When we visited the Great Wall a few years ago, we watched in awe as a young, fashionable woman walked backwards down a steep section. All this while wearing a pair of high heels and holding an umbrella to protect her from the scorching sun. In fact, it was her choice of footwear that necessitated her unorthodox descent. The angle of the wall, combined with the three inch heels would have pitched her onto her face, had she tried to walk forwards.