Mike Willard, of Barrington, pushes his 9-month-old daughter Teagan, as he takes part in the Walk a Mile in Her Shoes event in Providence Saturday — in which participants walk in high heels — to raise awareness about sexual assault and violence against women.

The Providence Journal / Glenn Osmundson

PROVIDENCE — It takes a brave man to wear high heels in public. It takes a braver man to wear high heels in the rain.

Eighteen men tottered, staggered and shuffled down Francis Street Saturday morning wearing ladies’ pumps to raise awareness about sexual assault and violence against women. It was the first year Walk A Mile In Her Shoes, a march previously held elsewhere in the country and overseas, was staged in Providence.

About 60 people in all — men, women and children — came out for the march to raise funds for the Rhode Island Crisis Assistance Center and to hear speakers talk beforehand about the damaging effects of sexual violence.

The Providence Police Department investigated 1,575 incidents of domestic violence last year and 182 sexual assaults, said Sgt. William Merandi, head of the special victims unit.

“We have a lot of work to do,” said Dr. Pablo Rodriguez, a women’s health advocate. “We have a lot of education to do to make sure people know this is not tolerated.”

“This issue is not an individual problem,” said Candace Breen, a victim of childhood sexual abuse. “It is a community problem.”

The idea behind the march was to use a light-hearted event to get people thinking about serious issues, according to Nancy Rafi, executive director of the crisis assistance center, a nonprofit agency that works with survivors of rape and domestic violence.

It also gave the women watching the men stumbling around in heels some pleasure, judging by the smiles on their faces.

Rafi and the other organizers did offer the men a choice of footwear: either red patent-leather high heels or red satin pumps with maribou puffs (think feathers). Sixty pairs were available in all sizes up to 17. Men were also free to bring their own. At least two did.

“We’re in no position to judge,” Rafi said with a laugh. “If you’ve got them and you want to wear them, then absolutely.”

Despite the potential disaster of having a group of men in heels walking down a rain-slicked street, the event started in a light drizzle. Rafi, who wore tennis shoes, seemed unconcerned, maybe even a little amused at the men’s discomfort.

“If the puffs get a little wet, they’ll dry out,” she said matter-of-factly.

The route, however, was kept thankfully short, because as Rafi said, “We don’t want any broken ankles.” Members of the Civil Air Patrol were on hand to escort the marchers as were Providence police officers. There were no paramedics.

Shortly after 10 a.m., the walkers stepped off — toes first, of course — from the lawn in front of the State House, made their way along Francis Street past the Providence Place mall, turned around at a traffic light and returned. The only major hazard, it turned out, was avoiding what a police horse left behind in the road. They probably walked an eighth of a mile total.

That was still too far for Bruce Rutter, who chose the maribou puff heels.

“My toes are killing me,” said Rutter, chief executive officer of the Rhode Island chapter of the Red Cross, as he strolled along with surprising ease.

Derek Andeloux, a Brown University resident, marched with two other doctors, pairing their high heels with pale green scrubs and lab coats.

“It hurts all over,” Andeloux said. “But it’s a good pain.”

As the march ended, most men changed immediately back into sneakers and other comfortable, well, men’s shoes.

Candace Breen’s husband, Peter, did not. He ordered his open-toe silver pumps from Le Dame Shoes, an Internet shop that specializes in women’s footwear for men. (That’s right.) It was the only way he could find a size 12 high heel.

Told that he looked pretty sure on his feet in three-inch heels, he leaned in conspiratorially.

“I practiced when my wife wasn’t home,” he whispered.

akuffner@projo.com