To think that high heels are just not worth it

Really?

Not from what I've seen!

I like a mid-height, well-secured heeled shoe to bring me up to a towering 5ft 4.
I have short, muscular legs and tiny feet dominated by large ankles (half my foot is ankle). Relaxing the calf muscle and a couple of inches on a 26" leg makes a significant aesthetic difference. It also saves a fortune on altering the length of clothes.

Most flats are either unwearable (ballet pumps, loafers, court shoes- they just fall off when attempting to move) or hideously frumpy granny/ school shoes. A couple of inches of heel looks smarter in a smart outfit where birkenstocks, running shoes or boots don't do the job than boxy, strappy flats.

What matters most for foot health is working with the natural shape and movement of the foot. I've always worn wider shoes, and because I have to wear straps, I don't ruin my feet trying to keep shoes from sliding off. There's a lot of damaging flat shoes out there that are just as bad as many styles of heels.

It's good that heels aren't as much of an expectation as they were, but heels still have a place for looking smart and polished.

I have some amazing high heel shoes that I do not wear anymore. I need to accept this and sell them not keep them because they are pretty and remind me of fun nights out.
How I danced in them I do not know.
I do not think I could walk in them now- and my knees are better for not trying

Trainers flats or clogs for me.
I dont think i could stand in heels it would feel as if im on skates.

I think the right heel can be very elegant and can make or break an outfit. I don't wear them often, but when I do, I love the look of them.

Some people here seem to think wearing 'heels' equals tottering around in vertiginous stilettos. It's not always like that.

Haven't worn a pair of stiletto types since my twenties. Haven't worn even block heeled boots for over ten years. I'm tall enough not to need them and mobility and balance are more important to me.

The two women I know who wear stiletto type heels are all about the male gaze. They are accomplished women in their fifties but to be honest they practically sweat insecurity out of their pores AND are very short. So wearing heels is probably more useful to them from a height point of view.

I like the way they look- simple as that. Nothing to do with the patriarchy, or the male gaze. I think they look great, finish certain outfits better, and I like wearing lovely things.

But according to many on here, that would make me ridiculous, dated, silly etc.

They actually do a great job of pulling in a tummy. If you stand sideways onto a mirror and go up on tip toes you will see how it flattens the tummy. That's the only good thing I can say about them . I can remember the amount of heels that were abandoned in the street on nights out I wore them in my youth but prefer comfort now 😂

They are coming back in fashion now, quite a few people wearing them in Soho on Saturday night, this time last year there were none.

Never worn them. To be honest, you don't see them about much now outside of The Apprentice. I'm getting married this year and wearing white trainers. My feet can't handle anything else.

Wore some lovely block heels for a wedding last weekend and felt really dated. Just wanted my trainers on 🤣

They have. On the rare occasion you see them now they look very dated.

I really only think heels look bad when the wearer is clearly not used to wearing them, and is sort of teetering down the road. I see a lot of women out on a weekend night carrying the heels and walking barefoot along the grimey road 😩 (These tend to be the super high variety). In those cases the whole night-out fashion needs an overhaul though, because those types of club dresses go hand in hand with those super high heels it would seem. I could be wrong as I’m not exactly in this scene.

In the past, men wanted to keep high heels for themselves. Some countries actually banned women from wearing high heels for health & safety reasons because falling while wearing them could cause a miscarriage even before a woman could know she was pregnant. The men loved towering over women, made them feel very masculine.

According to society women are conditioned to wear them

And some of us really don’t care.

I like the way I look wearing heels. That is all I care about.

I also don’t care about the odd gaze from a male. It’s pretty obvious from MN that it’s not the male gaze I need to be worried about.

Thank you - you think they look elegant and flattering on your legs. I just wanted to know why some women choose them. I'm sorry to hear about your slipped disc - literally, what a pain. I'm sure you've got some elegant kitten heels, though.

No, of course not.
As aren't other things primarily created
for men to look at.
😁

I think heels look really elegant and are very flattering for your legs. I've spent most of my life wearing heels of varying heights but sadly have had to stop wearing high heels since I slipped a disc three years ago and can now only mange kitten heels. I have never dressed to please anyone but myself, and i don't give a toss what is in fashion or not - I know what suits me and I like to feel good about myself when I look in the mirror. There will never be a day when I will wear a dress or skirt with trainers 😆

Blimey. It was a genuine question about a fashion choice! I'm interested!
Never mind.

Well no, high heels were originally designed by men for men as military boots as a nice high heel was needed to stay stable on your war horse. The heels grip the stirrups.

Then, because women like a man in uniform, all the fashionable lads who were not in any way military but wanted to look tough like a Calvary officer or if lower class like a highway man- well they all started wearing high heel boots and strutting their stuff to get the admiration of the ladies.

Then high heels that were not boots became fashionable amongst male courtiers for Louis the Sun King. Then women started wanting high heel shoes too…especially after the cross dressing fad of the 1690s…meant they had a chance to see how awesome it makes their calves look too.

Other than as part of a modelling job or theatrical performance, no one should ever be forced to wear one.

I wish tv presenters did not wear them, and think it should be unlawful for it to be required in any workplace (there was a company who wanted it for receptionists a few years back).

I hate them and so do my feet.

Platform wedges, best of both worlds!
I live in mine, so comfy. I actually put them on I preference to my trainers.

Never worn them, too uncomfortable (if not downright painful). They seem to be out of fashion at the moment anyway.

Also what is the male equivalent of heels? Apart from hiding baldness I can't think of anything

According to society women are conditioned to wear them