which is that making love in a vertical position is not only less restrictive as to where you can do it, but its a lot more fun than just lying there in the bed. Let’s just say that I got a pleasurable surprise when my date(now my boyfriend) was kissing me goodnight. He had brought me home and we were at my front door. I bent down a little so he could kiss me goodnight. Soon our emotions were out of control. I couldn’t get the key in my front door fast enough. Once inside, I found myself being pressed against the wall as he did everything in his power to match my height. And without getting sleazy, lets just say that by adjusting certain pieces of clothing and one body part being taller than another that can slide up into here and you can figure out the rest.

In closing, all I have to say is that platforms are wonderful. They boost your stature and your self-esteem at the same time. They make a fashion statement in complete silence. You’re never over looked or ignored. And guaranteed someone will always speak to you in the elevator.