The California City That Made It Illegal For Women To Wear Heels
High heels, right? Great on the eyes and murder on the feet. What could possibly go wrong with the feet, ankles, knees, hips, spine, etc., if an adult human thrusts all of the body's weight straight down onto the balls and toes of the feet when stalking around like an untrained ballerina? Plenty, as Hartford Healthcare says, including tears and fractures, pain, and messed up posture. Then again, there's the siren call of that new pair of stilettos in the store promising to make you look nice and also taller.
But are heels such a menace to health and society that a city would outlaw them? To answer, let's head south of Monterey, California right along the coast to the little village of Carmel-by-the-Sea. With a population of 3,200 or so, Carmel has set out to valiantly rescue its own citizens from lethal footwear. And if the town sounds familiar, yes, it's where actor and director Clint Eastwood served a single term as mayor from 1986 to 1988. Time Magazine says that his achievements included opening an ice cream parlor in town, which he promised to do when running for office. What's the point? Nothing, except that of course the place that banned heels also didn't have ice cream until Dirty Harry rolled into town.
As for the high heel law, it's way more specific than you'd ever think. As the Carmel-by-the-Sea Municipal Code says, heels taller than 2 inches and with less than 1-square-inch flat on the ground are a big no-no.
Too risky to wear down the street
Depending on your perspective, Carmel-by-the-Sea's anti-heel law could seem like a whimsical throwback to a time of pre-modern gentility where neighbors tilted their hats at each other and smiled, "Good afternoon," or like a bonkers, absurdly prescriptive take on personal responsibility. Don't believe us? That's only because we haven't mentioned the law's purpose, worth quoting at length from the Carmel-by-the-Sea Municipal Code. And while the code sounds dated to 1863, it actually comes from 1963. That's one year before Clint Eastwood's 1964 film, "A Fistful of Dollars," because two things about Carmel matter: heels bad, plus Eastwood.
Best read in an old-timey Transatlantic accent, the law's purpose reads, "It is recognized that much of the charm and appeal of the City to residents and visitors alike is due to its urban forest character," and then cites several prominent species of local tree. "The City has determined to maintain this character which benefits both the residents," it continues, "by giving them quiet, semiforested neighborhoods in which to live," mentioning how these areas appeal to tourists. And then we get the whopper: "The maintenance of an urban forest throughout the City necessarily involves some informality in the lighting, location and surfacing of street and sidewalk areas, which in turn involves greater risk to those wearing high heeled shoes more adaptable to formal city life." Translation: Carmel-by-the-Sea banned heels taller than 2 inches because bad lighting along its tree-lined walking surfaces is dangerous to heel wearers.
Weirdly nice for tourists to visit
When wondering why Carmel-by-the-Sea would outlaw heels higher than 2 inches (and with a heel of less than 1 square inch in contact with the pavement, remember), one might ask: Why? Why 2 inches tall? Why 1 inch square? While we don't know the reason for those dimensions, we can answer other questions by turning to the official Visit Carmel-by-the-Sea tourist site. This site highlights all the quaint oddities that make Carmel Carmel, and also makes its odd name seem downright passé. This site also illustrates why Carmel isn't about to overturn its high heel law or any others, because, you know, tourism.
As Visit Carmel-by-the-Sea says, Carmel doesn't allow chain restaurants within its 1-square mile village limits. This is actually awesome for local entrepreneurs and people who don't want to get sick on the Cheesecake Factory's elephantine portions. As a result, Carmel is legitimately and almost obnoxiously adorable. Plus, there's no street address. Like something out of a YA fantasy series, addresses are things like, "fifth house on the east side of Torres Street, green trim, driftwood fence." Leaning into the fantasy/fable/folklore angle, houses are often granted names like "Hansel."
But if you do feel like taking a stroll past Carmel-by-the-Sea's aggressively charming facades and you are also daring enough to risk wearing heels: no worries. The Carmel-by-the-Sea Municipal Code says that those wishing to wear heels can acquire a permit to do so. If not, the local constable (presumably a bunny in a hat) might chase you down.