These Shoes Are Made for Stalking

"Days spent chasing lawmakers on the Capitol’s marble floors can be a challenge," Jonathan E. Kaplan says in an article this month in Washingtonian. "The hard marble puts pressure on knees and backs and even makes for slips." Well, we knew all that, so the interesting part? His short piece takes a look at Congressional correspondents and their preferred footwear - and I have to say poo-poo to most of them!

I wear at least 3.5-inch heels on the Hill on most days, and do I complain? No! Why? Because they are feminine and dress- and location-appropriate, and I manage to find ones that are actually pretty comfortable.

Big props to "shoe addict" Susan Milligan of the Boston Globe (pictured above right), she "toughs it out wearing flashy stilettos. She admits they 'kill' her back, but they also get her noticed. One Massachusetts Democrat routinely comments on her shoes." Nice job and I love the flash of color - something way-too lacking under the Dome.

Some more tidbits - some of which frankly scare me:

“Rubber soles are a must,” says Anne Kornblut, who often tracks the movements of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (who wears low heels) for the Washington Post. Kornblut says she’s found a shoe-repair shop that will add rubber soles to her leather shoes. (This is key! I make sure to have no-slips and rubber soles on my shoes to avoid falling, and more importantly, to avoid making loads of noise with each step.) ...

... CNN congressional correspondent Jessica Yellin prefers clogs because they’re good for posture and are more attractive than many other ergonomically friendly shoes. (There's a photo with the story that I would be happy NEVER seeing again!)

Juliet Eilperin, a onetime congressional reporter for the Post who now writes about the environment, says former majority leader Dick Armey, a Texas Republican, taught her that cowboy boots are best for pounding the marble floors. (Do I even need to say anything here?)

To read the entire article, with a lot more about journos' secret lives, click here...

– Jay Clendenin/Washingtonian