High heels - why on earth do so many women inflict such pain upon themselves?

[KingRolo]

Interesting article in The Guardian last week.

I don't like high heels and don't understand why so many women purposefully disable themselves in the name of fashion. By nature of their design they turn their wearers into passive objects unable to walk or run.

As the writer says "You can't help remembering the times when women broke their ribs to narrow their waists."

Give me a nice pair of flats any day!

What does anyone else think?

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dunno, I never wear them. Uncomfy things. Plus you can fall off them and break an ankle! And then there's the fact they deform your feet, shorten your calf muscles so it becomes painful to wear flats! And for what?

Well I am one of those who wears heels almost daily (minimum 3-4 inches shoes or boots) can run in them (just ask any of my friends who have watched me sprint after ds), no back pain, bunions etc. I love heels (actually I love shoes full stop), can pop my feet in virtually any style of shoe in my size with no discomfort whatsoever. I do also own wedges, flip flops, ballet pumps , (even wellies and trainers).

Do you know what, I have never, ever worn heels. I tried my friend's on last week and I couldn't walk in them. I did wonder what it must do to you to wear them a lot.

I can swap from pumps to heels at the drop of a hat with no problems.

I love heels, definitely very flattering and I always wear them when I'm going out somewhere. Lived in heels pre DD, now wear flats during the day. But I miss my heels, am a shoeaholic and have, well, too many of them.
I can also run, skip, jump, anything really in very high heels, with no discomfort. Is a learnt skill I think, if you wear them often enough. I only own one pair of shoes that hurt my feet, and have only worn them once or twice because of it, but they are sooo pretty I can't bear to get rid of them

I hate them and can't walk in them but they do look good. I'm very jealous of my middle sister who has always been able to wear heels (and has lovely teeny feet) . For some reason some women can manage heels and some can't. Although I did try on a pair of Manolo Blahniks once and was amazed how much more comfortable they were.

Ooh I love high heels. I love them on other people and I love they way I feel walking in them....for about 20 mins until I start to waddle They don't love me. And the highest I ever wear is 3". I don't know how people wear them all the time.

Anyway I am v tall and take 36" jeans. One thing I don't really need is more length in the legs.

i love heels some clothes just demand them.

I almost never wear high heels, I have some shoes with two inch heels or so, but even those I hardly ever wear because I can't walk very far in them.

Don't believe Marilyn Monroe was a size 14 though. Well maybe she was a 1950s size 14, but a size 14 now is much much bigger.

I agree with Noddy.

But on my daily school walking trips and my job in a playgroup, I don't wear them that often. Usually just on a night out.

I am also glad that dh is huge in comparison to me (although I am not small at 5ft 8), so I can wear any heel height. I used to go out with a bloke the same height as me and I drooled over gorgeous shoes I couldn't wear.

I haven't worn any kind of heel since I was 18. They make my feet hurt and I twist my ankles.

I love them. I only wear them when I go out though. They're like make-up, they transform you.

I can't and wouldn't wear them during the day. But absolutely love being 6ft when I wear them out at night, and much more slinky.

Good heels that don't hurt too much, well not after a martini or two anyway.

I haven't worn heels since I was about 16. However, was guilt-tripped by my 6 year old son the other day when I went into a shoe shop to look at another pair of flatties. He was genuinely puzzled as to why I didn't have any because he said "all the ladies at nursery" wear them and they look so nice! I restrained myself from telling him that I felt like a transvestite wearing them.

Love 'em - make me feel good. At my advanced age I rarely need to run...

glasjam - they make me feel like a transvestite too! I'm only 5'8" so not ridiculously tall but with my build another four inches puts me in rugby player territory.

I don't believe women who say they don't hurt. They must do, surely? It's not natural to teeter about on four inch spikes.

If they don't hurt now, they will in ten years time...

Having spent hundreds on gorgeous high heels to wear them once and realise they are just not as comfortable for me as flats I now refuse to let myself buy high heels . Being 5'10" I don't really need them anyway but am in awe of anyone who can wear them 24/7.

Manolo's, Jimmy Choo and Gina etc are all amazingly comfortable unlike cheaper shoes.

I have slipped discs so can't wear heels no matter how expensive or comfy they are without getting terrible backache. I wish I could as I would look slimmer if I were 4" taller.

I wear them for the odd night out/party but thats it.

I hate high heels, too.
I think I'm like a child, in that I like to be able to run and jump, walk everywhere and be physically fit. High heels hurt and you can't exactly be sporty in them, can you?
Torture in the name of footwear is nuts.

Since I broke my foot it really hurts to wear heels. So another reason to hobble.