Are high heels used to make women weaker?

[angell84]

I am in a cafe having a cup of tea with a friend.

A small woman stumbled in, in high heels that she could barely walk in. She was with a large domineering man - he was striding ahead, and she could barely keep up.

I looked at her, and I had a thought that I have had a few times.

Why do women wear high heels? And Why do the fashion industry keep pushing high heels at women?

They are uncomfortableto wear, they physically hurt us in the long run- I looked at a scientific study online before I wrote this. It said that wearing high heels weaken women's muscles.

And they make us incredibly weak and vulnerable - we are barely able to walk - let alone run, wearing them. I.e it suits men with bad intentions - for us to wear them.

Does anyone else think this?

You are being unreasonable. I wear heels every day and have done for years. I'm not weak, nor do I feel it. I can deadlift more than double my body weight.

They were invented in Ancient times for practical reasons and worn by men and women. But today, they are simply decorative and associated with sex work.

Are you for real?

Surely the produce and sell them because their is a call for them? If women didn’t want to wear them they wouldn’t purchase them.

Just because something isn’t your choice doesn’t mean it’s wrong.

I have no idea how anyone can think while wearing them.

... Because people are different?

I agree @herja. I also associate high heels with male power, it is how some of them want us to look:

Elongated on display, tottering around, vulnerable, and dependant on them

I personally think high heels can look fantastic. When I wear them I fee more confident and more attractive. They’re part of my ‘costume’ for being assertive at work. I think they look fantastic on men and on women, and as a bisexual woman, my personal gaze benefits from them.

I equally appreciate that other women find them restrictive, uncomfortable and sexist. I have never judged and would never judge a woman who never wore heels.

There’s nothing wrong with using any kind of fashion as a means of self-expression. We shouldn’t judge anyone for the way they choose to engage with it or otherwise.

They are bad for physical health, and they put women at risk.

That's not necessarily true. My sister is in heels most of the time. She has hypermobility syndrome and without wearing heels she'd be in a lot more pain and yet she has to put up with moronic comments from other women (not including you in that) who project their own feelings about them or their own comfort levels into her.

The fashion industry isn’t to blame for high heels. Fashion is consumer driven. If women didn’t want to wear them, no one would buy them and they’d go out of fashion.

Just like high heels went out of fashion for men in the Regency period after enjoying a 200+yr run of popularity for the 1600s through 1700s. Men stopped wearing them in favour of boots.

Not everyone who wears high heels doesn't know how to walk in them. It's very possible to be a pretty woman and not dumb.

If I am wearing heels in a bar or in the office, it doesn't make me weaker. In the unlikely event we have a fire or some attack, I can always take them out and run if I really need to be faster. On a normal day, I am fine, what do you think makes me weak?

Elongated on display, tottering around, vulnerable, and dependant on them
blimey there are some sexists posters on here

Some men even wore high heels briefly in the 1970s

If you actually think about it objectively, it is a really ridiculous concept that women would be walking around on spikes. If aliens landed, they would wonder what we’re doing.

Having said this, I do think if you’re going out, most evening dresses don’t look as good with a pair of flats. Teens can get away with a short dress and trainers / ballet pumps, but over a certain age I do think it looks a bit frumpy.

But yes, high stilettos are probably the modern day version of the corset. Restrictive apparel to keep women in their place, I guess.

It’s more complex than that though because women do like to express themselves and if something makes them feel more attractive / feminine / sexy, then they’ll probably go for it. Fashion is expression and oppression, in this sense.

I do wear heels, but only if I know I’m not going to be standing round all night and I make sure DH or the cab takes me door to door. Gone are the days I’m legging it for the tube in stilettos.

No the intention wasn't to hobble women, although that may have been the effect. And I don't think they were something originally forced on women by men, although eventually men may have come to expect them. I agree they are silly. If any business (other than maybe stripclubs) still expect women to wear them those businesses need to be taken to court.

A similar, although much more extreme phenomenon, was Chinese footbinding. Perhaps examining the history of that would give some insight into the tradition of wearing high heels?

But it comes down to personal choice? In high heels I am over 6ft tall and feel empowered and strong. It comes down to personal choice. The woman you saw might be practising wearing heels. Where do you draw the line? Are bras also bad? Should we stop wearing pads/tampons because menstrual blood is natural?

I think you need to reassess your understanding of the word “sexist”

Yabu.

I don't wear flat shoes I hate them and I can run, walk and easily keep up with everyone in my heals.

There is difference between them 'making women weak' and you spotting an idiot who just can't walk in them.

Footbinding was always done to females. High heels started out being used by men and then were adopted by women. Very different.

If wearing a dress for work, I like the extra two inches that a pair of (Hotter) heels (with straps as I can't do slip on) adds to my height. I have short stumpy feet so they do look more elegant and polished than flats.

I won't do uncomfortable. I don't buy shoes that I can't stand or walk in all day.

High heels (and my feet are too physically short to manage over 3 inches) are supposed to "enhance" "feminine" traits, but the effect is killed off if they are too high and unstable for the wearer who ends up teetering around like Bambi.

It is frustrating as a professional that certain traits like dainty footwear and (often) make up is associated as looking professional. Men do have an advantage in being unquestioned over flat practical footwear and bare faces.

sexism
(actions based on) the belief that the members of one sex are less intelligent, able, skilful, etc. than the members of the other sex, especially that women are less able than men

No, I am good fascinated

So the fashion industry shouldn’t sell them! Wtf? Cigarettes give people cancer, too much sugar makes one fat, alcohol is bad and all those things are sold why, because adults are allowed to make choices for themselves.

The woman you saw made a choice as an adult to wear a pair of shoes she couldn’t walk in, that’s on her not the fashion industry.

Maybe they make YOU look weak, op but you don’t speak for all women.

I love heels, I can walk in them just fine I’d don’t find the uncomfortable. I wear them because I like to sound they make, to me that sounds like power, I stand up straighter when I wear the, I tend to slouch in flats. They also make my arse look good

Don’t see any sexism...

Oh this is the ' You can wear anything you like and be who you like thread '

But only if you follow our rules

I used to love heels as I felt more empowered wearing them ' at the time'

Now i am too old and look ridiculous as I hobble in them lol

miss my heels

Women don't need men to put them down .....there are far to many other women already doing this

Men wore heels in the 17th century and as someone said, in the 1970s. Given heels add a curve to the calf and make legs look sexier, perhaps we should encourage more men to wear them? Goths manage it, and male dancers, so it shouldn't take much effort to make them more widespread.

I always feel like I am wearing a pair of weapons when I wear heels. I definitely feel stronger! But I can walk in any heels I own and even run if I had to otherwise I wouldn't wear them. Surely it's down to the individual? I love heels but I mostly wear flats as I need to be able to cope in muddy situations and heels are not practical in that situation, just like wellies aren't practical in all situations.

Who is "women"? We are individuals with minds of our own. My mother, my friends, my daughters and I wear what we want and if a man admires some aspect of it, that is his choice. Heels can be lovely, as can chunky boots. Neither say anything for sure except that the wearer thinks they feel good on her.