Walking in heels isn't easy. As a guy, I don't have to wear that torturous footwear (ha ha!) But I have tried it before, as part of a Halloween costume. The heels were three inches, which isn't that high, but I feel like I suffered more than the prisoners at Guantanamo Bay. After a couple hours, my poor feet hurt so much that I had to bail on the shoes, and carry them around for the rest of the night like a badge of shame. (Also, walking down stairs took twice as long, and required Zen concentration, like walking a tight rope.)
Luckily, I didn't run into any grates on the sidewalk outside. I'm pretty sure if I did, I would have tripped and fell and spent the rest of the night in the hospital. All those tiny holes look like a recipe for disaster. But it turns out it's actually possible to walk on grates in pumps. In fact, it's Rihanna's secret superpower. On social media, fans found photos of the singer strolling across that precarious surface like it's nothing.
"Rihanna can walk on grates while wearing heels, Beyoncé can walk on water, Lady Gaga can walk on sand while wearing heels and Mariah Carey can sit on air. God really is a woman."
Walking on water is cool, but walking across a grate on heels? That's really impressive. On Twitter, everyone's mind. "I trip barefoot in my own drawing room," confessed one user, while another lamented, "I can barely shuffle around in fuzzy slippers. Blade of grass or shadow = major trip hazard."
How does RiRi do it? One person speculated that perhaps she uses sorcery, waving a magic wand at her stilettos and exclaiming, "Wingardium Leviosa!"
But the answer is actually simple. There's no magic. It's just an act of balance. "guys i love rihanna more than anybody but walking over grates in heels is not that complicated," explained one Twitter user. "You put the pressure on the balls of your feet."
Another person replied to confirm, saying, "Thank you so much for stating the obvious! It is truly stunning that people are making a big deal out of this! Anyone who has worn heels and who has common sense should know that tiptoeing across grates, grass, sand, etc. prevents heels from sinking and getting stuck...."
It's disappointing to learn that Rihanna is not a sorcerer, but at least now we can all walk across grates in high heels safely. Hopefully Twitter users will get started on this mystery next: In Jurassic World, how did Bryce Dallas Howard's character run so fast in high heels through a muddy jungle, while being chased by a Tyrannosaurus Rex? I know, the answer is probably balance again, but still. I think they need to add a High Heel Race to the Olympics.