MANOLO AND THE PLATFORM

Manolo Blahnik has published a new book of drawings called "Manolo's New Shoes", from which has arisen an opinion that surprised me: "I'm suspicious of platforms. They're the wrong shape for the leg".

Really?

But I like platforms... I like them because they stop my foot from being on a really high angle, which means that there is less weight on the ball of my foot. I also like them because it makes running down the street in 4.5 inch heels do-able... even when it shouldn't be!

However, it does depend on the kind of platform we're talking about. On our 4.5 inch heels, the platform is reasonable but not so high that it becomes the dominant feature of the shoe. In the interests of proportion, the platform that corresponds to our 3.5 inch heel is almost half the thickness, as you can see in the image below.

There have been some much more substantial versions of the platform on offer over the past three years, corresponding with the much heavier-duty shoe that has toughened up even the floatiest dresses. Although Blahnik makes a great point - this isn't necessarily complimentary to the leg as a classical shape is, I do think that the disproportion is the shape and look we've been enjoying.

What do you think? do you own shoes with platforms? do you look for them when you're buying heels? or, do you avoid them?