Yesterday leading modelling agency Models Direct reported on an unusual scene at the L’Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival where models removed high heels during a catwalk show due to safety concerns. Today we ask the question – were they within their rights to take this action?

The models in question are reported to have felt that they were risking falls by continuing down the catwalk in the towering heels that they were asked to model, but some industry professionals have been left unimpressed by their actions.

Vogue Australia’s editor-in-chief Kristie Clements said: “Part of the job of modelling is to wear shoes that are uncomfortable – it’s not an easy gig. The first model to step out of her shoes seemed to slip and removed them to enable a graceful walk down the runway. It looked like the other girls took them off in protest.” She continued: “When the rest took their shoes off, I thought, ‘That can’t be possible’. The girls in Paris wear shoes like that all the time.”

Is this attitude unreasonable, or does the desire to be a model mean that you follow the brief no matter what?

Agency director Matthew Anderson appears to believe that no seasoned model would have taken the decision to remove their footwear mid-catwalk lightly. He is quoted in The Herald as saying: “It’s really prestigious for them and the last thing they would want is to upset Vogue or look unprofessional.” Indeed. Who would want to risk professional embarrassment for no good reason?

If you were faced with the dilemma of being asked to take on a 30 metre catwalk in heels so high that you were convinced you would stumble in them along the way would you go ahead regardless in the name of professionalism?

Though booking agents may think twice before sending them out on further assignments that involved particularly high heels hopefully the models involved with this incident will not face too many negative repercussions. L’Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival chief Graeme Lewsey – while clearly disappointed at what happened – has stated that the models were within their rights to remove their shoes if they felt that it was unsafe to risk wearing them: “The crowd on the night just thought it was a part of the choreography. The show goes on.”