Japan's Killer New Fashion.

• Position: Two deaths attributed to high-heel footwear - Brief Article

The phrase "fashion victim" has taken on new meaning in Japan, as the rage for extreme forms of platform shoes has resulted in two deaths.

Tomomi Okawa recently crashed her car into a pole, killing a friend who was riding in the passenger seat. Okawa, 25, said she couldn't brake because she was wearing the latest style: six-inch-high-heel boots.

Three months ago, a nursery-school employee died when she tripped and fractured her skull...