Do you like high heels?

Cafe Society
181

I recently took a job in a shoe repair store. Although I myself have not worn high heels in over 20 years I now make part of my living from fixing them. It has been an education.

There really are some heels better constructed than others.

Not a week goes by I don’t have to tell some woman that her high heels are beyond repair, quite often due to absolute crap construction - flimsy materials, off-center or asymmetrical shoes, and so forth. However, some women do it to themselves. Ladies, buy shoes that fit! Yes, yes, I know that’s a cute shoe but buying a cute shoe then coming to me to ask if I can stretch it so it fits you is, um, how shall put this? Not using your brain. And I’m sorry, dear, but your foot is NOT a size five. It’s at least an eight, like mine. I know they make heels our size because I see them almost every day, so try to purchase something that fits. And if you’re 300 pounds your shoes just aren’t going to last as long as they do for the 120 pound woman you’re standing next to. However, if you buy shoes that fit they really do last longer - we’ve got at least two guys bringing their own heels in (yes, gents who dress up as women, though they come to the shop as men) and if a six foot tall two hundred pound man with a size 12 (men’s) foot can find a heel that fits so can you, sweetie. Yes, he paid a lot of money for that three inch heel, but maybe that’s why he babies them. They’re old, but they’re in great shape.

That, and when the heels tips start to go, get them fixed. BEFORE it starts to eat into the base. Yes, I know, sidewalk gratings and other hazards can cause significant damage in one step, but there’s a reason office workers have been wearing "practical’ shoes and flats on their commute and changing into heels once their in the office for at least the past 30 years. I see women come tottering in to the shop with one heel ground down lower than the other, half the time complaining their feet/legs/back hurt, and oh, could I please fix this pair of shoes. The two problems are related, honey. It’s also cheaper to fix 'em when it’s just the rubber tip and you haven’t worn down any other structures.

That, and if you buy cute-but-cheap shoes accept that many of them simply can’t be fixed. Enjoy them for the short time you have them, but realize that they just aren’t going to last forever.

182

For me, it depends on the height of the heel. A few inches is okay, but the ridiculous stripper heels seem unsexy to me.

ETA: Heels of the height DianaG linked to n the first response work fine for me, but nothing higher.

183

A lot of the really high stripper heels are really 4" or maybe 5" heels with platforms under them which add inches to both the ball of the foot and the heel, but the fit of the shoe in terms of the position of the foot is the same as a lower heeled shoe. They do look a little silly, I agree, but it’s not like an 8" heel is actually an 8" heel the way a 3" or 4" heel is.

184

As a gay man, I have no dog in this fight. But I certainly do appreciate what heels do to the shape of a woman’s legs. Be that as it may, I don’t understand how anyone can walk in them, not to mention the foot and back problems that may ensue.

185

I’m a dude, and voted “Something else entirely,” to wit, I don’t really care. I’ve seen women look good in them, and I’ve seen women look bad in them. I usually don’t notice women’s shoes at all. With the really tall ones, though, I secretly worry that they’re going to damage their leg muscles long-term, or fall over and hurt themselves right in front of me, so it’s actually an unwelcome distraction at those times.

186

I like the look of high heels, but wearing them is impossible for me. I have the height differential in my legs, and it throws off my walking even more. Plus, I have enough trouble keeping my balance in bare feet…

I wore sneakers under my formal gown when I got married…a lift on the right shoe so I did not limp down the aisle, and they were decorated…no one saw them anyways…

187

I’ll never believe that while standing up a woman’s sole is not supposed to be at a roughly 90[sup]o[/sup] angle wrt the lower leg.

As long as I’m paying for my daughter’s shoes, they will be sensible enough to do their own tax returns.

ETA: It just occurred to me that a twisted ankle could provide that 90[sup]o[/sup] angle. No. She wouldn’t actually be standing, as such.

188

As a man, I’m fond of what heels do to a woman’s backside. The heels do nothing for me in and of themselves.

189

I’m a guy and can say no, I don’t like them and think they are sort of silly. I’m a tall guy too.

A lot of that may be a function of where I live though. Snow and ice 6 months out of the year, gravel driveways and roads. High heels are just not functional in this environment. And I hate it when people put fashion over function.

190

I’m a man, I don’t care much about high heels one way or another.