By Sara Mueller Naomi Campbell had it easy. Although the supermodel may consider the day she lost her balance in 8-inch platforms and fell off the Vivienne Westwood runway to be a career lowlight, at least she didn't get seriously hurt. But we'll be damned if we let that keep us from trying to look hot. From foot binding to stilettos, shoes have been a major cause of disfigurement and discomfort for centuries. The five to eight inches of foam, wood, cork or other sole material leaves the driver's foot so removed from the pedals that the gas pedal is often mistaken for the brake, resulting in a glamorous car wreck.
Injuries related to tall shoes run the gamut from dislocated knees to strained back muscles.
Bell-bottom blunder stories include getting the cuff caught in everything from bicycle and motorcycle mechanisms to elevator doors. I'll never forget the day I was soaking up some sun on my college campus, when a trio of Long Island girls sauntered by me toward the library. To my amusement, one of them, smiling coyly at a frat boy and trying to look sexy, stepped on the cuff of one of her friend's jeans and tripped her. The girl desperately flailed on her way down, clutching the DKNY shoulder bag of the girl next to her. Long, dangling accessories have always held an element of danger as well.