I used to pride myself on my unsurpassed skill when it came to walking in ridiculously high heels. None of that wobbling around and tripping all over myself business. So when I had ankle surgery last December, the recovery period was a bitch. Aside from the almost two months on crutches, there have also been the six virtually heel-less months since. I can whip out my lower ones for a couple hours at this point, but beyond that my leg starts giving out spontaneously, sending me into an incredibly attractive floor-ward dive. People love it.

High-heeled shoes have gotten pretty artsy lately, with naked goddesses, guns, and even a lack of heel replacing the basic pump. But design duo Azumi and David (A’N'D) have recognized the beauty of the regular ole heel, removed it from its usual companion, the shoe, and hung it on a chain, creating these delightful, tongue-in-cheek necklaces. We don’t know about you, but we have a particular pair of shoes that keep failing us. The next time they do, we might have to rip off the heel and make a necklace out of it as payback for breaking on the way to a job interview and a first date. [Azumi and David]

Remember those eye-popping Nina Ricci heel-less high heels? You can see someone try to walk in them here or get a closer look here. Well, it looks as if Ricci’s Olivier Theyskens may have gotten the idea from a more obscure fetish designer, Kronier. The outrageous Kronier line is decidedly fetishistic and probably best for those who like to encase themselves in rubber before heading off to the rave, and the Kronier boots look a lot like the Riccis. You can watch a video of Kronier’s heel-less boots dating back to 2006 here. In any case, there’s probably no one “inventor” of the heel-less shoe; Antonio Berardi did something similar in 2008. But it begs the question: Why do designers want to see women walk in shoes without heels?

Despite all the outlandishly high heels designers like Rodarte, Nina Ricci, and John Galliano put on the runway for fall, The Times has declared heels dead. As proof of this trend, the paper cites a survey from department store Selfridges that reports a 20 percent increase in sales of flat shoes and the story of a company that banned high heels for health reasons. Even though a few other New York designers favored flats for fall, we’re not so sure we agree heels are dead per se, especially because I’d like to get out of these flat sandals I’ve been wearing for months.

Which do you prefer: heels or flats?

Kenneth Cole is stepping into the future (ha) with technologically advanced shoes that apparently make four-inch heels tolerable—hell, comfortable, even! [Anyone else having an Easy Spirit flashback here?—Editor] Four years in the making, these new high heels won’t leave you limping home after you’ve worn them all day. You can commute in them (hooray, no more pantyhose/white tennis shoes combos!), and as this video proves, you can also run around the hills of Central Park in ‘em. (Vid disclaimer: Unless you don’t mind multiple super-close camera shots of a blister-y foot, skip it, trust us!) Word is they’re made with foot-molding foam, have loads of arch support and offer legit shock absorption. My one and only plea to Kenneth, though—can you make some without the silver heel? I’m not blasting off to take a stroll around the moon in them anytime soon. [ABC News]

A woman in England is handing out fliers, questioning residents, putting up “lost” posters, and looking high and low in a desperate search for her precious missing…leopard print pump. That’s right, shoe-addict Louise Bawn lost one of her Christian Louboutin heels after a long night out and is so distraught that she launched an all-out hunt for her lost left shoe. She was gifted the heels by her husband and it was only the second time she wore them. So this psychotic Cinderella isn’t stopping at normal search methods. Come on, these are Louboutins! Bawn is also offering a reward for the person who returns the heel to her, since when she called Louboutin stores to see if they still make the shoe, she discovered that it has been discontinued. For now, Bawn’s right shoe sits cold and alone. The other one is probably sitting in the sewer, somewhere. At least now Bawn can up her home décor and use the right heel as a cool bookend? That way she’ll look fashionably creative and not like she belongs in the loony bin. [Daily Mail]

Would you scour the streets after losing designer footwear?

“Designers with an obsession for towering torture chambers, often poorly designed for the well-being of the foot, must get a reality check.

I, for one, am over the mania for the high, high heel.

Too many career women look like a herd of fashion beasts, aping one another in impractical shoes.”

Oscar-winner Marion Cotillard looked prim and proper in her ladylike suit at the “Bike in Style” event earlier this week. However, if you looked closely at her Dior shoes, you’d notice the heels are in the shape of a naked female who is supposedly a fertility goddess. The French have always been masters of the subtly provocative, no? Click through for another look at the shoes with the amble-bosomed (and -butted) woman.

As soon as I put on a pair of four-inch heels, I long for the moment when I can take them off. It’s not that they’re that painful, but I feel immense guilt about treating my poor little feet so badly. My sky-high pumps can’t possibly be good for them ... or can they?

I love ‘em. Would I rock ‘em? I’m not so sure. UK retailer Iron Fist offers these Zombie Stomper Platform Peep-Toes for £44.99 or around $90. The day-glo green and hot pink whomper-stompers come with a 4-1/2-inch heel plus a 1-inch platform, so they’re not for the shy, dainty, or wobbly. Over the peep-toe, there’s a zombie’s row of exposed teeth and the side of the shoe features a crazed zombie eyeball—all of which is countered by the neat black bow near the heel, if you like to look flirty while you eat human flesh. Or, as the website puts it, “Perfect for stompin’ on zombies ... and men’s hearts.” These blue babylon heels are pretty freak, too. So, would you rock ‘em? [Boing Boing]

Oh Spring, are you almost here? We are dying, dying to ditch our boots and tights in the back of the closet and break out the open toed footwear. Expand your collection of strappy sandals, with this pair of canvas, lace-up heels from We Who See. The slight wedge in the heel and the rubber sole means these babies are not only on trend, but also comfy. Great for skipping your way to happy hour at the beer garden! [$88, Urban Outfitters]

They’re sexy and flattering. They boost your confidence and your height. They make kissing a tall man easier. Sure, we might hate high heels after wearing them all day, but we’ll still put them on the next day. After the jump, 10 notable facts about the amazing, elevating shoe.

While models stumble and tumble while strutting the runway in Fall 2009 shows like Hervé Léger, a few smart designers and fashion insiders are forgetting all about gorgeous-yet-painful high, higher, and highest heels and opting for more sensible shoes. Have they finally grasped that on the whole, people have less money to spend and need to make practical purchases (low wedges can be worn to work and on weekend trips to the grocery)?

Pink satin shoes usually scream “bridesmaid” to us, but these awesome peep-toe pumps from Colin Stuart have us SMITTEN. The black and boudoir-pink combo looks both sexy and chic. We’d pair with a black pencil skirt and pearls to exude a retro-Chanel feel or rock out these four-inch lovelies with jeans, a T-shirt, and a fitted blazer for a smartly mismatched look. Either way, they’re totally hot. Oh, and did we mention they’re $75? Don’t say we never did anything for you… [$75, VictoriasSecret.com]

Check out the boot to the left. Looks like something you (or your slightly slutty best friend) might wear, doesn’t it? While it is by fabulous female shoe designer Stuart Weitzman, this boot and its partner aren’t made for women. This is actually a guy’s boot, aka a “moot.” Weitzman custom-made this and a black patent-leather bootie with a silver heel for Justin Tranter, the lead singer of New York garage glam-rock band Semi-Precious Weapons. This is the first time Weitzman has ever done shoes for a man (in size 12 wide, no less), and Tranter adores his new kicks: “I love heels for two reasons: One, they make my amazing legs look even better and two, I love being able to make an artistic statement without even opening my mouth.” Spoken like a man who knows his shoes.