Now that’s a killer heel! It’s the craziest celebrity shoe trend ever – tottering on skyscraper stilettos made from steel just millimetres thick

 

By ANTONIA HOYLE FOR THE DAILY MAIL
PUBLISHED: 00:47, 11 November 2015 | UPDATED: 12:51, 11 November 2015

First it was a hand-span waist. Then came the thigh gap. Now, it seems, female celebrities have widened their competitive edge to see who can balance on the narrowest heels to show off the most emaciated frame.
Step forward Victoria Beckham, who yesterday appeared in New York wearing four-and-a-half-inch stiletto heels that measured just a few millimeters thick — which, even by their owner’s standards, is staggeringly slight.
The heels of Posh’s £585 shoes, by Italian designer Casadei, are so razor thin that the designer refers to them as ‘blades’.
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The heels of Posh’s £585 shoes, by designer Casadei, are so razor thin the designer refers to them as ‘blades’
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The heels of Posh’s £585 shoes, by designer Casadei, are so razor thin the designer refers to them as ‘blades’

Walk tall in Victoria’s high top heels by Casadei

Casadei Blade collar suede pumps

Get your hands on them at Harrods!

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When it comes to heels, Victoria Beckham knows best.

The former Spice Girl and mother of four always manages to knock our socks off in her own designs, but for shoes she tends to turn to Italian brand Casadei. Just take a look at these high fashion heels and you’ll understand why!

We love the structured collar of her black suede pumps. It’s a twist on a classic style and a shape that has been huge in the footwear world recently. Just look to Christian Louboutin and Saint Laurent (below) for more inspiration if you need it!

It’s a vampy design that helps elongate the leg, making them perfect to wear with your best LBD this party season. Tempted? Click the link (right) to buy them now at Harrods.

But if you’re counting the pennies in the run up to Christmas, these Office shoes are a great option. They could definitely pass for designer, so treat your feet today!

* PRICES MAY NOT BE AS ADVERTISED
…NOW GET SOME SHOES LIKE VICTORIA’S

Office Trouble high back courts

Visit site

Ted Baker embellished court shoes

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Saint Laurent Thorn pumps at Farfetch

Visit site

Christian Louboutin Mea Culpa collar pumps at Saks Fifth Avenue

Visit site

Made of lacquered steel and with a metal shank, these futuristic shoes have given rise to a new breed of ‘blade-runner’ celebrities for whom skinniness and strength is everything, ensuring that the instantly recognisable red sole of the Louboutin stiletto — the stars’ previous footwear staple — has been consigned to the sartorial waste bin.
‘These shoes are the only ones any self-respecting starlet wants to be seen wearing on the red carpet,’ says showbusiness insider Ashley Pearson.
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‘They are fresher and edgier than their predecessors — Jimmy Choos, Louboutins and Manolo Blahniks — and the fact they sell out the second they hit the stores only adds to their mystique.’
But how does the human body withstand being precariously balanced on a wafer-thin blade of steel?
Here, ANTONIA HOYLE reveals the low down on the hottest high heel in Hollywood . . .

SCIENCE WONDER
The Casadei Blade has a lacquered steel heel that measures just 2cm in circumference at the top, widening to 2.5cm at the base of the heel.
The heel is hammered on to the shoe via a 10mm concealed plateau that sits between the shoe’s vertiginous heel and the sole.
‘Most high heels contain a narrow nail for support that is wrapped in polyurethane plastic. Having a steel blade as the heel itself is very unusual,’ says Dr Naomi Braithwaite, a senior lecturer in fashion marketing at Nottingham Trent University and an expert in shoe design.
‘Aside from looking innovative and striking — steel is a structural, hard-wearing material and a symbol of durability — it makes the heel stronger. In this instance the construction has become the aesthetic.’
Yet it is the shank — or the middle part — of the shoe that carries the most weight. ‘This will contain a very thin sheet of metal that sits under the arch of the foot and runs from the heel to the ball,’ says Dr Braithwaite. ‘It provides a counter balance and stops the heel from caving in.
‘There is likely to be a foam padding under the ball of the foot to help cushion the pressure, although someone like Victoria Beckham will be well versed at withstanding the pain.’
Jennifer Lopez wears a pair of the vertiginous heels. Fortysomething stars from Jennifer Aniston to Cameron Diaz have all been seen in various Casadei designs in an effort to keep up with the youngsters
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Jennifer Lopez wears a pair of the vertiginous heels. Fortysomething stars from Jennifer Aniston to Cameron Diaz have all been seen in various Casadei designs in an effort to keep up with the youngsters
ITALIAN VA-VA-VOOM
Hand-crafted by Casadei — a traditional manufacturer based on the Italian Riviera since 1958, which fell out of favour in the Eighties and Nineties to the likes of Louboutin and Jimmy Choo — the Casadei Blade has a pointed toe and comes in a choice of leather or suede.
Priced from £250 for a pair of sandals to £1,120 for over-the-knee stiletto boots, the Casadei range doesn’t come cheap. But if you have a celebrity budget they’re more than worth it, insists Braithwaite.
‘Designer shoes like these can take months to make, from conception to creation,’ she says.
‘There will have been a team of craftsmen with different specialities involved in the gluing, the lasting — the pulling together of fabric — and the finishing and checking. Some machines will have been used, but they will all be guided by hand. Casadei may have been usurped in recent years by the likes of Louboutin, but they are a beautiful example of Italian craftsmanship.’
Made of lacquered steel and with a metal shank, these futuristic shoes have given rise to a new breed of ‘blade-runner’ celebrities for whom skinniness and strength is everything
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Made of lacquered steel and with a metal shank, these futuristic shoes have given rise to a new breed of ‘blade-runner’ celebrities for whom skinniness and strength is everything
KEEP UP WITH CARA
Younger celebrities such as Taylor Swift, Kristen Stewart and Cara Delevingne sparked the recent trend, teaming killer Casadei numbers with sky-high mini-skirts.
‘Suddenly they seemed so much edgier and fresher than traditional Louboutins and Jimmy Choos,’ says Ashley Pearson. ‘The heels are higher and the toes pointier. Older stars — who are dying to look young and sexy — started wearing them to emulate their twentysomething rivals.’
Fortysomething stars from Jennifer Aniston to Cameron Diaz and Julia Roberts have all been seen in various Casadei designs.
But what about the inevitable pain they cause? It’s of no concern to your average star, says Pearson. ‘Some wear heels a size bigger to compensate — this has the added advantage of making them look thinner. But the thinness of this heel is symbolic of the lengths stars will suffer to look good.
‘Everything in Hollywood is a competition, and they don’t care if they’re in pain. Wearing these heels makes them feel virtuous in much the same way as starving themselves for three days before an awards ceremony would.’
Besides, she adds, actresses have ways of coping with pain. ‘They have fillers injected into the balls of their feet to enable them to stand on red carpets for longer amounts of time.’
MANGLED MUSCLES
Walking in blades is like walking on a tight rope, explains physiotherapist Nicki De Leon. ‘The thinner the heel, the less stable you are and the more likely you will be to twist your ankle because there is less surface area to balance on,’ she says.
Longer term, the problems heels such as these will cause are more serious still. ‘Prolonged wearing of heels of this height and width will permanently shorten your calf muscles and your Achilles tendons,’ says De Leon.
‘This alters your bio-mechanics — the way we are designed to walk. It leaves you more susceptible to injury and makes it very painful when you do change footwear and wear flats. Imagine your muscles are like a tightened elastic band — when you do try to stretch them, they are more likely to snap.’
Penelope Cruz wears a pair of super-skinny heeled stilettos on the red carpet for a film premiere
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Penelope Cruz wears a pair of super-skinny heeled stilettos on the red carpet for a film premiere
Killer Heel exhibit showcases history of elevated shoes
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ACHES AND PAINS
They may provide inches of added height but ultimately these shoes can destroy your posture, with the excess height and minimal width forcing the body into what is called the ‘lordosis’ position — excessive curvature of the lower spine — to compensate.
‘Your body is contorted into an unnatural position with an increased arch the spine is not designed for. This puts strain on your lower back, making it more likely to develop aches and pains, and leaving your joints at risk of degenerating,’ says De Leon.
‘You won’t develop a hunchback, but your spine will curve and your posture can be permanently affected.’
WALKING DISASTER
These heels are a walking disaster zone for feet, says podiatrist Tracy Byrne, with the tiny surface area of the heel proving the biggest risk.
‘Your foot is designed as a shock absorber to take the pressure of your weight evenly,’ says Byrne. ‘But a heel this high and narrow tilts forward your pelvis, putting undue pressure on the front of the foot, and means the majority of your weight is on your toe joints. This can lead to Morton’s neuroma (a painful thickening of nerve tissue, which may need to be surgically removed) and also cause metatarsalgia — shooting pains across the bones at the front of the foot.’
The pointed toe compresses the bones into an unnatural position, meaning more bone is laid down on top to compensate, causing bunions, which have to be removed surgically — something Victoria Beckham is rumoured to have considered.
Another issue with pointed shoes is ‘deviated toe’, which is when the little toe bends underneath or over the top of the adjacent toe. ‘This, too, can be realigned permanently only through surgery,’ says Byrne.
These heels are a walking disaster zone for feet, says podiatrist Tracy Byrne, with the tiny surface area of the heel proving the biggest risk (pictured: Cameron Diaz)
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These heels are a walking disaster zone for feet, says podiatrist Tracy Byrne, with the tiny surface area of the heel proving the biggest risk (pictured: Cameron Diaz)
SKINNIES ONLY!
And what if anyone who’s not a size zero, like Victoria and her celebrity peers, should attempt to wear them?
‘There is no evidence to show that the heavier a woman, the less likely she is going to be able to walk in these shoes,’ says De Leon. ‘But it will be easier for Victoria Beckham because she is slimmer and physically fit, so there is less weight for the shoes to bear. She is probably 8st at a push, which will withstand weight much better than someone who is 13st.
‘Even a size 14 woman — which, of course, is by no means fat — would be more likely to lose balance. They would struggle to walk and ultimately be more prone to toppling over.’
Still tempted? Try Office Tune Metal Heel Point Court Shoes in Black Suede. Much more affordable at £68
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Still tempted? Try Office Tune Metal Heel Point Court Shoes in Black Suede. Much more affordable at £68
‘I FEEL IKE I’M BALANCING ON MATCHSTICKS!’
by Catherine Ostler
You have to hand it to Posh. She practises what she preaches: extremely high fashion. Even while being stalked around New York by paparazzi this week, she wore the sort of heels that defy the laws of physics.
I am not one to be intimidated by a pair of heels. At 5ft 2in, I have spent most of my adult life tottering giddily in an attempt to get on a level with everybody else.
So I couldn’t wait to take her extraordinary shoes for a trial run — or at least a hobble.
Catherine Ostler found the shoes almost impossible to walk in as the thin heel makes them feel precarious
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Catherine Ostler found the shoes almost impossible to walk in as the thin heel makes them feel precarious
My first impression of Victoria’s ‘Blade Cappa’ black suede heels, made by her favourite brand, Casadei, is they are something of an architectural wonder.
They come in a mundane white box, but as I lift them out I can’t help staring at the exceptionally narrow steel heel that looks, the company says, like ‘a sharp razor blade’.

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They’re not wrong. The perfect murder weapon for a film noir, perhaps. The price is sharp, too — £585.
It’s a snug fit — I have to pull on the delicate scalloped ruff around the ankle to get the shoe on.
But once on, that little collar looks dainty on my ankle, as well as helping them stay on. It’s terribly elegant.
It is also oddly comfortable — until I try to do anything. Like put my foot to the floor, or walk, or possibly even blink.
I find myself almost stumbling. It’s not that they hurt exactly, more that they feel about as secure as resting on a matchstick.
Of course, the steel stilettos are not really fragile, but they feel precarious. I wear them for half an hour, making my way from the office to the pavement, where I parade slowly up and down before hailing a black cab — about as much walking as Posh would manage.
I’d say these are best worn with no tights to help them stay on, since you could break your neck if you slipped out.
The problem is particularly acute if you have small feet, like me, as the angle is so vertiginous you feel like you are walking on tiptoes.
My husband’s voice rings in my ears: ‘Why do women buy shoes they can’t walk in?’
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-3312965/The-craziest-shoe-trend-Stilettos-steel-just-2mm-thick.html#ixzz43AlMgBox
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