Women in my office (a law firm) often complain about heels hurting them. Their clothes also seem uncomfortable and high maintenance. To hear them, you’d think some entrepreneurs would have come up with some shoes and clothes which are both stylish and comfortable as well as possibly low maintenance.
There doesn’t seem to be much of it though. Is there?
If not, why not?
From my not-too-researched perspective, it seems there’s little of it.
I can think of some reasons:
Temperamentally, women are more likely to put up with discomfort and high maintenance than men.
Women’s clothing and shoes are not meant to last since they are expected to change with fashion. Men’s clothes and shoes are meant to last since male fashion is much slower and many men have an intense dislike of shopping for clothes and shoes (though not tools, cars, guns and other such macho products). Men hang on to their clothes, often preferring familiarity to novelty.
Related to the last point: Women want greater quantity and so have to sacrifice quality, which means less comfort and higher maintenance.
A lot of women say they want more comfort but when they have to sacrifice an ounce of style for a pound of comfort, they don’t accept the tradeoff.
It’s easier to market to women and make them buy stuff because it’s pretty. E.g.: Razors and many other products which are functionnally identical between the sexes except that the women’s version is prettier and more expensive.
But perhaps all of that’s wrong and there’s an incredible business opportunity to offer comfortable, low mainteance and stylish clothes and shoes to women and very few producers are interested in providing that and charging a premium for it.
Well, for one thing appearance has always been tied to status for women, and the difficulty or discomfort of something tends to help make it a status symbol. Being skinny with fancy uncomfortable clothes is more difficult and unpleasant than being fat with simple comfortable clothes; therefor the former is a status symbol and the latter isn’t.
This is what it really boils down to. It’s very possible to find stylish and comfortable flats and clothing. Nobody is forced to wear heels these days, particularly not in the business world. Maybe hookers, but that’s about it.
The very professional and comfortable (and a staple of my wardrobe for 20 years) Enzo Liberty Flat.
It is possible to look professional in flats, trousers, simple shirts, and jackets - just like men. And there is an abundance of these clothes IF YOU CHOOSE THEM. Today I have on flats (beige), a Calvin Klein skirt that is very comfy, its matching sweater (very comfy) and a jacket (also comfy). No hose (they’ve gone ‘out’). I am more comfortable dressed as I am at this moment than I am in jeans (usually binding in the crotch) and athletic shoes (much heavier).
Are high heels and pointy shoes inherently uncomfortable? Is it possible to have comfortable, stable pointy high heels or do they have to be uncomfortable and unstable to be pointy high heels?
Someone who wears pointy-toed high heels will come along and answer your question fully, but I can tell you that round-toed high heels can indeed be comfortable once you get used to wearing them and have a well-made pair. It doesn’t have to be an expensive, well-made pair, either, as my most comfortable pair were something like $40 (I would consider expensive to be over $300, for reference). Comfort depends on the construction of the shoe, the heel height, the length of time worn while standing and walking, and the experience of the wearer.
I also would challenge the assumption that women are temperamentally more inclined to put up with uncomfortable clothing than men. Culturally, sure.
If you take a look at the shape of a natural woman’s foot (not one that’s been mangled by years of being stuffed into bad shoes), you’ll see the the shape of the shoes and the shape of the feet aren’t even close to the same thing. Looking at the heel of a high-heeled shoe, you can also see that the whole woman’s weight is on a very small area (a small area on the ball of the foot and a tiny area of heel). The physics says yes, they are unstable and uncomfortable. I’m sure there will be women coming in to tell you that they live in high heels and they’re more comfortable than flat shoes, but that’s because they have deformed their bodies.
ETA: This is a bit of a peeve of mine - I have a hard enough time finding shoes to fit my long feet without 95% of all women’s shoes being high-heeled torture devices.
There’s high & then there’s “high.” And pointy (toes?) are not the only option; roundish toes & no toes are also in style. Some women can wear heels easily; some can’t. You do not squeeze your feet into pointy toes–you buy a size where the pointy bit begins past your toes. And platforms are back–but may be avoided by those who do not wish to repeat the mistakes of the past.
Here’s a random sampling of “Women’s Heels” from Zappo. Some are too casual & others too dressy, but most would suit many work environments. (Most flats, not included here, would be fine, as well.)
We really have a lot of options, but shopping does take some time & effort.
Yes, walking in heels is inherently more uncomfortable and more unstable than walking in flats. When you (general you) are bearing your body’s weight on half (or less) of your foot, it will start to hurt twice as fast–that’s not a scientific equation or anything, but you get the idea. Over time, calluses, corns, and maybe bunions build up. They make the foot deformed, ugly, and painful.
Pointy shoes… really depends on the structure of the foot and toes as to how uncomfortable they will be. I feel like there’s a huge potential market for shoes that merely LOOK pointy… but in actuality, it’s a comfortable shoe inside with a faux tip added onto it where the toes are not intended to go. I’d be okay with pointy flats that fit this description.
Also, heels are a sign of female submission to bourgeois males, and should be burned along with bras, waxing strips, and baby bottles. Say anything you want about my ugly body, but my feet are still shapely because I never wear heels. It’s not as severe as Chinese foot-binding, but I view them on the same activity continuum.
nyah
/tongueincheek
My problem is finding just a little heel. I want a heel on my shoe of about 1" or 2". Maybe it’s because my feet are deformed or whatever, but those are comfortable to me. What I prefer is the shoe where the entire back of the foot is the heel - I never want stilettos or even narrow heels.
What I get is a completely flat shoe, like a ballet slipper, or a 3 or 4 inch heel.
Now I have a few pairs of good shoes that I spent the money on and got just what I want, but I would like cheaper shoes to have this option too. They generally go from flats to waaay too high.
It’s simple. Shoes that are comfortable and clothes that are comfortable are usually ugly/frumpy looking.
High heels and comfortable just don’t go together.
I agree that it’s a matter of choice. I honestly don’t understand the issues some women seem to have with this. I only have to dress office casual for 20 hours per week these days, but I have a whole bunch of very cute clothes and several pairs of of nice 3" or 4" heels and wedges, all of which are perfectly comfortable to wear during a long workday and even stand in for hours. I do only have round-toe heels however (I hate the way pointy ones look so much I don’t think I’ve ever even tried them on).
It’s certainly very possible to wear attractive, stylish shoes and clothing without sacrificing basic comfort and function. I make purchases with both in mind, and that means I’m pretty particular about what I but. I do like the process of shopping, unlike many people. And I prefer to stick with a more classic style and buy higher quality items (spend lots of time finding them marked down to a price I can afford), rather than following trends and building a new wardrobe of cheaper items each year.
ETA: I spend most of my time outside of work wearing minimal footwear or going barefoot. My feet are wide through the toes and not deformed. I naturally walk and run mostly on the ball of my foot and toes these days, and it’s solved more problems than it’s caused for me… I don’t find the necessity of bearing weight on the front of the foot in 4" heels to be uncomfortable in the least. But I am also light, so it’s not like my feet are under much pressure. I think body weight has a lot to do with foot pain.
I don’t like shopping, but for that reason, have a personal shopper at Nordstrom. Who knows that I wear mostly flats (and arranges to have my pants hemmed at “flats”), knows that I’ll reject anything out of hand that is going to need drycleaning after a single wearing, and knows I’ll reject anything that I won’t wear for five years or more (file under “cute, but too trendy for me and my job”). She even watches the sale rack for me.
(It isn’t the cheapest way to buy clothes - no markup for the service, but it is Nordstrom and there is someone shopping for you, and everything she picks looks great on you).
My suits list for $200-$400. (But usually buy them for $100 or less off the sale rack at Nordstrom Rack). Women’s suit styles change more often then mens suits and are more distinctive - you go through more suits if you wear them (I seldom wear them - I have them for important meetings).
My shirts are between $70-$200 (not on sale) and tend to be silk.
However, I also shop at Christopher and Banks where I’ve gotten a ton of cheap mock turtlenecks to go under cheap jackets. I’m lucky - the guy two doors down from me comes to work in a different Harley Davidson shirt each day, most people wear jeans to work - Power suits are not exactly a mandate here.
I avoid heels except for meetings, when I’m really trying to kick it up a notch. Daily wear is flats, casual pants and button down shirts. My pet peeve with women’s clothing is finding a decent button down shirt, without it being frilly, flowery, or some annoying pattern. Just give me solid colors (bolds, I hate pastels) or stripes. Don’t even get me started about button downs that gap due to the fact that yes, I actually have breasts.
I have about 200 pairs of shoes - about half a flat and half have heels. The comfort is split about evenly between those. Any that are really uncomfortable I get rid of.
Any way - I don’t hav trouble finding things that look nice and are reasonably comfortable. O mean, not pajama and slippers comfortable but I don’t really want to feel like I’m heading to bed while at the office anyway
I’m a woman but I can’t understand the obsession most women have with shoes. I only have 4 pairs of shoes. I’m not saying there is anything wrong with liking shoes I would just like someone to explain why.
Not forced to as in, “I’ll fire you if you don’t wear heels,” but it can be more subtle than that. I’ve talked to women in the corporate business world who feel pressure to dress that way in order to look professional. It may be less getting fired for not dressing a certain way and more not getting a second interview/call back if you don’t look “professional.”
I think so. Definitely depends on the shoe/brand. Wedge heels tend to be a lot more comfortable than skinny/pointy stiletto types, for example. And there are plenty of uncomfortable flat shoes…so, sort of has to be taken shoe by shoe.