Most people climb Colorado’s 14ers in boots built like tanks—but, according to an article via Outside, 27-year-old Erin Ton is doing it in three-inch heels as if it’s no big deal. What started as a joke between friends has turned into a full-blown quest. She has already bagged 24 peaks in stilettos, after nearly breaking a 14er speed record in trail shoes the year before. Ton first fell in love with the mountains on Mount Elbert in 2018, then returned in 2020 to climb it again—this time in heels—kicking off a mission that’s part adventure, part social statement. Critics (which were supposedly mostly dudes online) scoffed, which only motivated her to lace up the stilettos harder. Now she hikes up the mountains dressed to the nines, changes into runners for the way down, inspires women who love being outdoorsy and feminine, and rocks custom Italian-made “mountain heels” that have survived everything from blisters to Capitol Peak.
What are your thoughts? Would you give it a try? (I guess, being that it is 2025, this question is for the guys, too…)
Photo credit: Erin Ton
