High Heel Friendly Sidewalks Are Now a Thing

Sweden might be giving its 16-year-old girls copies of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s feminist manifesto, but New York City’s hot on the country’s heels—quite literally—when it comes to promoting gender equality.

During a press conference announcing the progress of construction on a portion of Manhattan’s subway system, an MTA representative noted that the infrastructure work would make commuting less complicated for all — but especially for women in stilletos.

RELATED: Twiggy blames modeling and high heels for her 'dodgy' back

RELATED: Are high heels really torture devices disguised as fashion

“In order to be easier to navigate for those wearing high-heeled shoes, the sidewalk ‘high-heel friendly’ grates are made with slip-resistant surfaces and the openings between the cross-bars are only ½ inch wide.”

For non New Yorkers and even those without an intimate understanding of how troublesome the ventilation grates are, here’s the gist: they cover 39,000 recessed sidewalk spaces and the metal openings are much wider than a heel, leading to lots of zigzagging and making an already perilous journey (seriously, anyone putting on a pair of heels should sign an waiver) even more so.

The framework is a necessity but that hasn’t stopped those who have taken a spill from suing the city.

Before the MTA stepped in to make the change, there were services available to protect heel fans.

For $50, the class “How To Walk in High Heels New York City” offered at a Chelsea dance studio teaches women how to tackle the tricky terrain.

The instructor, Victor Chu, a former shoe designer for Ugg and Reebok, started the class after seeing women literally fall through the grates.

“I’ve taken my life in my hands in heels,”one woman told the Post about walking the city in heels and he reasoning for signing up for the lesson.

“I’ve had my heel stuck while crossing the street, with traffic bearing down on me.”

For those without the time to commit to a class, there are also clear plastic covers for $9.95 made to increase a heel’s surface area.