I’m putting this out there. High heels.

[Undercoverbanana]

I think they are ugly and make women/girls look ridiculous. AIBU?

"I think they're a swizz, and have shades of Chinese foot binding."

This. I think it goes back to women looking a bit helpless for men.

@KittenBeast because it can start as early as 10 and at that age I presume most kids still listen to and seek guidance from their parents.

I don't shave. It isn't a rad choice, its a personal one that I make regarding my body. Just as other women make their choices regarding their bodies. And we should be able to make those choices without being judged as disgusting, dirty, handmaideny or responsible for child sexual abuse.

What I have found is that Nobody gives a fuck whether I shave or don't. The pool doesn't empty, it hasn't impacted my career and as an adult, no other adult has anything to say to me about it. Outside of MNet of course.

Not all stilettos are created equally when it comes to walking! I have some which are basically only useful for standing in, others which I could probably run to catch a taxi in.

I think women wear heels because they look elegant (as long as you're not hobbling of course), they elongate the legs and give you a better posture. Men may notice this, but I can't recall a time when a man has ever said to me, "love your shoes." Do they even notice women's shoes, or is it the overall effect in the way they make you walk and stand? I think it's probably the latter. Yet women will always comment on a new pair of Manolis or whatever, as if they're a work of art! I think many women covet shoes in the same way as handbags and foot comfort is not really the priority here, just as practicality is not the priority with handbags, quite often. It's not all for men's benefit, I don't think. It's how you feel about yourself.

So i wear heels to please men? Right
The fact that flat shoes hurt my feet and small heels can help my pain has nothing to do with it, it must be to please men

You could of course have substituted "burkha" or for high heels which might cause all the hearty nay-sayers (of which I am one) to be a bit less hearty and a bit more respectful of other people's choices.

What do the high-heel-wearers say to their DDs? I firmly vetoed them and now that DD is 20 she is never to be seen in high heels. But that might partly be to do with the fact that she is 6' tall

"The fact that flat shoes hurt my feet and small heels can help my pain has nothing to do with it, it must be to please men grin"

I don't think that's what's meant by wearing heels is it? The OP is about high heels. It's true that completely flat shoes e.g. ballet shoe styles aren't the healthiest for anyone.

Flat shoes usually hurt because of damage to our bodies caused by years of heels!

Loopy

I’ve already said that (with 15 years of soft tissue therapist work behind me) and been shot down for it

Ah well, it is AIBU!

most of them look uncomfortable. i dont mind small chunky heels - more practical ones.

I wear a mix. Day to day usually flats or boots with a small (2-3 inch) heel. Nights out I wear anything from 2-4 inch heels
I tend to limit heels more now as I have some nerve damage after spinal surgery so loss of feeling in my right leg

I can also exercise wearing makeup but I wear it every single day, so if I go from work then I've been know to be lifting weights with winged liner and red lipstick on. Doesn't affect me at all

I don't think that's what's meant by wearing heels is it? The OP is about high heels. It's true that completely flat shoes e.g. ballet shoe styles aren't the healthiest for anyone.
Why? My ‘small heels’ may not be small to another ( certainly not to my friends) however they’re small to me.

Flat shoes usually hurt because of damage to our bodies caused by years of heels!
Iv never been able to wear flat shoes ( even trainers had to be big) as i either tripped over my own feet or i had pain.

What I have found is that Nobody gives a fuck whether I shave or don't. The pool doesn't empty, it hasn't impacted my career and as an adult, no other adult has anything to say to me about it. Outside of MNet of course

Here here. That is so true.

I love heels. I wore really high ones for years when I worked. I miss them now my trainers are a daily affair running after young dd.
I have long legs and think they look great on me. I do think that some people can walk in them and some can’t.

I also think some heels are to high for certain people to walk properly in ie if you’re really short and wear 6 inch heels some people do look like they’re doing some kind of bend the knee too much with every step...

"I think they're a swizz, and have shades of Chinese foot binding."

This. I think it goes back to women looking a bit helpless for men

I think anyone trotting the footbinding argument as an argument against women freely choosing to wear high heels should try educating themselves about foot binding. This is a good start.

www.goodreads.com/book/show/1224588.A_Visit_From_The_Footbinder_And_Other_Stories

What the hell has heels got to do with "the patriarchy?" Lol, I love MN and spend far too much time on here but that type of shit annoys me.
Women, wear what you want.
Women, don't tell other women what they should or shouldn't be wearing otherwise they're not a proper woman and they're selling out or something.
Wear what YOU want.
(For what it's worth I never wear heels and always flats as that's what I like.)

YANBU

Quite a mixed response!

For those asking what do I call “high” heels - I suppose anything over 3 inches. Nothing wrong with a well-constructed shoe with a heel that is supportive and fits well across the whole foot and worn for a short time to make someone feel good about themselves and their outfit (not for someone else’s expectation).

I have just measured the couple of pairs of heeled shoes, I own and they are both 3 inches. Neither are particularly comfortable but both were purchased to go with particular outfits that I chose to wear, not because anyone told me to. I remember trying to wear flats with a particular dress and it took everything away from the dress. I tried heels and the dress looked great - so I went for the heels. The heels got kicked off once the dancing started, if I recall!!!!

I love heels, dont wear them often myself but I have loads of pairs that I collect. They are in a display

If they’re so great, why don’t men wear them?

Selling out to the patriarchy?
Meaningless sloganeering.

I think it's because of Cinderella surgery that people compare heels to foot binding or corset wearing (where there are stories of Victorian women removing ribs, unlikely considring how dangerous surgery still was then).

"Women, wear what you want.
Women, don't tell other women what they should or shouldn't be wearing otherwise they're not a proper woman and they're selling out or something.
Wear what YOU want."
The problem is that very often, women are not wearing what they want. Sometimes they are wearing what their employers have told them to wear. And sometimes they are wearing what society has told them they should wear. There are a lot of expectations about how women look that are very hard to withstand. Pointing this out is not criticising women. It's criticising the externally imposed constraints on women.

And I don't use expressions like "selling out to the patriarchy" very often. But it is a shame when rich, successful, confident, successful women don't publically question societal norms. Some do- like the women who challenged the "high heels only" rule at Cannes last year. That was great.