THEY’RE farewelling their flats and bracing for blisters – because next month they’ll walk 10,000 steps a day in their highest heels, all in the name of charity. 

“Hot to Trot”, a group of 10 local girls set up by retail manager and stylist Jessica Adelan, will walk the distance for a week as part of CARE Australia’s “Walk in Her Shoes” challenge.

The challenge encourages individuals to raise funds for women and girls living in poverty in developing countries, who spend hours walking for food and water each day, preventing them from attending school or earning an income.

Jessica says when she came across the fundraiser it “put things in perspective”.

“I like the concept of walking in someone else’s shoes, and walking the same kilometres a woman on the other side of the world would do,” she says.

“We might walk to the city and back in our lives, but they’re actually walking all that way just to get essential things like food and water.

“This basically invites you to imagine walking in the shoes of these women and girls living in poverty, and every step you take can empower them to lift themselves out of poverty. We decided to make it a little bit harder by wearing heels.”

The girls will wear pedometers to measure their daily distance and plan to walk around Lake Burley Griffin in heels to boost up their kilometres.

“I can’t say I’ve ever walked around the lake in high heels, so there’ll be a few blisters,” Jessica says.

“A few of us work in retail, so we’re used to wearing heels each day, but not the really high ones you might wear for 20 minutes and get sore, so it will be interesting for me.”

The girls hope to each raise $500 for the charity through online donations.

And Jessica says men are welcome to join in, too.

“Maybe then they’ll see what all the whining is about,” she laughs.

To register for the “Walk in Her Shoes” challenge, on from March 18-24, visit walkinhershoes.org.au/Home#