If you’re wondering what size stiletto to squeeze into for Walk a Mile in Her Shoes, don’t worry. Chris Benton knows the trick.

“We learned that years ago, men didn’t know what size to get,” said Benton, the director of communications and special events for Vera House, “But the trick we found is that the woman’s size is two sizes higher than their size in men’s.”

Syracuse men will sport stilettos, pumps, flip-flops and any and all forms of feminine footwear for Friday’s Walk a Mile in Her Shoes. The walk is the kickoff event for Vera House’s White Ribbon Campaign, which seeks to raise awareness of and bring an end to domestic abuse and sexual violence.

Friday’s walk starts at noon at Clinton Square. Benton anticipates almost 200 walkers will wind their way through downtown Syracuse to Armory Square, tying white ribbons to trees and lampposts as a visible reminder of the cause.

“It’s a fun way to get people talking,” Benton said. “There are a lot of good sports in the community.”

Benton said hitting the 200-person benchmark would break Vera House’s record for participants in Walk a Mile in Her Shoes. Last year’s event drew between 150–175 walkers.

The walk kicks off a week of White Ribbon Campaign events, spanning through April 6. Vera House’s unofficial start to the 2014 campaign started with a breakfast on Tuesday morning, which included a speech from Syracuse Post-Standard scribe and Vera House Honorary Chair Sean Kirst.

This marks the eighth year of the walk — Vera House started the event as a way to gain visibility for the campaign. During its first year, Vera House volunteers handed out white ribbons to the folks gathered to walk, which they tied to local landmarks along the way. The ribbons became a staple of the walk, Benton said.

As the walk grew, a Vera House employee discovered the international Walk a Mile in Her Shoes movement, Benton said. Men were encouraged to strap on women’s shoes as a kind of solidarity, and, according to the Vera House website, because “stepping out of rigid gender roles can be a first step in acknowledging how sexism contributes to domestic and sexual violence.”

“It’s a way to draw men to be in on the problem,” Benton said.

As for where guys planning to participate in the Walk a Mile in Her Shoes might have luck picking up a pair of kicks, well, Benton said past participants have found shoes in their size at one local store.

“We’ve had good luck with Payless,” she said.

Benton is also keeping her fingers crossed that the weather holds out for the walkers planning to trek from Clinton to Armory Square. Last year, she said a downpour broke out over the route halfway during the walk.

“The weather last year was just awful,” Benton said. “But you never know how it will be until the day of.”

Published on March 27, 2014 at 12:11 am

Contact Erik: ervanrhe@syr.edu | @therealvandyman