I also think in some people’s minds, “heels” translates to “pointy-toed monstrosities that are several inches too high, and an insufferable pain.” Not quite. Some heels are comfortable. No, not just your grandmother’s heels. Some heels that are stylish are comfortable. Get with the times, people.
I think that’s the other thing that makes them unattractive to me. There is nothing hotter to me than a woman who doesn’t worry about whether or not she is hot. I like the girl who isn’t “trying to project confidence”, the girl who is comfortable enough not to bother.
I’m not suggesting that all women who wear them don’t actually have confidence, or don’t want to wear them. But you are wearing them because of what other people think of you. Obviously this can be said of any set of clothes, however the difference is that most other clothes aren’t doing structural and medical harm to your body.
Absurd hypothetical: you are the last person on Earth. Would you really wander round in a pair of heels? Unlikely, not least because there are no podiatrists to correct your problems, but also because no one is there to assess your aesthetic.
Are you listening? Some heels aren’t uncomfortable at all. It would be like wearing any other article of clothing that looks and feels nice.
But yes, if a woman is clearly suffering, but is trying her damnedest to project “Look, I’m sexy,” then nothing could be less so. I’m just saying that not all heels are created equal, and not every woman wearing them is in silent agony, but endures it because she’s trying desperately to look hot or confident.
Edit: Cap’n Awesome, if I were the last person on earth, I wouldn’t wear a stitch of clothing. I’m not currently wearing pants, though, to look attractive for anyone. I really think some people’s perceptions of heels always being uncomfortable (but pretty!) is incorrect.
I also wouldn’t say that. I know that some women just really like the look of the shoes, but I wouldn’t date someone whose tastes are so different from my own.
Similarly, a lot of guys like the lines of a sports car because they like the design. My girlfriend would probably not date that kind of guy either because she doesn’t have the same tastes and doesn’t see the sleek lines of a car being relevent.
Seriously. I have several pairs of heels that are more comfortable than most of my flats. Clarks and Dansko, for example, make really great pairs. They’re like a hug for your feet. I absolutely would want to wear my Dansko heels at the end of the world. Right now I mostly wear them for very physical dancing, like swing, where you have to be able to jump around, kick, etc. I don’t wear them because I think people will be checking out my feet, I wear them because (a) I think they look great and (b) they are the most comfortable shoes I own for that kind of movement.
Actually, I’m wearing them because of what I think about me. I like to look pretty, for me. Try for a moment to wrap your head around it.
Sometimes I like to look pretty in flats. Am I wearing those for you as well? If not, why don’t those count?
So in my absurd hypothetical, you’d still go around wearing high heels post-apocalypse? To make yourself look pretty when no one is there to identify the fact? MeanOldLady has already decided to go around in her birthday suit. Of course the opinions of others, and society at large, have some bearing on what you wear, not just what you think about yourself. And it just seems absurd to do so, when they are damaging. And being comfortable doesn’t mean they aren’t structurally malforming and otherwise doing harm your feet and lower back.
There is no single definitive purpose for clothes. I’m sure you look pretty in flats, and that whatever you wear other people will, rightly or wrongly, judge you for it. The difference I see is that provided the flats are well fitted, they don’t damage your feet. You are wearing something, at least in some manner due to others, that is harmful.
I’m pretty confident that the harm done by high heels is a bit overstated. I’m sure that ill-fitting high heels are harmful, but so are ill-fitting flats. I’ve been wearing high heels for 25 years with no ill effects.
But I suppose if you’re more qualified than I am to assess my motives, it just stands to reason you must also be more qualified to assess my health.
Yeah, but there’s more to it. When you like something a lot, there is a certain kinship with others who like it too. You don’t have to wear something because others like it, but it feels really cool to meet someone that you can join in admiration and enjoyment of something. Particularly something that most people don’t ‘get’ or whatever. The four inch heel club (or more) can be something of a fun little club for those that are into it.
And so there is no shame in admitting (not to project on you, I am speaking for me) that I not only like heels for me (you know, my lil’ shoe fetish) but I also love when fellow stilletto admirers let me know they dig my shoes.
ETA: Those that pretend to be oh so concerned about the health of heel wearers are not convincing to me at all.
I don’t disagree. I’d be the last person on earth to say that I don’t care how I’m perceived (sartorially, at least ;)) by other people, or that people don’t (or shouldn’t) judge you by what you wear. Hell, anyone who remembers the sweatpants thread knows I’m a bit of a snot on the subject.
Perhaps I should add the simple clarifying word “primarily”. I dress primarily to make myself happy, and consider the approbation I generally receive a bonus.
Hey, I’m just parroting the advice of the American Podiatric Medical Association. High heels are ‘biomechanically and orthopedically unsound’, regardless of how well they fit. But I’m sure your combative statements are really more useful in deciding this matter.
Short skirts compromise my ability to move around naturally. 
Well yeah, to some extent. I would imagine you don’t dress yourself up in a burlap sack to go to work, either. But this particular focus on heels being more absurd than anything else, I don’t agree with. We have to draw a distinction between ridiculously designed shoes with unnatural arches and cramped toe space, and regular heels that women can walk and function in comfortably. A woman wearing sensible heels is conforming to standards of what is acceptable to wear in the same regard she is when she bothers to put a shirt on when she goes outside.
When they are damaging, yes.
What damage are well-fitted heels doing?
Well-fitted heels may do less damage that poorly-fitted examples in terms of blisters, bunions, corns, hammer toes, Hagland’s deformity and Morton’s neuroma, but they are still imposing a physical malformation of the natural foot position. They unnecessarily focus pressure on areas of soft tissue, crush the lower back vertebrae and affect muscle groups, cause Achilles tendonitis or worse lead to tears, and generally cause unnecessary stresses and torque on the bones of the feet and ankle.
Yes I secretly have stocks in the flat shoe industry. My lack of understanding of physically harmful sartorial practices is merely a pretense. You got me.
No.
If a person likes to wear high heels, it is up to her to decide whether or not the risks outweigh the fun for her. Like anything else!
Not to beat ya’ll in the head with the skating analogy, but do we tell people they are fools to skate because there is a higher risk of injury as opposed to just walking?
There is a cult of folks that love heels, both men and women. Very high heels. I don’t see why they should be called silly.
Further more, I have worn them my entire life, with no injury of any sort, along with tons of women I know. Now, maybe there are all sorts of injuries involved with heels that I just am unaware of, but I’m gonna go ahead and take my chances.
Captain, I have no clue why you are being all weird and defensive in that last post, but I gotta say, I CALL BULLSHIT on anyone that claims that it is the health of the woman that causes someone to object to women wearing heels.
I guess I should have clarified and said I don’t go in for that. I don’t wear shoes that hurt my feet, flats or otherwise. And yes, men, some flats can pinch your toes. But yeah, a lot of us have habits that aren’t exactly the healthiest thing in the world. Drinking, gambling, driving fast. I like the sauce; my liver’s checking out in about 5 years. But it’s fun!
Captain Awesome, do you happen to enjoy anything that your doctor would probably not recommend?
ETA Dammit, beaten to the punch twice!
I once won a round of arcade Dance Dance Revolution while wearing 3-inch platform wedges.
As for high heels existing solely because they are attractive to some people, well, duh. Most clothing is designed to be attractive in one way or another, or we’d all be wearing scifi-style white cotton jumpsuits around everywhere. I wear high heels occasionally. Because I like to. And if you don’t like it, that’s your problem.
You’re at liberty to wear what you like. I’m not trying to stop you. I just think it’s absurd when it does, and can be shown to cause podiatric harm. Yes, I’m a hypocrite too; I do lots of things that are probably medically ill-advised. I’m more bemused as to what other agenda you think I might have for finding it odd, or ‘silly’, that women wear heels. Could you enlighten me?