Coming to the office through the Rockefeller Center tunnel maze this morning, I was struck once again by the number of women whose footwear clatters and clops most emphatically, and it got me to wondering how you female people feel about this phenomenon anyway.
Is it a semi-deliberate characteristic of the shoe style, another way of saying “I am woman, pay attention to me”?
Do you feel conspicuous when wearing shoes that make a lot of sound when you walk? Or, if you tend not to, how do you feel in the presence of women who do wear those things?
Is it an unintentional side-effect of heel angle (i.e., high heels)? (Actually I’m under the impression that many noisy shoes aren’t even particularly high-heeled, but I admit I haven’t done measurements).
Do any of you think my impression is inaccurate – that men make just as much or more noise when we walk in the hallways?
You’re right, women’s shoes do seem noisier. I’ve noticed it happens to me when I wear heels, so maybe it’s related. If I had my way, I’d wear fuzzy bunny slippers all the time - high heels hurt, they’re noisy, and they make it impossible to walk across a wet lawn. I wear them because everyone else does, and I’m a fool for peer pressure.
Most of the women I know feel the same way I do. I never heard of it being done to get the attention. Personally, I use my cleavage for that. It’s quieter and doesn’t make my feet hurt.
Lately, I think, it’s due to the fashion for backless sandals. Combine no back with the very thick heavy heels that all women’s shoes seem to have theses days and you get a lotta clomping.
I think it happens more with narrower heels, and especially with shoes that are a little worn. That’s because the plastic bit at the end of the heel is secured with a nail. Once the plastic wears down a little and exposes the nail, the shoes clack constantly. This is also why you’ll sometimes hear a different sound from each shoe - the wear patterns are different.
I personally wear shoes that make noise because I like the way they sound. Although there are high healed shoes that are rubber soles and you can’t hear them when you walk. It really just depends on the sole of the shoe.
south, could you elaborate on liking the sound that they make? And if I may ask it, is it your impression that there are others who share that liking (with regards to their own footwear-soundeffects); does the enjoyment involve the anticipated / imagined reaction of others to the sound, or do you just like to hear it as you walk? And any other details, please.
I have a pair of sandals with a red lacquered wooden sole and a black patent leather thong. They’re quite loud, which is good, because those shoes are so freakin’ cool that I want everybody to see and admire them. But they’re very much party shoes since walking more than about a block in them gives me blisters. And I don’t go to parties anymore. So they’re dusty objets d’art at the back of the closet.
I really like the fwip fwip fwip sound of flip flops, or those sandals with the elastic strap and wedge heel that everybody under the age of 28 has a pair of. I don’t think it’s a “look at me, I’m a girl!” thing, I just like the sound. Except when I’m trying to sneak around the library.
I wear heels all the time and always make the clack clack clack that you speak of. Personally, I hate it the noise - I feel incredibly self-conscious especially if I’m the only person making any noise. In tunnels/hallways/silent streets, it’s particularly noticeable.
I hate that noise, but almost every pair of heels I’ve ever had makes it. I feel like everyone is staring at me and wondering why I can’t be quieter. I’ve even walked on my toes up and down exceptionally long hallways in order to avoid clicking like that.
I sneak around silently in soft-soled shoes, almost exclusively flats. I never did like high heeled shoes, mostly due to comfort, partly due to my natural klutziness, and inevitably because I hate wearing hose.
Of course, when it’s wet, my nice soft soles make gawd-awful squeeks on the tile floors of the office - makes it difficult to sneak up on anyone here in cubicle land…
Still, if I’m going to be noticed, I want it to be for other than my footwear. At least comment on my pleasant personality - sheesh!
Hey, the clickety-clack of high-heeled shoes is an incredible auditory turn-on, which immediately conjures up the visuals of long nyloned legs and swaying butt. But that’s no news to you, eh, AHunter? (insert winking smiley here)
And thanks for starting another thread which gives the SDMB ladies a chance to talk about their clothes.
Sorry, Ike, I hate to be sour on anything that conjures up femaleness to another guy’s mind, but high heels and hose are definitely not a turn-on to me.
(It’s too bad, because I like bare legs and short skirts)
The sound the shoes I like make is a sorta click click sound. I, personally like this noise because it makes me feel like one of those movie people with the big heels and loud clicking noises. I also feel like I’m wearing expensive shoes. My friends also like these kind of shoes and especially shoes with really high heels. It doesn’t really matter to me if someone else is hearing my shoes clacking or not, I like it, but it is always nice to see people turn to see who’s making that sound.
Man, I love my high heels. I’m already on the tall side (5’9"), but I always like adding height if I can.
I totally groove on the sound high heels make on a stone or wooden floor. I think it has to do with the “I’m-All-Dressed-Up-And-Hovering-In-The-Front-Hall-Waiting-To-Go-Out-Somewhere-Really-Cool” feeling. I usually only wear my most excellent high heels before I do something really fun and special.
I always notice little things like that. They make me feel self-conscious, like everyone’s looking at me. High heels, those swishy workout pants, they’re all the same.
Last week I was at a wedding, and a friend of mine had to walk across the hard wooded floor in the middle of the ceremony to take the unofficial photographer another roll of film. I was cringing for her…
good OP, I’ve always wondered about it myself. As a man my hunter cough instincts make me as quiet as possible. But as I walk around town I am constantly surrounded by noisy clumping. But the worst is when I’m walking down a hall or maybe a dark street at night and I hear them behind me. It takes every ounce of my will power not to turn to look. If I were to I can just imagine what might be going on through there mind and the last thing I want to happen to me is to get maced. Or worse yet she might have an ice pick handy. But this is just because I hate having people behind me.
But you know what I find the most sexy. The kind of shoes that a 13th century princess might wear. Those just go right ahead and push all my buttons.
It’s mostly the way that you walk…admittedly, it’s almost impossible to walk quietly in stilettos, but in my low heels, I walk silently most of the time. If I’m in a hurry or feeling particularly confident, I stride? strut? more and then they make the clatter. Someone once told me whan I was walking like that that I had a head of department walk - still waiting for the promotion & salary though ;).
I think women walking in stilettos sound like horses hooves, actually, it’s the same sort of nice, rhythmic clip-clop sound.
[total hijack]
I’ve been wondering about that recently, from what I’ve noticed amongst my friends, women have more colour perception (they seem to notice/see shades of things rather than a flat colour…I don’t know if this is real, or just men thinking it’s girly to say burgundy instead of red…) and I read that women have greater peripheral vision than men. In animal species the ones with the wider vision are the herbivore/prey animals & the ones with greater depth perception are the hunters…it seems like women genetically are set up to be prey.
Just wondering…I’m probably about to get dragged off to the pit or GD for this, both places of terror for me…
[/total hijack]
I have to say that one of the things that bothers me most is the sound of someone either dragging their feet, shuffling, or otherwise NOT lifting each foot off the floor as they are walking.
I like shoes, and I undersatnd it is sometimes difficult to not make noise with certain shoes. But come on people, pick up your feet!
Well, maybe it’s just me being a fag, but I don’t associate clack-clack-clack with women who are dressed to kill. Rather, I associate it with professional women, especially teachers, who are coming down the hall, usually to give me hell.
My mom NEVER wears heels, and good for her. I don’t think she even wears pumps.
Personally, I’ve never understood fascination or attraction with shoes, but to each their own. My attention always goes, um, above the feet. At best, klack-klack-klacking walking is…not irritating, but only by a thin margin. At worst, it ranks right down with noisy gum-chewing, too much makeup, and overly strong perfume–a sort of sensory pollution.
