Women who *don't* wear heels: Why don't you?

In My Humble Opinion
1

Women only, please!

As is being discussed elsewhere, high heels are generally considered the default footwear for women, to where it can be difficult for those of us who don’t/can’t wear them to find appropriate, attractive, dressy footwear.

This poll is for women who, given the option, prefer not to wear high heels. It will be multiple choice, but I ask that you limit yourself to your top three reasons if you have more than one.

I’ve tried to be as value-neutral as possible with the choices listed. Feel free to expand your answers, as well as to add in anything I’ve forgotten.

2

Morton’s neuroma, bad arches, and I’m clumsy.
~VOW

3

I can’t wear them often because they hurt my feet and I can’t balance in them. I selected other, too, because I tend to fall a lot. Weak ankles and no coordination. What sucks is that while I can get away with not wearing them for work on a regular workday, I have to attend about 10 formal fundraisers this winter and spring as tech support, so there’s just no way to get out of wearing heels for those. I especially love setting up several networks, crawling under tables, and lugging heavy computer and credit card machines in a formal dress and heels. I’m just hoping that I don’t fall this year.

4

Uncomfy, impractical, and “Other”: I generally don’t wear clothes that are suited to heels. I’m usually in business casual (and usually pants, rather than dresses/skirts) or jeans on the weekends. If I have a special occasion and am wearing an outfit that calls for heels, I’m happy to wear them, and like the way they look, but I’m even happier to take them off at the end of the night.

5

Very uncomfy, hurt my feet and not practical in my field. I do health facility inspections and investigations and am always on my feet.

6

Uncomfortable, impractical, and I worry about my foot health. You should SEE my grandmother’s bunions and hammertoes. Actually, you shouldn’t. It’s gross.

7

For me it’s because

  1. I have bad balance issues, and heels for me are an invitation to a sprained ankle, skinned knee, and other indignities. (Even if I stumble and catch myself, it still looks less than graceful!) The highest I can wear without risk of falling is about 1 1/2", and that has to be a thick chunky heel.

  2. They hurt. I don’t like hurting. People in the other thread have said that if you spend a month’s rent on a pair of shoes and make sure they’re high quality, they won’t hurt…I don’t have that option.

  3. I don’t like the vulnerable feeling I get when I’m in high heels. I am very aware of the fact that I am less able to run, to fight, to move in general. There’s a sexual element to it, too - I feel as though I am on sexual display for any men who happen to see me, but I am also less able to fight off unwanted attentions. It makes me nervous, and I find myself seeing all men as potential gropers/rapists/purse snatchers. It’s unpleasant.

8

All of the above. I’m baffled by women who wear them.

9

They hurt, period. I’ll be damned if I’m going to endure pain for the sake of fashion.

10

Because they are frigid? :wink:

11

Why should I? I can see a whole host of reasons why not, and only a couple that are in the positive column.

12

They are painful and I am clumsy. One sad thing is that the only time I wear high heels is when I am meeting with high level people in my company or attending important events. This means that I am far more likely to fall on my face when I am meeting with high level people or attending important events. That’s why no one will forget the day I walked up in front of a huge assembly to receive an award…and fell flat on my face. Or the day I got up from my chair to greet the head of my department…and fell flat on my face. Or the day my boss and all of his colleagues took me to lunch for my birthday…and I fell flat on my face in the middle of the street. Now my default for dress up occasions is a 1.5" kitten heel.

13

I hated the feet on Barbie dolls and I damn well don’t want them for myself. Besides, I like being able to walk and I don’t want to give it up in later life.

14

I walk about a mile each way as part of my commute, and walking in heels sucks. Even if the shoe is totally comfortable, if you try to cover ground the heels force you to strut like a runway model. Not fun.

And yeah, the safety thing. Why in the world would I voluntarily wear hobbles? If I can’t run, at least a little bit, I’m not going to wear them outside of very limited circumstances.

15

Balance issues, being tall enough already, and back issues that get worse when I’m teetering around on heels.

I don’t insist on flats, but I will wear at most a moderate heel and it must be stable - fat wedges good, stilettos very very bad.

16

I’ll wear up to a 2" heel. I actually find I like a little heel, as long as it’s a fat wedge, better than flats. Flats aren’t really that comfortable unles they are well padded.

Any higher than that and I don’t feel confident.

17

I avoid high heels because:

I refuse to wear uncomfortable shoes, I’m tall enough already, and I’m a runner and don’t want to mess up my feet or Achilles tendons.

18

They’re uncomfortable and they’re bad for your feet.

I wear minimal shoes most of the time. But I don’t work in an office or store.

19

uncomfortable, bad for the feet, bad for the knees, I am clumsy in them.

I will wear 2 inch heels for dress-up work occassions, otherwise its flats or nothing greater than a 1 inch heel. Even then, it cannot be the stiletto type of heel, it must have some decent surface area on it. I’m just not that graceful!

Every time I have to hustle through an airport, I am grateful I am not wearing heels.

20

Doctor’s orders - after breaking my foot a few years ago I was told no more heels. I still wear cowboy boots with about an 1.5 heel, and I have a pair of 3 inch heels for very special occasions.