Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Ridiculously high heels - Apprentice Final Four

427 replies

axolotlfloof · 18/03/2022 22:28

Just watching this week's episode.
Really pleased to see 4 women in the final, but why the heels?
Even Karen is wearing them.
They are bad for your feet, balance and just ridiculous.
My Mum's feet were destroyed by heels in the 60s, and I prioritise walking over heels.
Aibu?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
5
Theluggage15 · 19/03/2022 07:23

Oh yes people always watch the Apprentice as a serious programme showing how you need to behave and what you have to wear to get on in business! Hahahaha.

Benes · 19/03/2022 07:24

The idea that these shoes form part of a uniform of a successful woman is totally outdated! If my colleagues enjoy wearing heels that's fine but it should not form the identity of a power woman in business!!

I agree. And if you'd just said this I would have wholeheartedly agreed with you.

OLP2019 · 19/03/2022 07:25

@Theluggage15

What a vicious nasty bunch of people on here. They can wear what they want. All the sneering about being dated, dangerous, silly, cheap just so unpleasant.

‘It’s only the very junior admin assistants who wear them’ ‘I/my daughter has a very important job in the city and only ever wears jogging bottoms.’ What difference does it make to you what they wear? Why the anger at how they dress? Really really odd.

I actually just think the older women among us think it's really sad that in this day and age women still think they have to dress a certain way to be taken "seriously" in business. I personally love how heels look but cannot walk in them or wear them for long periods so only wear them if I feel like it . It should have no bearing on my capability at my job
OLP2019 · 19/03/2022 07:25

@Theluggage15

What a vicious nasty bunch of people on here. They can wear what they want. All the sneering about being dated, dangerous, silly, cheap just so unpleasant.

‘It’s only the very junior admin assistants who wear them’ ‘I/my daughter has a very important job in the city and only ever wears jogging bottoms.’ What difference does it make to you what they wear? Why the anger at how they dress? Really really odd.

I actually just think the older women among us think it's really sad that in this day and age women still think they have to dress a certain way to be taken "seriously" in business. I personally love how heels look but cannot walk in them or wear them for long periods so only wear them if I feel like it . It should have no bearing on my capability at my job
Moodycow78 · 19/03/2022 07:26

@Jaffapaffa

I've been told today that I have to teach my class (Y8) that heels are part of a work wardrobe for women, and that if you want to succeed, it's essential to wear them.

I've objected several times, but have been told that it's not optional.

I'm really not comfortable with this at all.

But yes, apparently there's still a school of thought that says women must wear heels to be successful - hence their appearance in The Apprentice, I suppose.

Just don't do it FFS no matter, you do have a choice here, no way in hell would I ever agree to teach that.
Parfait · 19/03/2022 07:27

Had anyone else noticed the camera angles verging on upskirting when the women are getting out of the cars or walking into buildings? 😡

Quincythequince · 19/03/2022 07:28

Agree with Benes! The targeted comments are vile.

OLP saying ‘behave’ 😂😂 (ok Les Dawson!) when the appalling vitriol is challenged, and others trying to now backtrack is appalling.

You all embarrass yourselves way more than those young women ever have.

Benes · 19/03/2022 07:29

I personally love how heels look but cannot walk in them or wear them for long periods so only wear them if I feel like it . It should have no bearing on my capability at my job

The opposite applies too. Someone choosing to wear heels isn't ridiculous and shouldn't be judged for doing so. We also shouldn't assume they're wearing them under duress.

Theluggage15 · 19/03/2022 07:29

Who says women think they have to dress in a certain way? Maybe these women like dressing like that. The truth is you don’t like seeing women dressing like that. That’s your problem.

Quincythequince · 19/03/2022 07:29

I am an older woman OLP and what’s sad is people criticising how women dress.

You are now backpedaling spectacularly.

Good!

Oblomov22 · 19/03/2022 07:30

Yawn. This old thread, yet again. I don't wear heels that often, but when I do, I don't find them uncomfortable at all, thanks, I love them. If you don't find them comfy, don't wear them.

donquixotedelamancha · 19/03/2022 07:30

I've been told today that I have to teach my class (Y8) that heels are part of a work wardrobe for women, and that if you want to succeed, it's essential to wear them. I've objected several times, but have been told that it's not optional.

WTF?

  1. Nobody can force you to teach anything. You are a professional who makes their own judgements based on the curriculum.
  1. I'd make a formal complaint if asked to teach that.
Unsure33 · 19/03/2022 07:30

@Jaffapaffa

I've been told today that I have to teach my class (Y8) that heels are part of a work wardrobe for women, and that if you want to succeed, it's essential to wear them.

I've objected several times, but have been told that it's not optional.

I'm really not comfortable with this at all.

But yes, apparently there's still a school of thought that says women must wear heels to be successful - hence their appearance in The Apprentice, I suppose.

I find this totally unbelievable in this day and age . I can totally understand requirements for smart clothes and things like no short shorts or ripped jeans etc , we have an appearance guide , but to have to wear high heels ? That is ridiculous.
Theluggage15 · 19/03/2022 07:31

Yes and I’m in my early fifties and I like women being able to dress how they please.

Quincythequince · 19/03/2022 07:32

And 😂 to people suggesting that this show in any way emulates business

speakout · 19/03/2022 07:32

I think it's also the older ones amongst us who are paying the price of high heels.
Some of my heel wearing friends now have very bad feet after wearing heels when they were younger. I never wore heels and have perfect feet.
Others not so fortunate- I see other women's feet every day.

Ridiculously high heels - Apprentice Final Four
speakout · 19/03/2022 07:33

I wonlt damage my body for the sake of footwear.

Ridiculously high heels - Apprentice Final Four
Benes · 19/03/2022 07:33

@Quincythequince

I am an older woman OLP and what’s sad is people criticising how women dress.

You are now backpedaling spectacularly.

Good!

I'm also an older woman too. I love heels and have worn them in the workplace in the past. I don't really wear them now in the workplace as it it's impractical ( university academic) but when I do wear them I'm wearing them because I like them not because I'm conforming to any expectations about how women should dress in the workplace.

I also don't criticise other women and their clothing choices.

PersephonePomegranate · 19/03/2022 07:36

But many women do “totter around”, they can barely bloody walk in the heels and quite frankly it seem ridiculous to go to work and expect people to take you seriously if you can’t bloody well get up and walk around the office like an adult should, without looking like you’re about to fall over.

Plenty can walk perfectly well. I could, until sports injuries meant that I couldn't, and then I switched to other shoes. No big deal. I always liked heels because the shoes always looked more interesting (to me) and I liked how I looked in them - nothing to do with succeeding at all.

I really don't think it's anyone's business unless people are being forced to wear them (a certain high end London department store does and I will never shop in there). It's also not for women to be banning items of clothing for other women.

Benes · 19/03/2022 07:36

@Oblomov22

Yawn. This old thread, yet again. I don't wear heels that often, but when I do, I don't find them uncomfortable at all, thanks, I love them. If you don't find them comfy, don't wear them.
I'm the same. I don't find them uncomfortable either. In fact, I find completely flat shoes far more uncomfortable as they stretch my very short calf muscles! Years of dancing means I'm more comfortable on my tip toes!
speakout · 19/03/2022 07:37

I'm not sure how many high heel wearers wear them all day.
I have worked in several types of environment, women in many offices will take off high heel shoes when they arrive, put on a pair of flat shoes, or stay barefoot, only putting on the heels for show- presentations, meetings etc.
Heels not only damage the feet, they shorten hamstrings, tilt the pelvis into a lordosis, increasing the risk of back pain, siatic problems etc.

speakout · 19/03/2022 07:38

I find completely flat shoes far more uncomfortable as they stretch my very short calf muscles!

Does it not alarm you that your calf muscles have been shortened like this? That walking normally on flat feet gives you pain?

Badbadbunny · 19/03/2022 07:39

@LizzieSiddal

I realise they can wear what they like but I’m not sure they are. I know people who work in this kind of TV, be in no doubt these women will have been told exactly how they shoudl look and what they should wear. I think it’s throughly depressing that they all look the same, I’d feel exactly the same if they’d made them all wear an overall! Although at least then they probably wouldn’t have to totter around all day. Someone them can barely walk in those heels!

It’s giving a very false sense of what a woman needs to look like in 2022 to “get on”.

I agree. They're being instructed to look/dress as they are on TV. Do you really think the producers would let any of them turn up in jeans? They'll be provided with clothes, have their hair/make up done by the TV staff, etc.

It's obvious because they usually look VERY different when outside the program, i.e. in the audience of the "looking back" program of each series and when interviewed on TV later. Some are barely recognisable when they're free to wear their own clothes and choose their own hair/make up.

It's all directed by the TV crew/producers.

Lipsandlashes · 19/03/2022 07:45

@Jaffapaffa

I've been told today that I have to teach my class (Y8) that heels are part of a work wardrobe for women, and that if you want to succeed, it's essential to wear them.

I've objected several times, but have been told that it's not optional.

I'm really not comfortable with this at all.

But yes, apparently there's still a school of thought that says women must wear heels to be successful - hence their appearance in The Apprentice, I suppose.

That hasn’t happened though has it?!
OLP2019 · 19/03/2022 07:45

@Quincythequince

I am an older woman OLP and what’s sad is people criticising how women dress.

You are now backpedaling spectacularly.

Good!

Well ok I'm open to discussion isn't this what this forum is about ? My position is that in my experience in my early career I was expected to dress a certain way and that included heels and power suits eg tight skirts and dresses!! I put up with a lot of sexism and as an attractive woman (then !) I ended up really trying to dress down to be taken seriously! I don't judge anyone for what they want to wear but I guess I feel strongly that young women shouldn't have to dress a certain way to get attention in business. Not sure I'm expressing this very well!! I just feel that in this age of social media image has suddenly become so important again and you should dress how you want to dress and not how you think you NEED to dress to impress other people