While holding a 3-foot-long cane behind my back, I walked the plank — wobbling along a narrow wooden platform in a pair of hot pink, 4-inch pumps that I’d dug out from the back of my closet hours ...

Heels are more occasional: they only cling to my ankles for weddings or big events. More faithful to the flat soles of sneakers, my favorite pair, I've deviated from my usual shoe style to perch eight ...