Elizabeth Semmelhack, curator for the Bata Shoe Museum, traces the high heel to male horse-riding warriors in the Middle East who used high heels for functionality, because they help hold the rider's foot in stirrups. [wikipedia]
Ashley paid the price when she refused to give up her seat on the bus to a superior male. Now her defeated wails and rhythmic slapping of flesh provides a cheerful soundtrack for the beleaguered workers on their long ride home. One man even taps his foot
