# Whore Heels, Why Do Women Wear Them? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 24, 2011, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whore-heels-why-do-women-wear-them/607291 "2011-12-24T17:00:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2011, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whore-heels-why-do-women-wear-them/607291/121 "2011-12-26T17:28:12Z")
> [@Bloodless\_Turnip](#): > > Very interesting, I wasn’t aware that an achilles problem would make being flat on your feet uncomfortable. Is this an injury of some sort? It’s a common condition among people who run a lot. I play a lot of tennis. Doctors actually prescribe heel lifts (about 1/2") as a means of treating sore achilles. I tried them, but couldn’t insert them in my athletic shoes without getting a half-size bigger shoe, and that created another set of problems (e.g. jamming my toes and a greater risk of rolling my ankle). So now I just accept that my achilles will gripe at me. And I avoid flats. ---
**Author:** ![Bloodless\_Turnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@Bloodless\_Turnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bloodless_Turnip)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2011, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whore-heels-why-do-women-wear-them/607291/122 "2011-12-26T17:30:39Z")
Interesting article, by a woman who wrote a book about…women’s shoes! [**Our Stripper Shoes, Ourselves**](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/leora-tanenbaum/our-stripper-shoes-oursel_b_587096.html?) > [@](#): > > “It used to be that people said, ‘You look pretty’ or ‘You look beautiful,’” observes Elizabeth Semmelhack, chief curator of the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto. “Now it’s ‘You look hot’ or ‘You look sexy.’” Whether consciously realized or not, a woman wears high heels to assert her identity as a sexual being. Heels change a woman’s posture, making her body look more curvaceous because the pelvis and bust are forced to tilt forward to compensate for the shift in balance. Her legs seem longer, and her gait, sexier. There’s a reason that sex workers always wear heels. ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2011, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whore-heels-why-do-women-wear-them/607291/123 "2011-12-26T17:31:51Z")
> [@Quasimodem](#): > > Stilletites (I _think_ that’s right) or high heels. Stilettos 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2011, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whore-heels-why-do-women-wear-them/607291/124 "2011-12-26T17:34:07Z")
Yeah, that’s right. I was getting the word mixed up with stalactites.:smack: Boy, _that’s_ a reach, huh?🙂 Thanks! Q ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2011, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whore-heels-why-do-women-wear-them/607291/125 "2011-12-26T17:41:04Z")
Hey, you might be on to the next big trend: ancient cave rocks as shoes! You’ll make billions! I mean, hell, it can’t be any weirder than [these.](http://cdn02.cdnwp.thefrisky.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/08/Armadillo_Shoes_main.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Bloodless\_Turnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@Bloodless\_Turnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bloodless_Turnip)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2011, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whore-heels-why-do-women-wear-them/607291/126 "2011-12-26T17:42:14Z")
> [@Quasimodem](#): > > Yeah, that’s right. I was getting the word mixed up with stalactites.:smack: > > Boy, _that’s_ a reach, huh?🙂 > > Thanks! > > Q Long pointy things 🙂 Made sense to me! ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2011, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whore-heels-why-do-women-wear-them/607291/127 "2011-12-26T18:07:24Z")
> [@rhubarbarin](#): > > I can’t speak for every woman but personally, none of my heels are uncomfortable and my feet are not damaged even though I wear high heels regularly. So why would I need any particular motivation to wear cute Amish whore shoes? Actually I think the answer is there. I annoyed a pretty young co-worker until I figured it out (maybe). Women like shoes the way men like tools. You can’t have too many, you don’t even need to use them, but you see something you want, and you get it. Utility and necessity are way over-rated. ---
**Author:** ![Kaio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c68b51/32.png) [@Kaio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaio)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2011, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whore-heels-why-do-women-wear-them/607291/128 "2011-12-26T19:21:51Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > Yeah, but heels are objectively uncomfortable, at least, at first. Heck, that’s why they tone those muscles. Muscles don’t tone without at least some discomfort. > > And one merely needs to watch a kid in training heels to see that it’s not some really easy thing that would happen in absence of people telling them that heels are desirable for some purpose. Again, _it depends on the shoe._ I didn’t even start wearing heels until I was 25 or 26 – believe me, if they’d been uncomfortable to wear or move around in, I would have given up on them after the first pair. Instead, I started out with a pair of knee-high boots with block heels and a square toe box, and I was fine. Not every shoe is badly constructed (for the sake of fashion or otherwise). Of course this means you need to be picky about what shoes you wear, but that is a choice that’s available to you. And that’s really true of any shoe, high-heeled or not. ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2011, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whore-heels-why-do-women-wear-them/607291/129 "2011-12-26T19:29:34Z")
> [@Kaio](#): > > Not every shoe is badly constructed (for the sake of fashion or otherwise). Of course this means you need to be picky about what shoes you wear, but that is a choice that’s available to you. And that’s really true of any shoe, high-heeled or not. And it really is a matter of price. Not that I’m suggesting everyone goes out and buys a $1500 pair of Louboutins (which aren’t even that well constructed to begin with), but there is a SUBSTANTIAL difference between a pair of Forever 21 $15 5 inch pumps and a $200 pair of 5 inch pumps. Lately, I’ve been picking up designer shoes at the outlet mall and let me tell you: there is even a noticeable difference between the $200 shoes and the $800 shoes. And before you judge me: I get the $800 shoes on mega clearance for no more than $100 a pair at most. I’m just sayin’, a good pair of Manolo’s ain’t even in the same class as my cheap pumps. The expensive shoes can be worn for days without even a twinge of pain— and that’s because they really just are made that much better. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Lovely\_Margo\_Lane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/34f0e0/32.png) [@The\_Lovely\_Margo\_Lane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Lovely_Margo_Lane)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2011, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whore-heels-why-do-women-wear-them/607291/130 "2011-12-26T19:31:11Z")
> [@Lucretia](#): > > The OP is perfectly aware why women wear high heels of any sort. My guess it that calling them “whore/hooker heels” stems from the fact that slut-shaming kinda turns the OP on. He wants to hear that the reason we wear them is that we’re dirty, dirty girls who wear them in the desperate hope that he’ll maybe notice us, and then fuck us, while we thank him for it. > > Go to hell, and take your twisted little ‘innocent questions’ with you. My choice of footwear has not a damn thing to do with you, or anyone else, excepting of course Uncle Sam once in a while. But then, your question wasn’t “Combat boots, why do women wear them?”. That, I’d’ve been happy to answer. Best answer. ---
**Author:** ![Bloodless\_Turnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@Bloodless\_Turnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bloodless_Turnip)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2011, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whore-heels-why-do-women-wear-them/607291/131 "2011-12-26T19:36:43Z")
> [@DiosaBellissima](#): > > And it really is a matter of price. Not that I’m suggesting everyone goes out and buys a $1500 pair of Louboutins (which aren’t even that well constructed to begin with), but there is a SUBSTANTIAL difference between a pair of Forever 21 $15 5 inch pumps and a $200 pair of 5 inch pumps. Lately, I’ve been picking up designer shoes at the outlet mall and let me tell you: there is even a noticeable difference between the $200 shoes and the $800 shoes. > > And before you judge me: I get the $800 shoes on mega clearance for no more than $100 a pair at most. I’m just sayin’, a good pair of Manolo’s ain’t even in the same class as my cheap pumps. The expensive shoes can be worn for days without even a twinge of pain— and that’s because they really just are made that much better. Foot doctors unanimously condemn any and all heels over a certain height, regardless of manufacturer or price. The human foot just isn’t designed to bear weight the way high heels force it to. The pointed toe shoe is especially bad. I don’t disagree that some are probably more comfortable than others, for a short time..but they are all damaging your foot and legs. ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2011, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whore-heels-why-do-women-wear-them/607291/132 "2011-12-26T19:39:44Z")
> [@Bloodless\_Turnip](#): > > Foot doctors unanimously condemn any and all heels over a certain height, regardless of manufacturer or price. The human foot just isn’t designed to bear weight the way high heels force it to. The pointed toe shoe is especially bad. > > I don’t disagree that some are probably more comfortable than others, for a short time..but they are all damaging your foot and legs. Thanks, dad. I am aware. Cardiologists universally condemn fried foods, but I’m sure you also eat burgers and fries once in a while, too. There’s no reason to repeatedly get all preachy about our slutty shoe choices, since we’re all intelligent women who are conscious of the choices we’re making here. ---
**Author:** ![Bloodless\_Turnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@Bloodless\_Turnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bloodless_Turnip)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2011, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whore-heels-why-do-women-wear-them/607291/133 "2011-12-26T19:44:14Z")
Your statement: > [@](#): > > **The expensive shoes can be worn for days without even a twinge of pain— and that’s because they really just are made that much better.** 😉 ---
**Author:** ![DiosaBellissima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DiosaBellissima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DiosaBellissima)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2011, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whore-heels-why-do-women-wear-them/607291/134 "2011-12-26T19:50:11Z")
> [@Bloodless\_Turnip](#): > > Your statement: > > 😉 I don’t believe I said they are orthopedic shoes that are doing wonders for your feet, I simply said they don’t cause you any direct discomfort, as the shoes are of much better quality than cheaper shoes. Surely you understand that those are two different ideas, right? ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2011, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whore-heels-why-do-women-wear-them/607291/135 "2011-12-26T20:54:00Z")
> [@Bloodless\_Turnip](#): > > Foot doctors unanimously condemn any and all heels over a certain height, regardless of manufacturer or price. The human foot just isn’t designed to bear weight the way high heels force it to. The pointed toe shoe is especially bad. > > I don’t disagree that some are probably more comfortable than others, for a short time..but they are all damaging your foot and legs. My [go-to shoes](http://www.fluevog.com/code/?w=family%3AOperettas&p=10&pp=1&view=detail&colourID=1783) with 2.5 inch heels are pretty much indefinitely wearable, and I really doubt they do any more damage than any other habit. I wouldn’t say they are “comfortable” in the way that sneakers are comfortable- they are dress shoes, after all. But they do not cause pain or tire me out. Added to that, most of the time people aren’t really on their feet that much. How far do you really walk at work? Between the water cooler, the bathroom and the lunch room, the average worker bee might cover a few blocks in a day. People with substantial on-foot commutes tend to bring along flats or sneakers to change in and out of. And nobody wears their killer heels kicking around the house. You may wear your heels out shopping or to a party, but people don’t do that every day and these things don’t last too long. ---
**Author:** ![Bloodless\_Turnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@Bloodless\_Turnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bloodless_Turnip)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2011, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whore-heels-why-do-women-wear-them/607291/136 "2011-12-26T21:02:14Z")
I see a whole lot of woman wearing them at the mall. And, believe it or not, I see women wearing them at Disney. Those shoes are cute. Most of what I’m reading: Doc recommends nothing over a 2" heel and definitely a rounded toebox like that one has. I grew up in the 80’s and I can’t tell you how glad I was to see those round toed shoes after all those years of pointy pain. I don’t think your go to shoes would be categorized as “sexy” though. I’ve found out all kinds of interesting things about high heels in the last day or so, I had no idea that platform shoes were first worn by 15th century prostitutes, I thought those things were invented in the 70’s! > [@](#): > > Believe it or not, this is nothing new. For centuries, shoes have been a sexual prop. Prostitutes have long been at the vanguard of footwear fashion. In fifteenth-century Italy, shoemakers created an eroticized platform shoe for women called the chopine. The height of chopines put today’s Louboutins to shame. Eleven-inch platforms were not unusual, and the tallest surviving pair is twenty inches tall. Originally they were created to keep one’s feet out of the dirt and mud on the streets, but Venetian courtesans adopted an extravagant form of chopine as their trademark. This made it scandalous for “respectable” women to wear them, but women across the social spectrum did just that anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2011, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whore-heels-why-do-women-wear-them/607291/137 "2011-12-26T23:11:18Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Actually I think the answer is there. I annoyed a pretty young co-worker until I figured it out (maybe). Women like shoes the way men like tools. You can’t have too many, you don’t even need to use them, but you see something you want, and you get it. Utility and necessity are way over-rated. Yes (although I’ll point out that my husband and son are the shoe people in our house - I’ve gotten more acquisitive regarding shoes, and my husband does fine with one hammer and a set of screwdrivers and really doesn’t even want a table saw). But its an acquisition thing, not a utility thing. And yeah, I see people wearing them at Disney too. And I laugh to myself. But I suspect more people at Disney are causing their feet problems by carrying too much weight then with three inch heels. ---
**Author:** ![SnakesCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4af34b/32.png) [@SnakesCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnakesCatLady)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2011, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whore-heels-why-do-women-wear-them/607291/138 "2011-12-26T23:14:39Z")
I only own one pair of 3 inch heels now; since I broke my foot my doctor doesn’t want me to wear heels at all. I save them for “dress up” occasions. I wear them because I like the way they look and the way they make my legs look. I really only notice women wearing high heels if they can’t walk gracefully in them. ---
**Author:** ![Kevbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47774/32.png) [@Kevbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kevbo)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2011, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whore-heels-why-do-women-wear-them/607291/139 "2011-12-27T02:52:08Z")
I’m always amazed that women are able to keep their balance while wearing those things…at least without a brass pole to hang on to. ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2011, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whore-heels-why-do-women-wear-them/607291/140 "2011-12-27T03:04:54Z")
I think the title says a lot about the OP and also fits right in with the general culture of misogyny around here. That said, I have been enjoying this- read the responses of women regarding why they wear high heels, and then picture yourself calling her a whore afterwards. “I wear them because they make me feel good about myself, and confidence makes a woman sexy.” Whore! “I wear them because my husband likes them and I like to wear things that please him to make him feel special.” Whore! 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whore-heels-why-do-women-wear-them/607291.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whore-heels-why-do-women-wear-them/607291.md?page=8)