Silly me. I never realized that high heels could be athletic shoes.

In fact, those kooky orthopedic surgeons always discouraged wearing heels, so I'd swap them out for something comfortable during the walk to work.

But Crunch Fitness -- one of Manhattan's leading gyms -- now offers a fitness class called Stiletto Strength. Participants are asked to B.Y.O.S. (Bring Your Own Stilettos) to strut their stuff during the class. Apparently, stilettos can make your legs look great -- even after you take them off.

Sexy shoes seem to have inspired several other workouts on their roster, such as Cardio Striptease, Ballroom Blitz, Burlesque Beat and Salsa Caliente. According to a Crunch V.P. quoted in Forbes, classes are called "theatrical fitness" and they're developed to "excite the mind instead of just working out the body."

Actually, the idea does get me thinking. It makes me think about the gimmicks that can persuade us to break a sweat. It led me to discover a bunch of oddball workouts, ranging from pole dancing to urban rebounding (a trampoline workout.) It makes me wonder if it's irresponsible to encourage people to exercise in heels. How much workout time is actually spent in those heels? And don't those heels mess up the fitness room floors?

As a yoga girl, my athletic footwear usually just consists of a toe ring. So I'd consider signing up for the class -- if it meant I'd need to buy a lot of new gear.