Walk a Mile in HER Shoes

Keith Jasper is going to be wearing a pair of 4″ red stilettos this weekend. It’s not for fashion’s sake but to raise awareness for the White Ribbon Campaign to end violence against women everywhere. In 2012, he was the highest fundraiser and this year he hopes to do even better but he’s got his work cut out for him. You see, he’s just one of hundreds of men who will be wearing their choice of heels. The cause is very important. But decisions… open or closed toes, lace up or strappy? As a husband, father and son, he understands that the issues surrounding violence against women needs to be adddressed.

Why is this particular cause so important to you?

I walk in the Walk a Mile in her Shoes Toronto to raise awareness and I will continue to do so to make sure that men and boys understand that it’s within our power to put a stop to this problem, and to ensure women are treated with respect. All women deserve to be valued, not violated.

The White Ribbon Campaign cites a stat that 1 in 2 women are subject to some sort of sexual or physical abuse in the course of their lifetime. That stat just boggles my mind.

I think about my mother, my daughters, and my nieces, and… it’s shocking to think of the odds that any one of them could experience this type of violence.

Tragic stories like the sexual assault and suicide of Rehtaeh Parson’s just reinforce the fact that many people, including teens have become desensitized to sexualized violence. In our digitally-connected world where information is at our finger tips, there’s no excuse for not knowing or being ambivalent around this issue. Social media helps get people involved. I, and my team at Bounce Ideas, will continue to use our social voice to champion this cause.

In my role as Director of Inspiration at Bounce, I figuratively walk a mile in our female client’s shoes every day. Participating in this event is a natural extension of that mindset.

You’ve done this walk before… What tips do you have for newbies to the walk?

Number one is get heels that fit properly and learn how to walk in them before the event.

Guys walk heel to toe and that just isn’t pretty when you are trying to walk in heels.

Pick a line and lead with your heels. I was taught by an expert – but that’s a whole other story. I don’t use those sockettes or hose or anything. I prefer bare feet, which gives me a good grip on the shoe.

How many pairs of stilettos did you try on for this year’s walk? And what did you settle with?

Not very exciting- I actually bought my own red stilettos four years ago and keep them in a shoe bag to keep them pristine. On my first walk I stepped in a crack on the road and chipped a heel- I was devastated. Since I only wear them to support the White Ribbon event, they are still in good shape.

A new pair of stilettos would likely mean learning to walk in heels all over again.

I heard your heels are 4 inches tall?! Yikes, how are you prepping?

I am walking around the office wearing my heels. I do some squats and some calf exercises to make sure my legs and feet are in shape. I usually do a fundraiser at a local restaurant to help raise some funds so I am usually am on my feet for around 3-4 hours. That gets you used to the heels.

What’s your style? Louboutins? Jimmy Choo? Stuart Weitzman? Or Hush Puppies?

Who doesn’t love Louboutins, Jimmy Choo and Stuart Weitzman? And you can’t leave off Louis Vuitton, Manolo Blahnik, and Gucci. I figure if I bought those brands people might think I like the red stilettos a little too much.

But hey, if I keep winning top individual fundraiser each year, I may have to start rockin’ Lb’s.

Now that would make a statement.

To find out more about the Walk A Mile Toronto fundraiser, visit www.walkamiletoronto.ca

The Walk A Mile Toronto Fundraising event will be held on September 26 at Yonge and Dundas Square.

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This post is not sponsored, nor was I compensated. Thanks to Keith for taking time out of his training and maybe next year we can go shoe shopping together for a worthy cause!