Long time back, I happened to see a show of Oprah showing how centuries back in ancient china women were forced to tie their feet right from childhood to get a beautiful(???) albeit small feet. This was considered a fashion despite the fact that it broke the bones in the feet and practically made the women imobile. It was garish to see the shoes and those feet. Today, while coming for work, I happened to see a woman wearing those high heeled stilted shoes. I think the this version which women consider professional and very fashionable it but a morphing of those ancient chinese shoes and women's habit, but in a more sublte and less aggressive way. Is this the vanity of women or is the society forcing it on her? Not sure except the fact that it is totally ludicurous.